This 5-day event run by Jonathan Arnott was held from Wednesday 10th of April to Sunday the 14th April at Sheffield Chess Centre, 329A Coleford Road, S9 5NF, and consisted of a 10-player invitational Masters section designed to afford possibilities of achieving IM norms, and a single 9-round FIDÉ-rated Swiss Open (all ratings) section. The ubiquitous Matthew Carr had been engaged as arbiter in the Masters section.

The previous such norm-qualifier event to be run in the Sheffield area was that run by Brian Stephenson at the Carlton Hotel, Rotherham, in the previous century!

Participants in the Open were limited to a maximum of 40 to 50, so the number having entered up to Monday the 8th, namely 32, may have been slightly disappointing.

Round 1 in both sections was to start at 7.00 p.m. on the Wednesday, with two rounds in each subsequent day starting respectively at 11.00 a.m. and 17.00 p.m.

DGT Live Boards

DGT Live Boards were used for the Masters and some of the top boards in the Open, with games shown on screens in the cafe area and also broadcast live on the internet. This worked well for the first 5 rounds, but in round 6 nothing was coming through for a couple of hours after the start of the round on the three websites hosting live broadcasts (lichess.org, DGT’s view.livechesscloud.com, and Chess.com). Eventually, almost 2 hours after the start, things fired up for the three top games in Open, but the Masters section was still off-line! Then, half an hour or so later, two of the 5 boards in the Masters came on line – two quick draws – but on lichess only. Then some time before 15.00 p.m. 4 boards were showing on lichess but nothing on DGT and just results getting posted to Chess.com, then by 15.15 p.m. all 5 were live (except that they’d all finished by then). Round 7, sat much the same delay/problems. All was explained after the event when assistant arbiter Phill Beckett advised, “The reason for non-appearance of the live games in round 6 and 7 was they were played at a hotel in the centre of Sheffield. The reason was the boxing gym [in the same building] had their busiest day with classes on Saturday and we had to ensure that there was as little distraction as possible. Ironically the noise was not as bad as we thought and the Open was not disturbed. It was not possible to set up the live boards in the hotel.”

Norms Earned

Going into the 8th round, Samuel Chow needed 1½ from the final two rounds to gain an IM norm. He won in round 8 but only drew in round 9. Better luck next time!

Jonathan Pein similarly needed 2 points from the final two rounds. Unfortunately for him he had to play Tom O'Gorman in round 8 and lost, ending his hopes of an IM norm.

Tom O’Gorman was a third needing to win both final two rounds, which he did, so earning a FIDE IM title norm. En route he had scored 5 out of 6 in the last six rounds, ending with a final-round win over the one GM in the tournament.

There was in fact another FIDE norm earned at this event. Long-standing Sheffield & District organiser Phill Beckett, who was “Deputy Chief Arbiter” at the event, earned his first FIDE International Arbiter norm!

Open

The Open section running alongside the Masters might have been expected to be won by GM Keith Arkle, but was in fact a tie between him and IM Tarun Kanyamarala.

Arkle won 7 games, including a win over Kanyamarala, he drew two games. Meanwhile, Kanyamarala won all his games apart from that against Arkle, and that included beating the two players with whom Arkle had only drawn.

Result Details

Masters

Round by Round

Round 1, 10/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2317	IM	Angus J Dunnington	0-1	GM	Gabor Nagy	2436
2	2285	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	1-0		Rohan Pal	2142
3	2197	FM	Tim P Wall	0-1	IM	Andrew J Ledger	2336
4	2247	FM	Jonathan Pein	½-½	FM	Iain Gourlay	2307
5	2321	FM	Tom O'Gorman	½-½	FM	Sam Chow	2350

Round 2, 11/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2436	GM	Gabor Nagy	½-½	FM	Sam Chow	2350
2	2307	FM	Iain Gourlay	½-½	FM	Tom O'Gorman	2321
3	2336	IM	Andrew J Ledger	0-1	FM	Jonathan Pein	2247
4	2142		Rohan Pal	1-0	FM	Tim P Wall	2197
5	2317	IM	Angus J Dunnington	½-½	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	2285

Round 3, 11/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2285	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	1-0	GM	Gabor Nagy	2436
2	2197	FM	Tim P Wall	½-½	IM	Angus J Dunnington	2317
3	2247	FM	Jonathan Pein	1-0		Rohan Pal	2142
4	2321	FM	Tom O'Gorman	½-½	IM	Andrew J Ledger	2336
5	2350	FM	Sam Chow	½-½	FM	Iain Gourlay	2307

Round 4, 12/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2436	GM	Gabor Nagy	½-½	FM	Iain Gourlay	2307
2	2336	IM	Andrew J Ledger	½-½	FM	Sam Chow	2350
3	2142		Rohan Pal	0-1	FM	Tom O'Gorman	2321
4	2317	IM	Angus J Dunnington	½-½	FM	Jonathan Pein	2247
5	2285	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	0 -1	FM	Tim P Wall	2197

Round 5, 12/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2197	FM	Tim P Wall	0 -1	GM	Gabor Nagy	2436
2	2247	FM	Jonathan Pein	1-0	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	2285
3	2321	FM	Tom O'Gorman	1-0	IM	Angus J Dunnington	2317
4	2350	FM	Sam Chow	1-0		Rohan Pal	2142
5	2307	FM	Iain Gourlay	½-½	IM	Andrew J Ledger	2336

Round 6, 13/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2436	GM	Gabor Nagy	½-½	IM	Andrew J Ledger	2336
2	2142		Rohan Pal	½-½	FM	Iain Gourlay	2307
3	2317	IM	Angus J Dunnington	0-1	FM	Sam Chow	2350
4	2285	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	1-0	FM	Tom O'Gorman	2321
5	2197	FM	Tim P Wall	½-½	FM	Jonathan Pein	2247

Round 7, 13/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2247	FM	Jonathan Pein	0-1	GM	Gabor Nagy	2436
2	2321	FM	Tom O'Gorman	1-0	FM	Tim P Wall	2197
3	2350	FM	Sam Chow	1-0	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	2285
4	2307	FM	Iain Gourlay	1-0	IM	Angus J Dunnington	2317
5	2336	IM	Andrew J Ledger	1-0		Rohan Pal	2142

Round 8, 14/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2436	GM	Gabor Nagy	1-0		Rohan Pal	2142
2	2317	IM	Angus J Dunnington	½-½	IM	Andrew J Ledger	2336
3	2285	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	½-½	FM	Iain Gourlay	2307
4	2197	FM	Tim P Wall	1-0	FM	Sam Chow	2350
5	2247	FM	Jonathan Pein	0-1	FM	Tom O'Gorman	2321

Round 9, 14/04/2024
Bd	Rtg	White			Black		Rtg
1	2321	FM	Tom O'Gorman	1-0	GM	Gabor Nagy	2436
2	2350	FM	Sam Chow	½-½	FM	Jonathan Pein	2247
3	2307	FM	Iain Gourlay	½-½	FM	Tim P Wall	2197
4	2336	IM	Andrew J Ledger	½-½	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	2285
5	2142		Rohan Pal	½-½	IM	Angus J Dunnington	2317

Masters

Ranking Table

Rk.	Title	Name	Club/City	Rtg	Pts.
1	FM	Tom O'Gorman	Oxford University	2321	6½
2	GM	Gabor Nagy	Hungary	2436	5½
3	FM	Sam Chow	4NCL White Rose	2350	5½
4	FM	Jonathan Pein	4NCL Celtic Tigers	2247	5
5	FM	Iain Gourlay	4NCL Alba	2307	5
6	IM	Andrew J Ledger	Woodseats	2336	5
7	WIM	Trisha Kanyamarala	4NCL SPTW Lionesses	2285	4½
8	FM	Tim P Wall	4NCL White Rose	2197	3½
9	IM	Angus J Dunnington	4NCL White Rose	2317	2½
10		Rohan Pal	Coventry Chess Academy	2142	2

Open

Round-by-Round Cross-Table

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

1	Keith C Arkell	2362	1	B	34	1	W	8	1	B	17	1	W	2	½	B	13	1	W	3	½	B	4	1	W	5	1	B	12
	4NCL Cheddleton			1			2			3			4			4½			5½			6			7			8		41
2	Tarun Kanyamarala	2293	1	W	12	1	B	7	1	W	3	0	B	1	1	B	17	1	W	4	1	B	13	1	W	8	1	W	9
	Ireland			1			2			3			3			4			5			6			7			8		39
3	Jem Gurner	1990	1	B	19	1	W	10	0	B	2	1	W	21	1	B	9	0	B	1	1	W	7	1	W	13	½	B	4
	Oxford University			1			2			2			3			4			4			5			6			6½		33½
4	Thomas Carroll	2074	½	-	bye	1	B	20	1	W	24	½	W	13	1	B	8	0	B	2	½	W	1	1	B	10	½	W	3
	Hoylake			½			1½			2½			3			4			4			4½			5½			6		31½
5	Richard Britton	2097	½	-	bye	1	W	31	½	B	21	0	W	9	1	B	24	1	W	23	1	B	18	0	B	1	1	W	11
	Hackney			½			1½			2			2			3			4			5			5			6		29
6	Jake Simms	1852	1	B	25	0	W	17	1	B	31	0	W	8	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	B	22	1	W	13
	Richmond Juniors			1			1			2			2			2½			3			3½			4½			5½		25
7	Thomas Wills	1942	1	B	11	0	W	2	0	B	19	½	W	22	1	B	28	1	W	21	0	B	3	1	W	15	+	B	d
	SASCA			1			1			1			1½			2½			3½			3½			4½			5½		24
8	Ana Williams	1932	1	W	15	0	B	1	1	W	11	1	B	6	0	W	4	1	B	20	1	W	10	0	B	2
	Nottingham University			1			1			2			3			3			4			5			5			5		29
9	Srivathsan Sasikumar	1881	1	W	16	0	B	24	1	W	15	1	B	5	0	W	3	0	B	10	1	W	20	+	B	d	0	B	2
	Leeds JCA			1			1			2			3			3			3			4			5			5		27
10	Lewis A Turner	1928	1	W	27	0	B	3	½	-	bye	½	W	20	1	B	12	1	W	9	0	B	8	0	W	4	1	B	18
	Wigston			1			1			1½			2			3			4			4			4			5		25½
11	Thomas D Moss	1792	0	W	7	+	B	d	0	B	8	1	W	16	1	B	21	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	W	18	0	B	5
	Oxford University			0			1			1			2			3			3½			4			5			5		24½
12	Jael De Sousa Muachikape	1851	0	B	2	1	W	25	1	B	16	0	W	17	0	W	10	1	B	29	1	W	24	1	B	23	0	W	1
	Leeds JCA			0			1			2			2			2			3			4			5			5		24
13	Robert McLean	1985	½	W	20	1	B	23	1	W	18	½	B	4	½	W	1	1	B	17	0	W	2	0	B	3	0	B	6
	3Cs			½			1½			2½			3			3½			4½			4½			4½			4½		29
14	Brandon GI Clarke	2490	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	-	bye							1	B	26	1	W	13	1	B	24	-	W	d
	4NCL The Sharks			½			1			1½			1½			1½			2½			3½			4½			4½		21
15	Tom Key	1758	0	B	8	1	W	34	0	B	9	1	W	25	½	B	22	½	W	19	½	-	bye	0	B	7	1	W	20
	SASCA			0			1			1			2			2½			3			3½			3½			4½		21
16	Oscar Dybowski	1599	0	B	9	1	W	26	0	W	12	0	B	11	1	B	31	½	W	22	0	B	14	1	W	27	1	W	29
	Newham			0			1			1			1			2			2½			2½			3½			4½		18
17	Daniel JS Sullivan	1945	+	W	d	1	B	6	0	W	1	1	B	12	0	W	2	0	W	13	1	B	19	-	W	d
	Sheffield Nomads			1			2			2			3			3			3			4			4			4		26
18	Szilard Tamas	1890	½	B	22	1	W	30	0	B	13	1	W	28	1	B	19	½	-	bye	0	W	5	0	B	11	0	W	10
	Darnall & Handsworth			½			1½			1½			2½			3½			4			4			4			4		25½
19	Jaehyun Sung	1840	0	W	3	1	B	27	1	W	7	½	B	24	0	W	18	½	B	15	0	W	17	1	B	28
	Coventry *			0			1			2			2½			2½			3			3			4			4		22
20	Paul Wheatley	1821	½	B	13	0	W	4	+	B	d	½	B	10	1	W	29	0	W	8	0	B	9	1	W	21	0	B	15
	Sheffield Nomads			½			½			1½			2			3			3			3			4			4		21½
21	Oliver Graham	1884	½	-	bye	1	B	29	½	W	5	0	B	3	0	W	11	0	B	7	1	W	26	0	B	20	1	B	25
	Worksop			½			1½			2			2			2			2			3			3			4		20
22	Nathaniel Holroyd-Doveton	1657	½	W	18	0	B	32	½	W	29	½	B	7	½	W	15	½	B	16	1	B	25	0	W	6	½	B	27
	Rotherham			½			½			1			1½			2			2½			3½			3½			4		19
23	Roger Greatorex	1808	½	-	bye	0	W	13	1	B	30	1	W	31	½	-	bye	0	B	5	½	-	bye	0	W	12
	Llangollen			½			½			1½			2½			3			3			3½			3½			3½		21½
24	Nigel J Moyse	1946	1	B	26	1	W	9	0	B	4	½	W	19	0	W	5	½	-	bye	0	B	12	0	W	14
	Cumnor			1			2			2			2½			2½			3			3			3			3		22
25	Seth Woozeer	1488	0	W	6	0	B	12	1	W	27	0	B	15	1	B	26	½	-	bye	0	W	22	½	B	29	0	W	21
	SASCA			0			0			1			1			2			2½			2½			3			3		15
26	Geoffrey D Brown	1818	0	W	24	0	B	16	½	-	bye	½	B	27	0	W	25	1	W	28	0	B	21	1	-	bye
	Darnall & Handsworth			0			0			½			1			1			2			2			3			3		12½
27	Tamsin Savery	1687	0	B	10	0	W	19	0	B	25	½	W	26	1	B	30	0	W	14	1	W	29	0	B	16	½	W	22
				0			0			0			½			1½			1½			2½			2½			3		11½
28	Stephen Gibson,	1663	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	0	B	18	0	W	7	0	B	26	1	W	30	0	W	19
	Sheffield Deaf			½			1			1½			1½			1½			1½			2½			2½			2½		15
29	Shlok Maheshwari	1342	½	-	bye	0	W	21	½	B	22	1	W	30	0	B	20	0	W	12	0	B	27	½	W	25	0	B	16
	Swinton & Worsley Community			½			½			1			2			2			2			2			2½			2½		15
30	Benjamin Layton	1493	½	-	bye	0	B	18	0	W	23	0	B	29	0	W	27	½	B	33	0	B	28	½	-	bye
	SASCA			½			½			½			½			½			1			1			1½			1½		7½
31	Joseph McGrath Williams	1725	1	W	36	0	B	5	0	W	6	0	B	23	0	W	16
	Oxford University			1			1			1			1			1			1			1			1			1		9
32	Jonathan W Arnott (filler)	2100				1	W	22
	SASCA			0			1			1			1			1			1			1			1			1		8
33	Rupert W Jones (filler)	1849																½	W	30
	Leeds			0			0			0			0			0			½			½			½			½		2
34	Meshal Alsaqer	1851	0	W	1	0	B	15	-	W	d
				0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0		0
35	Ibrahim A Al Mutlaq	1794	-	B	d
				0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0		0
36	Joe Varley	1930	0	B	31	-	W	d
	Hull			0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0			0		0