The 16th Leyland Chess Congress was held for Saturday 24th to Monday 26th of August 2024 at The Business Centre, South Ribble Borough Council Civic Centre, Leyland, PR25 1DH, and consisted of a FIDE-rated Open section, a FIDE-rated Major (under 1900) section and an ECF-only rated Minor (under 1650) section, each with 2 rounds on each of the three days. All boards of the Open and the top 4 boards of the Major were broadcast live.

It was on the cards that Keith Arkell would win with 7 out of 7 as he significantly outrated the rest of the players, yet he nearly came unstuck as early as round 2, hanging on to a draw, despite being 2 pawns down. Click on the link to play through that 2nd-round game:

Keith C Arkell ½-½ Paul A Evans.

Arkle’s round-5 game was a curious game in which neither side seemed able or willing to open up a blocked position until Arkle’s offer of a rook for two knight was accepted by his opponent, the point being that Arkle’s pieces were active while his opponent’s rook amounted to little. In the final position Arkle had too many nasty combinations brewing, and his opponent resigned. Click on the link to play through the game.

Chris Doran 0-1 Keith C Arkell.

In round 6, the final round, Arkell went a pawn down, seemingly on the basis that his own queen-side pawn majority offered more than his opponents blocked centre pawns. Then it became two pawns down. However, after a liquidation pawns, a new position arose out of which Arkell conjured up a win, so finishing clear first. Click on the following link to play through that final game:

Keith C Arkell 1-0 Tim Elgar.

Final section cross-tables were as follows:

Open

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5			6		SPS

1	Keith C Arkell	2382	1	B	12	½	W	6	1	B	9	1	W	8	1	B	2	1	W	3
	4NCL Cheddleton			1			1½			2½			3½			4½			5½		18½
2	Chris Doran	1946	1	B	19	1	W	9	1	W	3	1	B	4	0	W	1	½	B	7
	Chester			1			2			3			4			4			4½		18½
3	Tim Elgar	2024	1	B	13	1	W	8	0	B	2	1	W	5	1	B	4	0	B	1
	Ashton			1			2			2			3			4			4		16
4	Tetsuaki Sanada	1927	1	B	5	1	W	11	1	B	6	0	W	2	0	W	3	1	B	9
	Chorlton-Cum-Hardy			1			2			3			3			3			4		16
5	Ethan Norris	2036	0	W	4	1	W	7	1	B	13	0	B	3	1	W	6	1	B	8
	Atherton			0			1			2			2			3			4		12
6	Paul A Evans	1953	1	W	14	½	B	1	0	W	4	1	B	10	0	B	5	1	W	13
	Lytham St Annes			1			1½			1½			2½			2½			3½		12½
7	Mahin Rughani	1887	½	W	10	0	B	5	1	W	20	½	B	14	1	B	12	½	W	2
	Swinton & Worsley Community			½			½			1½			2			3			3½		11
8	Senith Gunarathne	1731	1	-	bye	0	B	3	1	W	11	0	B	1	+	W	18	0	W	5
	West Nottingham			1			1			2			2			3			3		12
9	Mike J Surtees	2098	1	W	20	0	B	2	0	W	1	1	B	15	1	W	16	0	W	4
	Great Lever			1			1			1			2			3			3		11
10	Malcolm R Peacock	2000	½	B	7	½	W	17	1	B	18	0	W	6	½	B	13	½	W	11
	Preston			½			1			2			2			2½			3		11
11	Kushal Jakhria	2020	1	W	15	0	B	4	0	B	8	½	-	bye	1	W	19	½	B	10
	Charlton			1			1			1			1½			2½			3		10
12	Barry J Hymer	1945	0	W	1	1	B	15	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	0	W	7	½	B	14
	Lancaster			0			1			1½			2			2			2½		9
13	John P Wareing	1901	0	W	3	1	B	14	0	W	5	1	B	20	½	W	10	0	B	6
	Calderdale			0			1			1			2			2½			2½		9
14	Sai Vaddhireddy	1769	0	B	6	0	W	13	1	-	bye	½	W	7	½	B	15	½	W	12
	Ashton			0			0			1			1½			2			2½		7
15	Martin J Burns	1900	0	B	11	0	W	12	1	B	19	0	W	9	½	W	14	1	-	bye
	Crewe			0			0			1			1			1½			2½		6
16	Johnathan D Bourne	1928	½	W	18	½	-	bye	½	B	17	½	-	bye	0	B	9
	Brown Jack			½			1			1½			2			2			2		9
17	Kit W Hopkins	2007	½	-	bye	½	B	10	½	W	16
	Lytham St Annes			½			1			1½			1½			1½			1½		7½
18	Jane Richmond	2084	½	B	16	½	-	bye	0	W	10	½	-	bye	-	B	8
	Brown Jack			½			1			1			1½			1½			1½		7
19	Sithun De Silva	1755	0	W	2	½	B	20	0	W	15	1	-	bye	0	B	11
	Ashton			0			½			½			1½			1½			1½		5½
20	Robert A Newton	1930	0	B	9	½	W	19	0	B	7	0	W	13
	Rochdale			0			½			½			½			½			½		2½

Major

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5			6		SPS

1	David W Stephenson	1836	1	W	11	1	B	21	1	W	2	1	B	3	½	W	5	½	B	4
	St Andrews Hull			1			2			3			4			4½			5		19½
2	Hambel M Willow	1796	1	W	4	1	B	7	0	B	1	1	W	10	1	B	9	1	W	6
	Preston			1			2			2			3			4			5		17
3	Mark M Cheetham	1693	½	B	19	+	W	23	1	W	6	0	W	1	1	B	10	1	B	5
	Little Heath			½			1½			2½			2½			3½			4½		15
4	Samuel Esayas	0	0	B	2	1	-	bye	½	W	8	1	B	11	1	W	7	½	W	1
	Manchester Social			0			1			1½			2½			3½			4		12½
5	Ivan Veselov	1700	1	W	9	½	B	6	1	W	12	½	B	7	½	B	1	0	W	3
	London			1			1½			2½			3			3½			3½		15
6	Mark Taylor	1798	1	B	20	½	W	5	0	B	3	1	W	12	1	W	8	0	B	2
	Blue Club (Oldham)			1			1½			1½			2½			3½			3½		13½
7	Steven Potter	1870	1	B	22	0	W	2	1	B	16	½	W	5	0	B	4	1	W	14
	St Helens			1			1			2			2½			2½			3½		12½
8	Zachary Barton	1878	½	B	16	½	W	13	½	B	4	1	W	17	0	B	6	1	W	15
	Crusaders Blackburn			½			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		11½
9	Richard Betts	1822	0	B	5	1	W	22	1	B	13	½	-	bye	0	W	2	½	B	11
	Northwich			0			1			2			2½			2½			3		11
10	Paul D Doherty	1813	½	B	13	½	W	16	+	W	21	0	B	2	0	W	3	1	B	12
	Bolton			½			1			2			2			2			3		10½
11	Torrin Anderson	1705	0	B	1	½	W	15	1	B	19	0	W	4	1	B	22	½	W	9
	Lytham St Annes			0			½			1½			1½			2½			3		9
12	Shlok Maheshwari	1569	1	B	15	½	W	17	0	B	5	0	B	6	1	W	20	0	W	10
	Swinton & Worsley Community			1			1½			1½			1½			2½			2½		10½
13	Paul Leonard	1652	½	W	10	½	B	8	0	W	9	½	B	14	0	B	15	1	W	20
	Atherton			½			1			1			1½			1½			2½		8
14	S Wyn Howells	1776	0	B	17	½	W	20	½	B	15	½	W	13	1	B	16	0	B	7
	Newport			0			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
15	Jon E W Blackburn	1810	0	W	12	½	B	11	½	W	14	½	B	22	1	W	13	0	B	8
	Alsager			0			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
16	Martin Baxter	1787	½	W	8	½	B	10	0	W	7	½	B	20	0	W	14	1	W	22
	Settle			½			1			1			1½			1½			2½		8
17	Dave Siddall	1878	1	W	14	½	B	12	½	W	18	0	B	8
	Carlisle Austin Friars			1			1½			2			2			2			2		10½
18	Richard Szwajkun	1770	½	-	bye	1	W	19	½	B	17
	Telford			½			1½			2			2			2			2		10
19	Barry Groves	1818	½	W	3	0	B	18	0	W	11	1	-	bye
	St Helens			½			½			½			1½			1½			1½		6
20	Sandra G Blackburn	1605	0	W	6	½	B	14	½	W	22	½	W	16	0	B	12	0	B	13
	Alsager			0			½			1			1½			1½			1½		6
21	Shaun Shibu	0	1	-	bye	0	W	1	-	B	10
	Greater Manchester			1			1			1			1			1			1		6
22	Gordon L Glover	1746	0	W	7	0	B	9	½	B	20	½	W	15	0	W	11	0	B	16
	Crusaders Blackburn			0			0			½			1			1			1		3½
23	Paul R H Clarke	1813	½	-	bye	-	B	3
	Alwoodley			½			½			½			½			½			½		3

Minor

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5			6		SPS

1	Om Reddy Jayar	1525	1	B	31	1	W	9	1	B	6	1	B	2	1	W	10	1	B	4
	London			1			2			3			4			5			6		21
2	Andy Yang	1557	1	B	27	1	W	11	1	B	21	0	W	1	1	B	7	1	W	9
	Bolton			1			2			3			3			4			5		18
3	David Kilmartin	1477	½	B	7	0	W	18	+	B	30	1	B	14	1	W	11	1	W	6
	Blue Club (Oldham)			½			½			1½			2½			3½			4½		13
4	Janos Mak	1536	1	B	20	½	W	5	1	B	25	½	W	7	1	B	8	0	W	1
	Lancashire			1			1½			2½			3			4			4		16
5	Simon Richards	0	1	W	26	½	B	4	0	W	19	½	B	12	1	W	16	1	B	18
	Northwich			1			1½			1½			2			3			4		13
6	Soni Dhruv	1278	1	B	30	1	W	15	0	W	1	½	B	16	1	W	18	0	B	3
				1			2			2			2½			3½			3½		14½
7	Mohammed Rohman	1594	½	W	3	1	B	22	1	W	14	½	B	4	0	W	2	½	B	13
	3Cs			½			1½			2½			3			3			3½		14
8	Matthew Grimley	1554	1	W	24	½	B	14	½	W	18	1	B	19	0	W	4	½	B	10
	Burnley			1			1½			2			3			3			3½		14
9	Paul Ashton	1604	1	W	17	0	B	1	1	W	26	½	B	18	1	W	15	0	B	2
	Leyland			1			1			2			2½			3½			3½		13½
10	Grieg Ichim	1572	0	B	11	1	W	20	1	B	23	1	W	21	0	B	1	½	W	8
	Swinton & Worsley Community			0			1			2			3			3			3½		12½
11	Miheli Gunarathne	1355	1	W	10	0	B	2	½	W	16	1	B	23	0	B	3	1	W	19
	West Nottingham			1			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		12
12	Patrick N Coleman	1440	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	B	15	½	W	5	½	B	17	1	W	20
	Lytham St Annes			½			1			1½			2			2½			3½		11
13	Claire Kerton	1382	0	B	15	½	W	30	1	B	27	½	W	17	1	B	21	½	W	7
	3Cs			0			½			1½			2			3			3½		10½
14	David Rawcliffe	0	1	B	23	½	W	8	0	B	7	0	W	3	1	B	26	½	W	17
	Preston			1			1½			1½			1½			2½			3		11
15	Brian Butterworth	1573	1	W	13	0	B	6	½	W	12	½	-	bye	0	B	9	1	W	21
	Waterloo			1			1			1½			2			2			3		10½
16	Paul Robert Jackson	1572	+	W	32	0	W	21	½	B	11	½	W	6	0	B	5	1	W	23
	Lancashire *			1			1			1½			2			2			3		10½
17	Andrew R De Santos	1503	0	B	9	½	-	bye	1	W	31	½	B	13	½	W	12	½	B	14
	Preston			0			½			1½			2			2½			3		9½
18	Chris Lysons	1461	½	W	28	1	B	3	½	B	8	½	W	9	0	B	6	0	W	5
	Eccles Community			½			1½			2			2½			2½			2½		11½
19	Ian D Lamb	1600	0	B	21	1	W	27	1	B	5	0	W	8	½	B	20	0	B	11
	Bolton			0			1			2			2			2½			2½		10
20	Ved Sudeep Boganadham	1090	0	W	4	0	B	10	1	W	24	1	B	31	½	W	19	0	B	12
	Ashton			0			0			1			2			2½			2½		8
21	Ken Lawson	1478	1	W	19	1	B	16	0	W	2	0	B	10	0	W	13	0	B	15
	Leyland			1			2			2			2			2			2		11
22	Parit Jakhria	1464	½	-	bye	0	W	7	½	-	bye	1	B	26
	London Se *			½			½			1			2			2			2		8
23	Neil Treadwell	1520	0	W	14	1	B	24	0	W	10	0	W	11	1	B	31	0	B	16
	Leyland			0			1			1			1			2			2		7
24	John Morgan	1303	0	B	8	0	W	23	0	B	20	0	W	27	1	-	bye	1	-	bye
	Leyland			0			0			0			0			1			2		3
25	Steve Szwajkun	1303	½	-	bye	1	B	28	0	W	4
	Telford			½			1½			1½			1½			1½			1½		8
26	Steven P Kelly	1505	0	B	5	1	W	31	0	B	9	0	W	22	0	W	14
	East Cheshire			0			1			1			1			1			1		5
27	Matthew Blackwell	1324	0	W	2	0	B	19	0	W	13	1	B	24
	Rushall			0			0			0			1			1			1		3
28	Daniel Altmann	1587	½	B	18	0	W	25
	Wrexham			½			½			½			½			½			½		3
29	Jeff Wilson	1469	½	-	bye
	Blue Club (Oldham)			½			½			½			½			½			½		3
30	Sara Kundan Khan	1527	0	W	6	½	B	13	-	W	3
	Poulton-Le-Fylde			0			½			½			½			½			½		2½
31	Matthew Finnigan	0	0	W	1	0	B	26	0	B	17	0	W	20	0	W	23
	Leyland			0			0			0			0			0			0		0
32	Ryan Chattopadhyay	1329	-	B	16
	Swinton & Worsley Community			0			0			0			0			0			0		0
33	Shaun Shibu	0
	Greater Manchester			0			0			0			0			0			0		0