The Scarborough Congress, now in its second year “under new management”, was held at the usual venue, the Ocean Room of the Scarborough Spa Complex, South Bay, Scarborough, from 27/10/2023 to 29/10/2023. Overall running of the event was taken over from Andrew Butterworth by Nigel Hepworth for the 2022 event. The arbiter team use to be headed by Alex McFarlane, but last year he announced his intended retirement from this congress and the new arbiter team was headed by Douglas Vleeshouwer of Hull as chief arbiter, Nigel Hepworth himself as deputy chief arbiter, further aided and abetted by a job lot from Doncaster Congress in the form of Jim Burnett, Peter Ackley, Neil Lowther, John Gibbs and Nick Mahoney. The bookstall was provided by Chess & Bridge.

As previously, a parallel Junior Rapidplay tournament serving in part as a qualifier for the EPSCA England U-11 team trial was held, taking place in the Promenade Room of the Spa Complex, on 28/06/2023, overseen by Peter Purland. (See here for results.)

The mani congress had 335 participants (after “no shows” and up-front withdrawals) which was just 2 down on the previous year. Participants in the five sections was as follows:

	Open	Major U‑2050	Inter U‑1850	Minor U‑1700	Foundation U-1550	Total
Participants	56	66	63	80	60	335

1st Prize	£700	£500	£500	£500	£400
2nd Prize	£350	£250	£250	£250	£200
3rd Prize	£150	£100	£100	£100	£100
Section Total	£1,200	£850	£850	£850	£700	£4,450

Distribution of participants across the sections was much more even that one usually finds with most congresses. Apart from a “bulge” at the U-1700 level, there were 60 ± 6 in the other sections. Open sections are particularly prone to proportionately low numbers of participants as compared with other sections, and the attraction for the Open perhaps lies in the amount of prize money, advertised place prizes being as above, with advertised total prize fund (including grading prizes and so on) exceeding £6,000.

Results were as below (click on section name to jump down): Open, Major, Intermediate, Minor, Foundation.

Open

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Daniel W Gormally	2479	1	W	32	1	B	10	1	W	9	½	B	3	1	W	6
	4NCL Blackthorne Russia			1			2			3			3½			4½		14
2	Sooraj Menothuparambil Raju	2209	½	B	29	1	W	37	1	B	34	1	W	8	1	B	13
	Leicestershire *			½			1½			2½			3½			4½		12½
3	Peter G Large	2317	1	B	39	1	W	15	½	B	7	½	W	1	1	B	25
	Epsom			1			2			2½			3			4		12½
4	Edward Jackson	2262	1	B	33	½	W	8	1	B	19	1	W	12	½	B	5
	3Cs			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
5	Frankie Badacsonyi	2212	1	W	46	½	B	24	1	W	23	1	B	20	½	W	4
	Middlesex Juniors			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
6	Stanley Badacsonyi	2234	1	B	42	½	W	34	1	B	29	1	W	7	0	B	1
	Muswell Hill			1			1½			2½			3½			3½		12
7	Samuel A Milson	2169	1	W	48	1	B	40	½	W	3	0	B	6	1	W	23
	Louth			1			2			2½			2½			3½		11½
8	Paul A Hutchinson	2057	1	W	49	½	B	4	1	W	26	0	B	2	1	W	20
	Scarborough			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		11
9	Billy Fellowes	1996	1	B	17	1	W	13	0	B	1	½	W	25	1	B	19
	Warwickshire Juniors			1			2			2			2½			3½		11
10	Nigel RE Alldritt	2095	1	B	52	0	W	1	½	B	37	1	W	42	1	B	27
	Harrow			1			1			1½			2½			3½		9½
11	Rangarirai Ernest Karumazondo	2086	½	W	27	½	B	38	½	W	35	1	B	50	1	W	21
	Watford			½			1			1½			2½			3½		9
12	John M Potter	2196	1	B	47	½	W	21	1	B	36	0	B	4	½	W	16
	Belper			1			1½			2½			2½			3		10½
13	Tim P Wall	2295	1	W	30	0	B	9	1	W	24	1	B	22	0	W	2
	Forest Hall			1			1			2			3			3		10
14	Rudy Van Kemenade	1936	½	W	22	1	B	41	0	W	20	1	B	32	½	W	18
	Oswestry			½			1½			1½			2½			3		9
15	Mark W Rogerson	2125	1	W	51	0	B	3	½	W	27	½	B	30	1	W	35
	Harrogate			1			1			1½			2			3		8½
16	Maksym Larchikov	2073	0	B	37	1	W	47	½	B	39	1	W	36	½	B	12
	Hull *			0			1			1½			2½			3		8
17	Martin Mitchell	2255	0	W	9	1	B	46	½	W	30	½	B	26	1	W	38
	Bispham			0			1			1½			2			3		7½
18	Balahari Bharat Kumar	2116	0	B	21	½	W	42	1	B	54	1	W	29	½	B	14
	Desert Penguins (London)			0			½			1½			2½			3		7½
19	Joe Varley	2143	1	W	50	1	B	35	0	W	4	½	B	21	0	W	9
	Hull			1			2			2			2½			2½		10
20	Stuart A White	2146	½	B	36	1	W	54	1	B	14	0	W	5	0	B	8
	Oxford City			½			1½			2½			2½			2½		9½
21	Tetsuaki Sanada	1918	1	W	18	½	B	12	½	W	22	½	W	19	0	B	11
	Chorlton-cum-Hardy			1			1½			2			2½			2½		9½
22	Sarah N Longson	2126	½	B	14	1	W	43	½	B	21	0	W	13	½	B	30
	Marple			½			1½			2			2			2½		8½
23	Graham Bolt	2039	½	-	bye	1	W	55	0	B	5	1	W	37	0	B	7
	Exeter			½			1½			1½			2½			2½		8½
24	Joel Wagg	1971	1	B	25	½	W	5	0	B	13	½	-	bye	½	W	31
	York University			1			1½			1½			2			2½		8½
25	Nigel Birtwistle	2197	0	W	24	1	B	48	1	W	40	½	B	9	0	W	3
	Grantham			0			1			2			2½			2½		8
26	Stephen P Dilleigh	2012	½	-	bye	1	W	53	0	B	8	½	W	17	½	B	28
	Horfield & Redland			½			1½			1½			2			2½		8
27	Keatan Patel	1866	½	B	11	½	W	28	½	B	15	1	W	34	0	W	10
	Coventry Chess Academy			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
28	Bryan D Harkness	2040	½	-	bye	½	B	27	½	W	38	½	B	35	½	W	26
	Consett			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
29	Ross Blackford	1984	½	W	2	1	B	44	0	W	6	0	B	18	1	W	50
	Edinburgh *			½			1½			1½			1½			2½		7½
30	Avyukt Dasgupta	2023	0	B	13	1	W	52	½	B	17	½	W	15	½	W	22
	Watford			0			1			1½			2			2½		7
31	Rohan Pal	2056	½	B	53	0	W	36	½	B	43	1	W	47	½	B	24
	Coventry Chess Academy			½			½			1			2			2½		6½
32	Luke Gostelow	2040	0	B	1	½	W	51	1	B	55	0	W	14	1	B	52
	Leeds University			0			½			1½			1½			2½		6
33	Leo A Keely	2013	0	W	4	½	B	56	0	W	50	1	B	40	1	W	51
	Huddersfield			0			½			½			1½			2½		5
34	Nicolas Skettos	2040	1	W	56	½	B	6	0	W	2	0	B	27	½	B	43
	Glasgow *			1			1½			1½			1½			2		7½
35	Julie Van Kemenade	1592	1	-	bye	0	W	19	½	B	11	½	W	28	0	B	15
	Oswestry			1			1			1½			2			2		7½
36	John S Garnett	1943	½	W	20	1	B	31	0	W	12	0	B	16	½	W	41
	The Buffs			½			1½			1½			1½			2		7
37	Jonathan A Day	1857	1	W	16	0	B	2	½	W	10	0	B	23	½	W	46
	West Nottingham			1			1			1½			1½			2		7
38	Christopher S Dossett	1837	½	-	bye	½	W	11	½	B	28	½	W	39	0	B	17
	Scarborough			½			1			1½			2			2		7
39	Rasa Norinkeviciute	2023	0	W	3	1	B	49	½	W	16	½	B	38
	Eastbourne			0			1			1½			2			2		6½
40	Raymond J Ilett	1901	1	B	45	0	W	7	0	B	25	0	W	33	1	B	54
	New England			1			1			1			1			2		6
41	David Wise	2053	½	-	bye	0	W	14	½	B	51	½	W	43	½	B	36
	Great Ayton			½			½			1			1½			2		5½
42	Andrew Grillage	1996	0	W	6	½	B	18	1	W	56	0	B	10	½	B	44
	Maddocks			0			½			1½			1½			2		5½
43	Aaron Rich	1953	½	-	bye	0	B	22	½	W	31	½	B	41	½	W	34
	York			½			½			1			1½			2		5½
44	C Michael Mkpadi	1689	½	-	bye	0	W	29	½	B	45	½	B	46	½	W	42
	Leeds *			½			½			1			1½			2		5½
45	Robert McLean	2108	0	W	40	½	B	50	½	W	44	½	B	51	½	W	48
	3Cs			0			½			1			1½			2		5
46	Paul Brencher	1991	0	B	5	0	W	17	1	B	53	½	W	44	½	B	37
	Acomb WM Club			0			0			1			1½			2		4½
47	Jael De Sousa Muachikape	1957	0	W	12	0	B	16	1	W	49	0	B	31	1	W	56
	Alwoodley			0			0			1			1			2		4
48	Michael Ridge	1957	0	B	7	0	W	25	½	B	52	1	W	53	½	B	45
	Edinburgh			0			0			½			1½			2		4
49	Qixuan Han	1797	0	B	8	0	W	39	0	B	47	1	-	bye	1	W	55
	Kent Juniors			0			0			0			1			2		3
50	Qixiang Han	1940	0	B	19	½	W	45	1	B	33	0	W	11	0	B	29
	Kent Juniors			0			½			1½			1½			1½		5
51	Anum Sheikh	1922	0	B	15	½	B	32	½	W	41	½	W	45	0	B	33
	Chingford			0			½			1			1½			1½		4½
52	Marcus Gosling	1878	0	W	10	0	B	30	½	W	48	1	B	56	0	W	32
	Epsom			0			0			½			1½			1½		3½
53	Ruairi Isaacs	1717	½	W	31	0	B	26	0	W	46	0	B	48	1	-	bye
	Middlesex Juniors			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
54	Graham W Dobson	1974	½	-	bye	0	B	20	0	W	18	½	B	55	0	W	40
	Chester			½			½			½			1			1		3½
55	Derek A Sheppard	1737	½	-	bye	0	B	23	0	W	32	½	W	54	0	B	49
	Beverley			½			½			½			1			1		3½
56	Rafal Rogowski	1687	0	B	34	½	W	33	0	B	42	0	W	52	0	B	47
	Scarborough			0			½			½			½			½		2

Major

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Golam S Ali	1969	1	W	62	1	B	38	1	W	25	1	B	13	½	W	4
	Sutton Coldfield			1			2			3			4			4½		14½
2	James Hall	1895	1	W	29	1	B	52	½	W	14	1	B	44	1	W	9
	Bradford			1			2			2½			3½			4½		13½
3	Philip T Seery	1948	1	W	49	1	B	46	1	W	5	0	B	9	1	W	14
	Bare Village			1			2			3			3			4		13
4	George Turner	1895	1	B	43	½	W	14	1	B	26	1	W	32	½	B	1
	Cheshire & N Wales *			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
5	David Shapland	1970	1	B	31	1	W	35	0	B	3	1	W	17	1	W	46
	Hebden Bridge			1			2			2			3			4		12
6	Daniel Broughton	1897	½	-	bye	1	B	41	1	W	54	1	B	24	½	W	10
	West Bridgford			½			1½			2½			3½			4		12
7	Robert A Newton	1975	½	W	17	1	B	56	½	W	33	1	B	34	1	W	15
	Rochdale			½			1½			2			3			4		11
8	Stephen W Berkley	1770	½	B	36	1	W	60	½	-	bye	1	W	33	1	B	13
	Barking			½			1½			2			3			4		11
9	Peter Hepworth	2030	½	B	16	1	W	21	1	B	37	1	W	3	0	B	2
	Huddersfield			½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
10	Barry J Hymer	1987	0	B	12	1	W	62	1	B	38	1	W	57	½	B	6
	Lancaster			0			1			2			3			3½		9½
11	Simon Layhe	1912	½	B	22	½	W	39	1	-	bye	½	B	18	1	W	54
	Crewe			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
12	Joseph Bradey	1848	1	W	10	0	W	13	½	B	20	1	B	42	1	W	24
	Hillsborough			1			1			1½			2½			3½		9½
13	Charlie P Metcalfe	1965	1	W	18	1	B	12	1	B	32	0	W	1	0	W	8
	Tunbridge Wells			1			2			3			3			3		12
14	Andrew Bak	2038	1	W	57	½	B	4	½	B	2	1	W	35	0	B	3
	Bradford			1			1½			2			3			3		10½
15	James McKiernan	1923	0	B	37	1	W	47	1	B	22	1	W	25	0	B	7
	Lancaster			0			1			2			3			3		9
16	David Williams	1862	½	W	9	1	B	51	0	W	24	½	B	41	1	W	39
	Derby			½			1½			1½			2			3		8½
17	Mark Taylor	1837	½	B	7	½	W	59	1	W	55	0	B	5	1	B	36
	Rochdale			½			1			2			2			3		8½
18	Jeremy Revell	1818	0	B	13	1	W	65	1	B	58	½	W	11	½	W	44
	Newcastle University			0			1			2			2½			3		8½
19	James M Wheeler	1857	½	W	64	½	B	40	½	W	42	½	B	27	1	W	43
	Hastings & St Leonards			½			1			1½			2			3		8
20	Damian M McCarthy	2004	0	W	38	1	B	48	½	W	12	½	B	29	1	W	35
	Culcheth			0			1			1½			2			3		7½
21	Alfie Melia	1882	½	W	51	0	B	9	1	W	48	½	B	39	1	B	47
	Atticus			½			½			1½			2			3		7½
22	Nicholas Webb	1763	½	W	11	½	B	27	0	W	15	1	B	55	1	B	33
	The Buffs			½			1			1			2			3		7½
23	Mahin Rughani	1695	0	B	33	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	W	58	1	B	38
	Greater Manchester *			0			½			1			2			3		6½
24	Matthew R Wilson	1944	½	-	bye	1	W	61	1	B	16	0	W	6	0	B	12
	Teignmouth			½			1½			2½			2½			2½		9½
25	Rezin C Catabay	1790	1	W	55	1	W	58	0	B	1	0	B	15	½	W	27
	Colchester Junior			1			2			2			2			2½		9½
26	Mircea-Marius Mesesan	2030	1	W	30	½	B	33	0	W	4	1	B	53	+	W	28
	Tamworth			1			1½			1½			2½			2½		9
27	Tim M Turner	1902	½	-	bye	½	W	22	½	B	39	½	W	19	½	B	25
	Beverley			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
28	Ionel Dragan	1891	½	-	bye	0	W	50	1	B	63	1	W	37	-	B	26
	Worksop			½			½			1½			2½			2½		7½
29	Akshath Shivakumar	1753	0	B	2	1	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	W	20	½	B	57
	Solihull			0			1			1½			2			2½		7
30	Edison Figueroa	1861	0	B	26	0	W	43	½	B	62	1	W	61	1	B	50
	Barking			0			0			½			1½			2½		4½
31	Alan Jelfs	1832	0	W	5	0	B	42	½	B	49	1	W	63	1	B	51
	Scotland			0			0			½			1½			2½		4½
32	Adam Bedi	1996	1	W	53	1	B	34	0	W	13	0	B	4
	Metropolitan			1			2			2			2			2		9
33	Carl Gartside	1885	1	W	23	½	W	26	½	B	7	0	B	8	0	W	22
	Macclesfield			1			1½			2			2			2		8½
34	Michael J Fisher	1884	1	B	63	0	W	32	1	B	43	0	W	7
	Rochdale			1			1			2			2			2		8
35	David W Stephenson	1851	1	W	42	0	B	5	1	W	40	0	B	14	0	B	20
	St Andrews Hull			1			1			2			2			2		8
36	Barry Robinson	1913	½	W	8	½	B	45	1	W	52	0	B	46	0	W	17
	Yorkshire Congresses			½			1			2			2			2		7½
37	M John Cawston	1773	1	W	15	½	B	44	0	W	9	0	B	28	½	W	55
	Undercliffe			1			1½			1½			1½			2		7½
38	Jyothika Ullukaranparambil Reghu	1852	1	B	20	0	W	1	0	W	10	1	B	52	0	W	23
	Leicestershire *			1			1			1			2			2		7
39	Stuart Howison	1750	½	-	bye	½	B	11	½	W	27	½	W	21	0	B	16
	Scarborough			½			1			1½			2			2		7
40	Peter J Mulleady	1961	½	B	61	½	W	19	0	B	35	1	W	50
	Atherton			½			1			1			2			2		6½
41	Justin Smith	1736	½	-	bye	0	W	6	1	B	60	½	W	16
	Derby			½			½			1½			2			2		6½
42	Peter Jaszkiwskyj	2003	0	B	35	1	W	31	½	B	19	0	W	12	½	B	49
	Kettering			0			1			1½			1½			2		6
43	Jack Howorth	1703	0	W	4	1	B	30	0	W	34	1	B	45	0	B	19
	North Yorkshire *			0			1			1			2			2		6
44	Roger W Jennings	1900	+	B	66	½	W	37	1	B	50	0	W	2	½	B	18
	Rose Forgrove			0