The Hull Congress is the longest-running of the current congresses in Yorkshire, and Hull’s was Yorkshire’s first “local” congress as distinct from the peripatetic Yorkshire Congress of the writer’s youth which predated even Hull’s congress. In earlier days, the main driving force behind the Hull congress was John Lawson, and the writer was once surprised to discover that John was doing random Swiss pairings as opposed to the usual grading-controlled Swiss pairings. Today, the event is run in collaboration with the 4NCL, but under the old numbering of Hull congresses, this was the 61st Hull Congress: a lasting monument to the industrious John, who has now been superseded in this context by the industrious Douglas Vleeshhouwer.

The 2024 event was held at the Canham Turner Conference Centre of Hull University, on Cottingham Road, Hull, from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th of September 2024. There had apparently been some concerns that the number of entries was going to be down on last year. Indeed, the entries totalled 139, which in round numbers is 14% down on last year’s total of 161.

In 3-day 5-round congresses with round 1 being played on Friday evening, it is common for there to be a large number of 1st-round half-point byes. In this instance, in the Open, 16 players had taken half-point byes and only 22 of the 38 entrant were down to play in round 1, and one of those seems not to have turned up (or was too late).

Games in the top two sections were being broadcast live, the following being a relatively arbitrary sample, there not being time to plough through them all. (Click on “play” in rightmost column to play through a game on screen.)

Open	Rd 2	Joe Varley	0-1	Maxim Larchikov	play
Open	Rd.3	Julian Cast	0-1	Srivathsan Sasikumar	play
Open	Rd.4	Andrei Ciuravin	0-1	Srivathsan Sasikumar	play
Open	Rd.4	Paul A Hutchinson	½‑½	David J Spence	play
Open	Rd.4	Marcus R Harvey	1-0	Max N Turner	play
Open	Rd.5	Marcus R Harvey	1-0	Srivathsan Sasikumar	play
Open	Rd.5	Shriaansh Ganti	0-1	David J Spence	play

Open

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Marcus R Harvey	2574	1	B	18	1	W	31	1	B	6	1	W	8	1	W	5
	4NCL Wood Green			1			2			3			4			5		15
2	David J Spence	2310	1	B	27	1	W	26	½	B	4	½	W	9	1	B	10
	Suffolk CCA			1			2			2½			3			4		12½
3	John M Potter	2127	1	B	33	½	W	8	½	W	16	1	B	24	1	B	9
	Belper			1			1½			2			3			4		11½
4	Andrei Ciuravin	2182	1	W	34	1	B	24	½	W	2	0	B	5	1	W	16
	Hull			1			2			2½			2½			3½		11½
5	Srivathsan Sasikumar	1967	½	-	bye	1	W	21	1	B	31	1	W	4	0	B	1
	Leeds JCA			½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
6	Maksym Larchikov	2263	1	W	22	1	B	12	0	W	1	½	B	16	1	W	19
	Hull			1			2			2			2½			3½		11
7	Samuel A Milson	2210	½	-	bye	½	W	10	1	B	27	½	W	18	1	B	17
	Louth			½			1			2			2½			3½		9½
8	Max N Turner	2355	1	W	19	½	B	3	1	W	25	0	B	1	½	B	11
	Forest Hall			1			1½			2½			2½			3		10½
9	Paul A Hutchinson	2060	½	-	bye	1	B	28	1	W	11	½	B	2	0	W	3
	Scarborough			½			1½			2½			3			3		10½
10	Shriaansh Ganti	1922	1	W	29	½	B	7	½	W	13	1	B	12	0	W	2
	Ilkely Chess Centre			1			1½			2			3			3		10½
11	George Zhao	2172	½	-	bye	1	W	15	0	B	9	1	B	13	½	W	8
	Barnet Knights			½			1½			1½			2½			3		9
12	Joe Varley	2075	1	B	35	0	W	6	1	B	14	0	W	10	1	B	18
	Hull			1			1			2			2			3		9
13	Alex Royle	2065	½	-	bye	1	W	36	½	B	10	0	W	11	1	B	27
	Louth			½			1½			2			2			3		9
14	Alannah Ashton	2000	½	-	bye	½	B	20	0	W	12	1	B	29	1	W	25
	3Cs			½			1			1			2			3		7½
15	Junyi Zhang	2050	½	-	bye	0	B	11	½	W	28	1	B	36	1	W	24
	Kent Juniors			½			½			1			2			3		7
16	Derek A Sheppard	1694	½	-	bye	1	W	30	½	B	3	½	W	6	0	B	4
	Beverley			½			1½			2			2½			2½		9
17	Zachary Cansdale	2071	½	-	bye	½	B	32	½	W	19	1	B	20	0	W	7
	Durham University			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
18	Alan Peart	2049	0	W	1	1	B	34	1	W	32	½	B	7	0	W	12
	Harrogate			0			1			2			2½			2½		8
19	Tetsuaki Sanada	2035	0	B	8	1	W	35	½	B	17	1	W	26	0	B	6
	Chorlton-cum-Hardy			0			1			1½			2½			2½		7½
20	Yaoyao Zhu	2109	½	-	bye	½	W	14	½	B	26	0	W	17	1	B	34
	4NCL 3Cs			½			1			1½			1½			2½		7
21	Tom Junde He	2081	½	-	bye	0	B	5	½	W	22	½	B	32	1	W	33
	King Edward VI Five Ways			½			½			1			1½			2½		6
22	Paul Brencher	2003	0	B	6	½	W	23	½	B	21	1	W	30	½	B	26
	Acomb WM Club			0			½			1			2			2½		6
23	Nigel Birtwistle	2124	0	W	24	½	B	22	½	W	33	½	B	25	1	W	32
	Grantham			0			½			1			1½			2½		5½
24	Andrew Ponting	1927	1	B	23	0	W	4	1	B	38	0	W	3	0	B	15
	Streatham			1			1			2			2			2		8
25	Jim WR Nicholson	2029	½	-	bye	1	W	38	0	B	8	½	W	23	0	B	14
	York			½			1½			1½			2			2		7½
26	Joe Kilshaw	1976	+	W	30	0	B	2	½	W	20	0	B	19	½	W	22
	Grimsby			1			1			1½			1½			2		7
27	Luis Ortiz Sanchez	2016	0	W	2	1	B	37	0	W	7	1	B	28	0	W	13
	Mushrooms			0			1			1			2			2		6
28	Anastasios Nezis	1781	½	-	bye	0	W	9	½	B	15	0	W	27	1	B	37
	York University			½			½			1			1			2		5
29	Geoffrey R Moore	2098	0	B	10	½	W	33	½	B	36	0	W	14	1	B	31
	Norwich Dons			0			½			1			1			2		4½
30	Ali Reza Jaunooby	2206	-	B	26	0	B	16	1	W	37	0	B	22	1	W	36
	Eccles Community			0			0			1			1			2		4
31	Julian Cast	2086	1	W	37	0	B	1	0	W	5	½	B	33	0	W	29
	Long Eaton			1			1			1			1½			1½		6
32	Senith Gunarathne	1867	½	-	bye	½	W	17	0	B	18	½	W	21	0	B	23
	West Nottingham			½			1			1			1½			1½		5½
33	Xiaofan Li	1957	0	W	3	½	B	29	½	B	23	½	W	31	0	B	21
	Hull			0			½			1			1½			1½		4½
34	Mark I Collinson	1959	0	B	4	0	W	18	½	B	35	1	-	bye	0	W	20
	Victoria Dock			0			0			½			1½			1½		3½
35	Devesh Sharma	1886	0	W	12	0	B	19	½	W	34	0	B	37	1	-	bye
	Edinburgh			0			0			½			½			1½		2½
36	Andrew D Bettley	1803	½	-	bye	0	B	13	½	W	29	0	W	15	0	B	30
	St Andrews Hull			½			½			1			1			1		4
37	Raymond J Ilett	1890	0	B	31	0	W	27	0	B	30	1	W	35	0	W	28
	New England			0			0			0			1			1		2
38	Cian Ward	2112	½	-	bye	0	B	25	0	W	24
	Hammersmith			½			½			½			½			½		2½

Major (Under 2000)

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Chino Nwachukwu	1956	½	W	25	1	B	15	1	W	9	1	W	4	1	B	5
	4NCL Throw in the Tal			½			1½			2½			3½			4½		12½
2	Kam Wa Siu	1905	1	W	39	1	B	28	½	W	11	1	B	8	½	W	6
	Woodseats			1			2			2½			3½			4		13
3	Ben Fearnhead	1926	1	W	10	0	B	12	1	W	39	1	B	28	1	W	20
	Poulton-le-Fylde			1			1			2			3			4		11
4	Denis Georgiou	1886	1	W	32	1	B	35	1	W	6	0	B	1	½	W	7
	Appleby Frodingham			1			2			3			3			3½		12½
5	John Thackray	1976	½	W	9	1	B	37	1	W	12	1	B	11	0	W	1
	St Andrews Hull			½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
6	Mark B Waterfield	1917	1	B	38	1	W	21	0	B	4	1	W	13	½	B	2
	Kettering			1			2			2			3			3½		11½
7	Roger D de Coverly	1977	1	B	42	½	W	8	½	B	18	1	W	14	½	B	4
	Bourne End			1			1½			2			3			3½		11
8	Nicholas Webb	1885	+	B	43	½	B	7	1	W	27	0	W	2	1	B	21
	The Buffs			1			1½			2½			2½			3½		11
9	Toby Quaite	1854	½	B	5	1	W	41	0	B	1	1	W	33	1	B	19
	Leeds JCA			½			1½			1½			2½			3½		9½
10	David Hunn	1779	0	B	3	1	W	40	½	B	33	1	W	25	1	B	18
	Dagenham			0			1			1½			2½			3½		8½
11	Joseph Catto	1893	1	B	17	1	W	13	½	B	2	0	W	5	½	B	12
	Hull			1			2			2½			2½			3		11
12	AJ (Tony) Slinger	1878	1	B	36	1	W	3	0	B	5	½	W	19	½	W	11
	Undercliffe			1			2			2			2½			3		10½
13	Sebastian Griffin-Young	1766	1	W	31	0	B	11	1	W	34	0	B	6	1	W	30
	West Nottingham			1			1			2			2			3		9
14	Paul May	1850	0	W	27	1	B	32	1	W	26	0	B	7	1	W	22
	Limewood & Scarcroft			0			1			2			2			3		8
15	Benedikt Pitel	1780	½	-	bye	0	W	1	1	B	41	½	W	23	1	B	29
	Hull			½			½			1½			2			3		7½
16	Junyan Hu	1770	½	-	bye	0	B	20	½	W	30	1	B	32	1	W	31
	Kent Juniors			½			½			1			2			3		7
17	Paul N Fearnhead	1750	0	W	11	½	B	30	1	W	37	½	B	27	1	W	28
	Poulton-le-Fylde			0			½			1½			2			3		7
18	David Wells	1879	1	W	26	½	B	27	½	W	7	½	B	22	0	W	10
	York			1			1½			2			2½			2½		9½
19	Oleg Cukovs	1960	½	-	bye	1	B	25	½	W	20	½	B	12	0	W	9
	Poulton-le-Fylde			½			1½			2			2½			2½		9
20	Eric D Gardiner	1946	½	-	bye	1	W	16	½	B	19	½	W	21	0	B	3
	Hull and East Riding CA			½			1½			2			2½			2½		9
21	David W Stephenson	1784	1	W	30	0	B	6	1	W	35	½	B	20	0	W	8
	St Andrews Hull			1			1			2			2½			2½		9
22	Oleg Dukalev	1750	½	B	34	½	W	23	1	B	29	½	W	18	0	B	14
	Hull			½			1			2			2½			2½		8½
23	Paul SN Kendall	1891	½	-	bye	½	B	22	½	W	24	½	B	15	½	W	26
	Beverley			½			1			1½			2			2½		7½
24	Zak Tomlinson	1724	½	-	bye	½	W	29	½	B	23	0	B	30	1	W	34
	Barnby Dun			½			1			1½			1½			2½		7
25	Daniel Meredith	1798	½	B	1	0	W	19	+	B	42	0	B	10	1	W	33
	York			½			½			1½			1½			2½		6½
26	Seth Woozeer	1698	0	B	18	1	W	38	0	B	14	1	W	41	½	B	23
	Doncaster Juniors			0			1			1			2			2½		6½
27	David J Ireland	1962	1	B	14	½	W	18	0	B	8	½	W	17
	Coventry Chess			1			1½			1½			2			2		8
28	Oliver Graham	1859	1	B	40	0	W	2	1	B	36	0	W	3	0	B	17
	Worksop			1			1			2			2			2		8
29	James J McDonnell	1864	½	W	33	½	B	24	0	W	22	1	B	39	0	W	15
	Greater London CC			½			1			1			2			2		6½
30	Jack Walker	1930	0	B	21	½	W	17	½	B	16	1	W	24	0	B	13
	Hull			0			½			1			2			2		5½
31	Gary Morris	1899	0	B	13	0	W	36	1	B	40	1	W	35	0	B	16
	Hull			0			0			1			2			2		5
32	Cofi Nash	1749	0	B	4	0	W	14	1	B	38	0	W	16	1	W	40
	Swindon			0			0			1			1			2		4
33	Stephen Murdoch	1609	½	B	29	½	-	bye	½	W	10	0	B	9	0	B	25
	Penrith			½			1			1½			1½			1½		6
34	Stephen Crow	1899	½	W	22	½	-	bye	0	B	13	½	W	36	0	B	24
	St Andrews Hull			½			1			1			1½			1½		5½
35	Nigel Collins	1500	1	-	bye	0	W	4	0	B	21	0	B	31	½	W	37
	Milton Keynes			1			1			1			1			1½		5½
36	Dominic Gallagher	1677	0	W	12	1	B	31	0	W	28	½	B	34
	Rose Forgrove			0			1			1			1½			1½		5
37	Robert A Dean	1800	½	-	bye	0	W	5	0	B	17	½	W	38	½	B	35
	Saltaire			½			½			½			1			1½		4
38	M John Cawston	1774	0	W	6	0	B	26	0	W	32	½	B	37	1	B	41
	Ye Olde Starre Inne			0			0			0			½			1½		2
39	Roger Greatorex	1766	0	B	2	1	W	42	0	B	3	0	W	29
	Llangollen			0			1			1			1			1		4
40	Adamjeet Singh	1581	0	W	28	0	B	10	0	W	31	1	-	bye	0	B	32
	Leeds JCA			0			0			0			1			1		2
41	Aashita Roychowdhury	1605	½	-	bye	0	B	9	0	W	15	0	B	26	0	W	38
	Leeds JCA			½			½			½			½			½		2½
42	Thomas L Hackett	1857	0	W	7	0	B	39	-	W	25
	Beverley			0			0			0			0			0		0
43	Michael Forrester	1737	-	W	8
				0			0			0			0			0		0

Intermediate (Under 1750)

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Paul A Allison	1727	1	W	13	1	B	30	½	W	2	1	B	8	w	-	bye
	Hull			1			2			2½			3½			3½		12½
2	Laurence JM Tarbuck	1711	1	W	19	1	B	6	½	B	1	1	W	9	b	-	bye
	Lichfield			1			2			2½			3½			3½		12½
3	Milosz Kasprzyk	1733	½	B	14	1	W	25	1	B	24	1	W	10	b	-	bye
	Hull			½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
4	Alec Grice	1628	½	W	7	1	B	35	1	W	23	1	B	15	w	-	bye
	Beverley			½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
5	Barry AH David	1697	1	B	18	½	W	24	½	B	14	1	W	23	w	-	bye
	London Deaf			1			1½			2			3			3		10½
6	David Stothard	1663	1	B	26	0	W	2	1	B	21	1	W	18	b	-	bye
	Hull			1			1			2			3			3		10
7	Nathaniel Holroyd-Doveton	1728	½	B	4	½	W	17	1	B	31	1	W	14	b	-	bye
	Rotherham			½			1			2			3			3		9½
8	Stephen Holmes	1365	1	-	bye	½	B	23	1	W	11	0	W	1	b	-	bye
	Shepshed			1			1½			2½			2½			2½		10
9	Bien Cuaresma	1735	½	-	bye	1	B	27	1	W	16	0	B	2	w	-	bye
	Wakefield			½			1½			2½			2½			2½		9½
10	Geoffrey L Bishop	1696	½	W	20	1	B	32	1	W	12	0	B	3	w	3	3
	Metropolitan			½			1½			2½			2½			2½		9½
11	Aanuoluwapo John Awesome	1668	1	W	21	½	B	12	0	B	8	1	W	25	b	2	3
	Newcastle			1			1½			1½			2½			2½		9
12	Robert Docwra	1637	1	B	22	½	W	11	0	B	10	1	W	26	b	7	3
	Hull			1			1½			1½			2½			2½		9
13	Adam Smith	1607	0	B	1	½	W	28	1	B	29	+	W	24	w	0	3
	Hebden Bridge			0			½			1½			2½			2½		7
14	Cecil Sloan	1640	½	W	3	1	B	29	½	W	5	0	B	7	w	1	3
	Greater London Chess Club			½			1½			2			2			2		8
15	Jonathan R Slater	1716	½	B	25	½	W	31	1	B	19	0	W	4	b	0	1
	Hull			½			1			2			2			2		7½
16	Luke Julyan	1665	½	W	29	1	B	20	0	B	9	½	W	17	b	2	1
	Hull			½			1½			1½			2			2		7½
17	William J Egan	1594	½	-	bye	½	B	7	½	W	26	½	B	16	w	1	1
	Hull & ER / Lincs.			½			1			1½			2			2		7
18	Chris A Fraser	1567	0	W	5	1	B	34	1	W	30	0	B	6	w	5	3
	West Bridgford			0			1			2			2			2		7
19	A Peter Owst	1571	0	B	2	1	W	33	0	W	15	1	B	32	b	4	3
	Victoria Dock			0			1			1			2			2		6
20	Gary Slegg	1564	½	B	10	0	W	16	½	W	27	1	B	30	b	8	3
	Wrexham			½			½			1			2			2		6
21	Philip A Wood	1551	0	B	11	1	W	22	0	W	6