This year’s Northumberland (as opposed to Northumbria) congress was held over the weekend of 29th September to 1st October 2023 at The Parks Leisure Centre, Howdon Road, North Shields, NE29 6TL. There were 4 sections: Open, Major (<=1900 rating), Minor (<=1675 rating) and Foundation (<=1450 rating). The first three were played as you’d expect at standard rate over 5 rounds, but the “Foundation” (=beginners’) section was played at a 1 hour per game, with players playing 2 games (second with colours reversed) in each or the 5 rounds. The Open was to be FIDE-rated.

Final cross-tables were as follows:

Open

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Tim P Wall	2216	1	W	29	1	B	26	½	B	4	1	W	11	½	B	2
	Forest Hall			1			2			2½			3½			4		13
2	Gustavo Leon Cazares	2000	1	W	33	½	B	19	1	W	7	1	B	10	½	W	1
	Gosforth			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
3	Roger H Coathup	2078	1	W	28	1	B	25	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	W	15
	Morpeth			1			2			2½			3			4		12½
4	Rafe Martyn	2199	½	-	bye	1	B	37	½	W	1	1	B	19	1	W	9
	4ncl Barbican			½			1½			2			3			4		11
5	David Henderson	2065	1	W	18	½	B	7	½	W	19	1	B	13	½	W	8
	Tynemouth			1			1½			2			3			3½		11
6	David Armbruster	1836	1	W	8	½	B	14	½	W	12	1	B	25	½	W	10
	Gosforth			1			1½			2			3			3½		11
7	Nathan Ekanem	1864	1	W	38	½	W	5	0	B	2	1	B	33	1	W	20
	Gateshead			1			1½			1½			2½			3½		10
8	David J Walker	2245	0	B	6	1	W	23	1	B	28	1	W	16	½	B	5
	Leam Lane			0			1			2			3			3½		9½
9	Nicolas Skettos	1903	1	W	34	½	B	10	1	W	17	½	B	12	0	B	4
	Glasgow *			1			1½			2½			3			3		11
10	Andrew Burnett	2185	1	B	24	½	W	9	1	B	21	0	W	2	½	B	6
	Forest Hall			1			1½			2½			2½			3		10½
11	Graeme Oswald	2127	½	W	37	1	B	27	1	W	20	0	B	1	½	W	12
	Leam Lane			½			1½			2½			2½			3		10
12	Paul A G Dargan	2069	1	B	30	½	W	13	½	B	6	½	W	9	½	B	11
	Tynemouth			1			1½			2			2½			3		10
13	David Egan	1887	1	W	15	½	B	12	½	-	bye	0	W	5	1	B	27
	Tynemouth			1			1½			2			2			3		9½
14	Virgil Szekely	2031	1	B	40	½	W	6	½	B	16	0	W	15	1	B	30
	Great Ayton			1			1½			2			2			3		9½
15	Yaroslav Kolodiy	1979	0	B	13	1	W	30	1	W	22	1	B	14	0	B	3
	South Shields			0			1			2			3			3		9
16	Michael Ridge	1784	½	W	17	1	B	22	½	W	14	0	B	8	1	W	26
	Edinburgh			½			1½			2			2			3		9
17	Zheming Zhang	2082	½	B	16	1	W	35	0	B	9	½	W	18	1	B	28
	Forest Hall			½			1½			1½			2			3		8½
18	Chris Sykes	1719	0	B	5	1	W	39	½	W	26	½	B	17	1	W	25
	Edinburgh			0			1			1½			2			3		7½
19	George Gazis	1855	1	B	39	½	W	2	½	B	5	0	W	4	½	B	21
	Durham City			1			1½			2			2			2½		9
20	John P Wareing	1876	½	B	23	1	W	36	0	B	11	1	W	32	0	B	7
	Calderdale			½			1½			1½			2½			2½		8½
21	Yaoyao Zhu	1957	½	-	bye	1	B	32	0	W	10	½	B	29	½	W	19
	4ncl 3cs			½			1½			1½			2			2½		8
22	Michael L Green	2059	½	-	bye	0	W	16	0	B	15	1	W	36	1	B	32
	Carlisle Austin Friars			½			½			½			1½			2½		5½
23	Liam Medley	1916	½	W	20	0	B	8	0	W	27	1	B	37	1	W	34
	Battersea			½			½			½			1½			2½		5½
24	Robin J Nandi	1805	0	W	10	½	B	34	0	W	32	1	B	39	1	W	29
	Cowley			0			½			½			1½			2½		5
25	Steven B Booth	1902	1	B	31	0	W	3	1	B	38	0	W	6	0	B	18
	Great Ayton			1			1			2			2			2		8
26	Chris Izod	1911	1	-	bye	0	W	1	½	B	18	½	W	27	0	B	16
	Jesmond			1			1			1½			2			2		7½
27	James Turner	1678	½	-	bye	0	W	11	1	B	23	½	B	26	0	W	13
	Morpeth			½			½			1½			2			2		6½
28	Luke Owen	1768	0	B	3	1	W	31	0	W	8	1	B	34	0	W	17
	Darlington			0			1			1			2			2		6
29	John S Garnett	1826	0	B	1	½	W	33	1	B	35	½	W	21	0	B	24
	The Buffs			0			½			1½			2			2		6
30	Mark Bw Waterfield	1734	0	W	12	0	B	15	1	W	31	1	B	38	0	W	14
	Kettering			0			0			1			2			2		5
31	Oliver Montague	1589	0	W	25	0	B	28	0	B	30	1	W	35	1	W	33
	Durham University			0			0			0			1			2		3
32	Fedir Dyshliuk	1393	½	-	bye	0	W	21	1	B	24	0	B	20	0	W	22
	Durham University			½			½			1½			1½			1½		5½
33	Andy J Trevelyan	1641	0	B	2	½	B	29	1	W	37	0	W	7	0	B	31
	Jesmond			0			½			1½			1½			1½		5
34	Jeremy Revell	1596	0	B	9	½	W	24	1	B	36	0	W	28	0	B	23
	Newcastle University			0			½			1½			1½			1½		5
35	Alannah Ashton	1625	½	-	bye	0	B	17	0	W	29	0	B	31	1	W	39
	3cs			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
36	Siefaldin A Holi	1680	½	-	bye	0	B	20	0	W	34	0	B	22	1	W	38
	Wakefield			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
37	Paul R Bielby	1786	½	B	11	0	W	4	0	B	33	0	W	23	1	-	bye
	South Shields			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
38	Chris A Bates	1874	0	B	7	+	W	40	0	W	25	0	W	30	0	B	36
	S Tyneside College			0			1			1			1			1		4
39	Dalil Benchebra	1692	0	W	19	0	B	18	½	-	bye	0	W	24	0	B	35
	Leam Lane			0			0			½			½			½		1½
40	Manoj Arora	1699	0	W	14	-	B	38
	Gosforth			0			0			0			0			0		0

Major

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	John Liddle	1823	1	W	24	1	B	16	1	W	4	½	W	2	½	B	3
	Gosforth			1			2			3			3½			4		13½
2	Raj K Mohindra	1915	1	W	15	1	B	18	1	W	6	½	B	1	½	W	4
	Forest Hall			1			2			3			3½			4		13½
3	Mark Mckay	1679	½	B	11	1	W	7	1	W	10	1	B	5	½	W	1
	Gosforth			½			1½			2½			3½			4		12
4	Neil T Jones	1829	1	B	19	1	W	9	0	B	1	1	W	8	½	B	2
	Maryport			1			2			2			3			3½		11½
5	A Keith Aitchison	1771	1	B	20	1	W	12	½	B	8	0	W	3	1	B	13
	Edinburgh			1			2			2½			2½			3½		11½
6	Mark Taylor	1823	1	B	22	1	W	21	0	B	2	½	W	9	1	B	14
	Rochdale			1			2			2			2½			3½		11
7	John F Turnock	1869	½	-	bye	0	B	3	1	W	21	1	B	15	1	W	11
	Jesmond			½			½			1½			2½			3½		8½
8	Srivathsan Sasikumar	1787	½	-	bye	1	B	17	½	W	5	0	B	4	1	B	9
	Leeds University			½			1½			2			2			3		9
9	Gary Sharkey	1737	1	-	bye	0	B	4	1	W	16	½	B	6	0	W	8
	Maryport			1			1			2			2½			2½		9
10	Stuart Marchbank	1656	½	-	bye	1	W	11	0	B	3	0	W	13	1	B	18
	Scotland			½			1½			1½			1½			2½		7½
11	Robert A Dean	1815	½	W	3	0	B	10	1	W	20	1	B	18	0	B	7
	Saltaire			½			½			1½			2½			2½		7½
12	Ben Wicks	1506	1	-	bye	0	B	5	½	W	18	0	W	14	1	B	19
	St Albans			1			1			1½			1½			2½		7½
13	Randolph E Donahue	1851	0	W	18	½	B	15	1	W	22	1	B	10	0	W	5
	Leeds			0			½			1½			2½			2½		7
14	John S Clarke	1806	0	W	16	½	B	22	1	W	17	1	B	12	0	W	6
	Tynemouth			0			½			1½			2½			2½		7
15	Ian B Chester	1746	0	B	2	½	W	13	1	B	19	0	W	7	1	B	16
	Gosforth			0			½			1½			1½			2½		6
16	Joel Tofield-Brown	1660	1	B	14	0	W	1	0	B	9	1	B	21	0	W	15
	Tynemouth			1			1			1			2			2		7
17	David R Sharp	1543	½	-	bye	0	W	8	0	B	14	½	W	22	1	-	bye
	Gosforth			½			½			½			1			2		4½
18	Dave Patterson	1734	1	B	13	0	W	2	½	B	12	0	W	11	0	W	10
	South Shields			1			1			1½			1½			1½		6½
19	Vivien Webster	1731	0	W	4	½	B	23	0	W	15	1	B	20	0	W	12
	Halifax			0			½			½			1½			1½		4
20	Tim Bowler	1605	0	W	5	½	-	bye	0	B	11	0	W	19	1	B	22
	Maryport			0			½			½			½			1½		3
21	Terry Tyson	1674	1	W	23	0	B	6	0	B	7	0	W	16
	Maryport			1			1			1			1			1		5
22	Stephen J Jnr Roe	1708	0	W	6	½	W	14	0	B	13	½	B	17	0	W	20
	Billingham Synthonia			0			½			½			1			1		3
23	Robert Clegg	1813	0	B	21	½	W	19
	Huddersfield			0			½			½			½			½		2
24	John S Marsh	1709	0	B	1
	Leam Lane			0			0			0			0			0		0

Minor

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Noel J Boustred	1643	1	W	19	1	B	20	1	W	6	½	B	4	½	W	5
	Gosforth			1			2			3			3½			4		13½
2	Ethan Tatters	1536	½	B	8	½	W	27	1	B	29	1	W	15	1	B	11
	Forest Hall			½			1			2			3			4		10½
3	Alfie McMonagle	1623	1	W	22	1	B	14	½	W	4	½	B	5	½	W	7
	Middlesbrough			1			2			2½			3			3½		12
4	Calvin Smith	1572	1	W	29	1	B	24	½	B	3	½	W	1	½	B	10
	Maryport			1			2			2½			3			3½		12
5	David Pritchard	1590	1	B	35	½	W	15	1	B	9	½	W	3	½	B	1
	Gosforth			1			1½			2½			3			3½		11½
6	Daniel Williams	1605	1	B	13	1	W	11	0	B	1	½	W	8	1	B	14
	Co Durham *			1			2			2			2½			3½		11
7	Stephen D Lefevre	1449	½	B	12	1	W	30	½	B	15	1	W	18	½	B	3
	Cosham			½			1½			2			3			3½		10½
8	Tim Sewart	0	½	W	2	1	B	23	½	W	16	½	B	6	1	W	26
				½			1½			2			2½			3½		10
9	Robert Pc Mitcheson	1659	½	-	bye	1	B	25	0	W	5	1	B	23	1	W	19
	Morpeth			½			1½			1½			2½			3½		9½
10	Joe Chan	1508	0	W	16	1	B	32	1	W	34	1	B	24	½	W	4
	Gosforth			0			1			2			3			3½		9½
11	Joseph E Miller	1462	+	B	38	0	B	6	1	W	20	1	B	16	0	W	2
	Leam Lane			1			1			2			3			3		10
12	Colin Weller	1599	½	W	7	½	B	18	½	W	22	½	B	26	+	W	28
	Scarborough			½			1			1½			2			3		8
13	David M Scorer	1452	0	W	6	½	W	31	½	B	28	1	B	34	1	W	24
	Clitheroe			0			½			1			2			3		6½
14	Richard Mayrs	0	1	B	31	0	W	3	1	B	30	½	-	bye	0	W	6
				1			1			2			2½			2½		9
15	Stephen Williams	1661	1	W	39	½	B	5	½	W	7	0	B	2	½	W	22
	Cwmbran			1			1½			2			2			2½		9
16	David J Buckell	1648	1	B	10	½	W	17	½	B	8	0	W	11	½	B	18
	Clitheroe			1			1½			2			2			2½		9
17	Brandon Russell	1590	1	W	32	½	B	16	0	W	24	0	B	19	1	W	33
	Newcastle *			1			1½			1½			1½			2½		8
18	Paul Castledine	1509	½	-	bye	½	W	12	1	B	25	0	B	7	½	W	16
	Alnwick			½			1			2			2			2½		8
19	Deborah Edmundson	1506	0	B	1	1	W	35	½	B	21	1	W	17	0	B	9
	Co Durham *			0			1			1½			2½			2½		7½
20	Michael Owen	1558	1	B	34	0	W	1	0	B	11	1	W	27	½	B	21
	Gosforth			1			1			1			2			2½		7½
21	Barry Edgar	1616	½	-	bye	½	B	26	½	W	19	½	B	22	½	W	20
	Consett			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
22	Andrew Hardy	1473	0	B	3	1	W	28	½	B	12	½	W	21	½	B	15
	Alnwick			0			1			1½			2			2½		7
23	Simas Tamosiunas	1552	½	B	28	0	W	8	1	B	31	0	W	9	1	B	25
	South Shields			½			½			1½			1½			2½		6½
24	Ryan JG Duff	1626	1	B	33	0	W	4	1	B	17	0	W	10	0	B	13
	Forest Hall			1			1			2			2			2		8
25	William A Penny	0	1	B	37	0	W	9	0	W	18	1	B	35	0	W	23
				1			1			1			2			2		7
26	William Noble	1529	½	-	bye	½	W	21	½	B	27	½	W	12	0	B	8
	Gateshead			½			1			1½			2			2		7
27	Arthur Ryder	1373	½	W	36	½	B	2	½	W	26	0	B	20	½	W	30
	Denton			½			1			1½			1½			2		6½
28	Oskar Nicholson Gringinger	0	½	W	23	0	B	22	½	W	13	1	W	29	-	B	12
	Lancashire *			½			½			1			2			2		6
29	David M Watson	1363	0	B	4	1	W	33	0	W	2	0	B	28	1	W	35
	Morpeth			0			1			1			1			2		5
30	Bernard Cassidy	1545	½	-	bye	0	B	7	0	W	14	1	W	37	½	B	27
	Scotland			½			½			½			1½			2		5
31	Andre Coltman	1552	0	W	14	½	B	13	0	W	23	½	B	32	1	W	34
	Bare Village			0			½			½			1			2		4
32	Andrew Pringle	1392	0	B	17	0	W	10	½	B	33	½	W	31	+	B	37
	Maryport			0			0			½			1			2		3½
33	Martin Thompson	1485	0	W	24	0	B	29	½	W	32	1	-	bye	0	B	17
	Gosforth			0			0			½			1½			1½		3½
34	Patrick Gorman	1147	0	W	20	1	-	bye	0	B	10	0	W	13	0	B	31
	Tynemouth			0			1			1			1			1		4
35	Alastair Dallas	1409	0	W	5	0	B	19	1	-	bye	0	W	25	0	B	29
	Scotland			0			0			1			1			1		3
36	James Flint	1581	½	B	27
	Belper			½			½			½			½			½		2½
37	Chris Sinu	1621	0	W	25				½	-	bye	0	B	28	-	W	30
	Darlington			0			0			½			½			½		1½
38	Tim Bowler	1605	-	W	11
	Maryport			0			0			0			0			0		0
39	Ian R Rook	1519	0	B	15
	Forest Hall			0			0			0			0			0		0

Foundation

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10		SPS

1	Alan Johnson	0	0	W	4	1	B	4	1	B	10	1	W	10	1	W	11	1	B	11	1	B	3	1	W	3	1	B	7	1	W	7
	South Shields			0			1			2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9		45
2	Campbell Tang	0	1	B	6	1	W	6	1	W	12	1	B	12	1	W	3	0	B	3	1	B	4	0	W	4	1	B	8	½	W	8
	Cambridge University			1			2			3			4			5