This event is being held at the Holiday Inn Kenilworth-Warwick, 212 Abbey End, Kenilworth CV8 1ED over the long weekend of Friday 18th to Sunday 21st July. It consists of three 7-round standard-rate sections: gender-open Championship, Women’s Championship, Women’s Under 1700 Championship.

One might ask why we have these 7-round English Championships as well as the 9-round (historically 11-round) British Championships, especially in such close succession; the “British” runs from 31st July to 10th August after a 10-day break. Analysing the entrants to the two events’ gender-open sections and ranking them by FIDE rating, we find that, of the top 14 entrants to the “British”, 10 are also in the “English” and 4 are not in the “English”; the highest rated “English” entrant not entering the “British” is 18th in the rating-ranked list. One advantage of having both events, apart from better chances for professionals to make a better living, is that today’s provision for live coverage possibly attracts more on-line players to over-the-board chess, as well as providing online entertainment for weaker players.

One might also ask why there’s a Women’s Under 1700 Championship but no gender-open (or Men’s) Under 1700 championship. Doubtless, there is a reason.

Of the 42 players in the gender-open English Championship, there were about 6 players with NCCU affinities, of whom Yorkshire’s Gawain Maroroa Jones was the only one with a chance of winning, though Thomas Carroll of Hoylake and Sheffield University, ranked 23rd by rating in the initial line-up stood a chance of scoring the odd “upset” in an Individual game.

The first three rounds went smoothly for the main contenders, who beat weaker opponents, as is usual in the early rounds of a Swiss event. In round 4, however, the top contenders started meeting each other, with the “crunch” pairing Michael Adams v Gawain Maroroa Jones. “Mickey” Adams (definitely not “Mouse”!) had white and ground out a win: Michael Adams 1-0 Gawain Maroroa Jones. Meanwhile, top-ranked Nikita Vitiugov drew with Shreyas Royal

In round 5, Adams had black against Vitiugov, the game being agreed drawn after White’s 32nd move: Nikita Vitiugov ½‑½ Michael Adams. Gawain Maroroa Jones meanwhile lost more ground by drawing with 13th-ranked John Emms when a win would have kept him better in contention.

In round 6, top pairings were Michael Adams (4½) v Shreyas Royal (4½), Jude Shearsby (4) v Nikita Vitiugov (4), Jonah Willow (4) v Matthew Wadsworth (4), Peter Robinson (4) v Stanley Badacsonyi (4), Steven Jones (3½) v Gawain Maroroa Jones (3½), then another 5 boards with the players each on 3½ out of 5. With another round to follow, things remained as clear as mud as to who would win the event.

Shreyas Royal as Black fell fowl of Adams’s curiously untouchable white pawn at f7: Michael Adams 1-0 Shreyas Royal.

Jude Shearsby grabbed his opponent’s h-pawn, helping to open up Black’s assault on White’s king: Jude Shearsby 0-1 Nikita Vitiugov.

Matthew Wadsworth opted for R+B+P in exchange for his Q and won after establishing an unassailable black pawn at h3: Jonah Willow 0-1 Matthew Wadsworth.

Peter Robinson v Stanley Badacsonyi was a relatively boring draw.

Gawain Maroroa Jones was a piece up after 20 moves and won in 36 moves: Steven Jones 0-1 Gawain Maroroa Jones.

Going into the final round (rd. 7), the top 6 pairings were as follows:

Wadsworth	(5)	v	Adams	(5½)
Vitiugov	(5)	v	Ghasi	(4½)
Maroroa Jones	(4½)	v	Jackson	(4½)
Royal	(4½)	v	Emms	(4½)
Hebden	(4½)	v	Roberson	(4½)
Stanley Badacsonyi	(4½)	v	Willow	(4)

Everyone needed to win!

Wadsworth v Adams saw early piece exchanges reducing material to R + B (of same colour) + 7P each after 23 moves. Any win would be very hard to squeeze out of the position. Adams was seemingly happy with a draw (ensuring at least 1st= with a play-off to follow) while Wadsworth preferred to try to squeeze blood out of a stone, but tew game was drawn after 35 moves. (Incidentally, the “analysis” on Lichess advanced as an alternative to 22. Rxd2 the bizarre alternative 22. … Rd4 with the continuation 23. Rd3 Rxd3 24. Rd2. There’s clearly a flaw in the analysis software, probably minor as far as the coding is concerned but with massively disastrous consequences.) Wadsworth ½-½ Adams.

Vitiugov v Ghasi was won by the former in 46 moves, thus finishing 1st= with Adams on 6 out of 7. Vitiugov ½‑½ Ghasi

In the other top games, Maroroa Jones, Royal, Roberson and Willow all won, meaning Maroroa Jones, Royal, Roberson and Wadsworth finished 3rd6th equal on 5½ out of 7.

Details of the (expected) play-off are to follow below the following result chart.

Round-by-round game results in the initial 7-round Swiss tournament:

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5			6			7		SPS

1	Michael Adams	2726	1	B	54	1	W	29	1	B	10	1	W	6	½	B	2	1	W	3	½	B	4
	4NCL Guildford			1			2			3			4			4½			5½			6		26
2	Nikita Vitiugov	2746	1	W	37	1	B	58	1	W	7	½	B	3	½	W	1	1	B	11	1	W	18
	England			1			2			3			3½			4			5			6		24½
3	Shreyas Royal	2617	1	B	60	1	W	19	1	B	8	½	W	2	1	B	33	0	B	1	1	W	12
	West London			1			2			3			3½			4½			4½			5½		24
4	Matthew J Wadsworth	2575	1	W	53	1	B	35	½	W	11	1	B	20	½	W	5	1	B	7	½	W	1
	Maidenhead			1			2			2½			3½			4			5			5½		23½
5	Peter T Roberson	2499	1	B	40	1	W	26	1	B	17	½	W	9	½	B	4	½	W	10	1	B	16
	St Albans			1			2			3			3½			4			4½			5½		23½
6	Gawain Maroroa Jones	2723	1	W	39	1	B	25	1	W	13	0	B	1	½	W	12	1	B	20	1	W	14
	Guildford			1			2			3			3			3½			4½			5½		22½
7	Jonah B Willow	2490	1	W	55	1	B	27	0	B	2	1	W	51	1	B	24	0	W	4	1	B	10
	4NCL Wood Green			1			2			2			3			4			4			5		21
8	Alan B Merry	2399	1	W	49	1	B	67	0	W	3	1	B	27	½	W	18	½	B	13	1	W	21
	Bury St Edmunds			1			2			2			3			3½			4			5		20½
9	Brandon GI Clarke	2585	1	W	65	½	B	22	1	W	34	½	B	5	0	W	11	1	B	38	1	W	25
	4NCL The Sharks			1			1½			2½			3			3			4			5		20
10	Stanley Badacsonyi	2455	1	W	41	1	B	46	0	W	1	1	B	35	1	W	21	½	B	5	0	W	7
	Muswell Hill			1			2			2			3			4			4½			4½		21
11	Jude Shearsby	2314	1	B	69	1	W	68	½	B	4	½	W	15	1	B	9	0	W	2	½	B	17
	Kenilworth			1			2			2½			3			4			4			4½		21
12	John M Emms	2428	1	W	45	½	B	36	1	W	22	½	B	21	½	B	6	1	W	28	0	B	3
	Tunbridge Wells			1			1½			2½			3			3½			4½			4½		20½
13	Marcus R Harvey	2477	1	B	44	1	W	62	0	B	6	1	W	17	½	B	15	½	W	8	½	B	19
	4NCL Wood Green			1			2			2			3			3½			4			4½		20
14	James P Jackson	2437	1	B	31	0	W	17	1	B	60	½	W	62	1	B	19	1	W	15	0	B	6
	Banbury			1			1			2			2½			3½			4½			4½		19
15	Thomas Carroll	2281	½	W	56	1	B	50	1	W	36	½	B	11	½	W	13	0	B	14	1	W	34
	Hoylake			½			1½			2½			3			3½			3½			4½		19
16	Mark L Hebden	2427	1	B	75	½	W	52	0	B	51	1	W	63	1	W	30	1	B	22	0	W	5
	Syston			1			1½			1½			2½			3½			4½			4½		19
17	Aron Saunders	2207	1	W	61	1	B	14	0	W	5	0	B	13	1	W	53	1	B	31	½	W	11
	Downend & Fishponds			1			2			2			2			3			4			4½		18½
18	Ameet K Ghasi	2577	0	B	51	1	W	75	1	B	39	1	W	26	½	B	8	1	W	33	0	B	2
	Richmond & Twickenham			0			1			2			3			3½			4½			4½		18½
19	Frankie Badacsonyi	2257	1	W	84	0	B	3	1	W	45	1	B	64	0	W	14	1	B	27	½	W	13
	4NCL Barnet Knights			1			1			2			3			3			4			4½		18½
20	Steven A Jones	2289	1	B	71	½	W	73	1	B	66	0	W	4	1	B	51	0	W	6	½	B	26
	Basingstoke			1			1½			2½			2½			3½			3½			4		18½
21	James Merriman	2250	½	B	81	1	W	38	1	B	73	½	W	12	0	B	10	1	W	39	0	B	8
	Petts Wood & Orpington			½			1½			2½			3			3			4			4		18½
22	Theo Khoury	2234	1	B	80	½	W	9	0	B	12	1	W	74	1	B	40	0	W	16	½	B	28
	Maidenhead Junior			1			1½			1½			2½			3½			3½			4		17½
23	John R Richardson	2321	1	B	48	½	W	51	1	B	52	0	W	33	0	B	28	½	W	40	1	W	37
	Hendon			1			1½			2½			2½			2½			3			4		17
24	Richard A Bates	2317	½	W	57	½	B	43	1	W	65	1	B	53	0	W	7	½	B	34	½	W	30
	Hackney			½			1			2			3			3			3½			4		17
25	Jan Murawski	2269	1	B	76	0	W	6	½	B	55	½	W	44	1	B	60	1	W	54	0	B	9
	Oxfordshire Juniors			1			1			1½			2			3			4			4		16½
26	Adithya Vaidyanathan	2226	1	W	78	0	B	5	1	W	43	0	B	18	1	W	65	½	B	37	½	W	20
	South Birmingham			1			1			2			2			3			3½			4		16½
27	Tim Elgar	2201	1	B	72	0	W	7	1	B	68	0	W	8	1	B	44	0	W	19	1	B	57
	Ashton			1			1			2			2			3			3			4		16
28	Alexandr Pereslavtsev	2212	0	B	73	1	W	69	½	B	74	1	W	66	1	W	23	0	B	12	½	W	22
	Upminster			0			1			1½			2½			3½			3½			4		16
29	Kai Hanache	2258	1	W	32	0	B	1	½	W	41	½	B	37	½	W	34	½	B	57	1	W	53
	Hammersmith			1			1			1½			2			2½			3			4		15
30	Thomas Villiers	2215	½	-	bye	0	W	66	1	B	71	1	W	73	0	B	16	1	W	48	½	B	24
	Muswell Hill			½			½			1½			2½			2½			3½			4		15
31	Joe Varley	2147	0	W	14	1	B	77	0	W	35	1	B	67	1	W	42	0	W	17	1	B	59
	Hull			0			1			1			2			3			3			4		14
32	Senith Gunarathne	2037	0	B	29	0	W	60	1	B	79	0	W	39	1	B	72	1	W	75	1	B	51
	West Nottingham			0			0			1			1			2			3			4		11
33	John Merriman	2308	½	W	43	1	B	57	1	W	56	1	B	23	0	W	3	0	B	18
	Petts Wood & Orpington			½			1½			2½			3½			3½			3½			3½		18½
34	Arya Cont	2204	½	B	66	1	W	81	0	B	9	1	W	61	½	B	29	½	W	24	0	B	15
	Oxford City			½			1½			1½			2½			3			3½			3½		16
35	Aditya Verma	2220	1	B	82	0	W	4	1	B	31	0	W	10	½	B	55	½	W	51	½	B	45
	St Olaves GS			1			1			2			2			2½			3			3½		15
36	Hayk Mesropyan	2064	1	B	47	½	W	12	0	B	15	½	W	52	0	B	54	½	W	63	1	B	62
	King Edwards School Birmingham			1			1½			1½			2			2			2½			3½		14
37	Daniel Savidge	2197	0	B	2	½	W	71	1	B	81	½	W	29	1	B	75	½	W	26	0	B	23
	Chester			0			½			1½			2			3			3½			3½		14
38	Calum Salmons	2203	½	W	83	0	B	21	1	W	84	½	B	41	1	W	45	0	W	9	½	B	49
	Brighton & Hove			½			½			1½			2			3			3			3½		14
39	Zack Norris	2188	0	B	6	1	W	70	0	W	18	1	B	32	1	W	64	0	B	21	½	W	50
	Wotton Hall			0			1			1			2			3			3			3½		13½
40	Lewis Martin	2168	0	W	5	½	B	84	1	W	83	1	B	58	0	W	22	½	B	23	½	W	47
	Brown Jack			0			½			1½			2½			2½			3			3½		13½
41	Ronit Sachdeva	2151	0	B	10	1	W	72	½	B	29	½	W	38	0	B	52	1	W	64	½	W	42
	RGS Guildford			0			1			1½			2			2			3			3½		13
42	Jack Liu	2258	0	B	68	1	W	48	½	B	44	½	W	55	0	B	31	1	W	69	½	B	41
	Millfield School			0			1			1½			2			2			3			3½		13
43	Keatan Patel	2082	½	B	33	½	W	24	0	B	26	½	W	59	½	B	63	1	W	60	½	W	46
	Coventry Chess Academy			½			1			1			1½			2			3			3½		12½
44	Srivathsan Sasikumar	2157	0	W	13	1	B	78	½	W	42	½	B	25	0	W	27	½	B	56	1	W	70
	Leeds Junior Chess Club			0			1			1½			2			2			2½			3½		12½
45	Donald J Mason	2144	0	B	12	1	W	79	0	B	19	1	W	76	0	B	38	1	W	67	½	W	35
	Shirley & Wythall			0			1			1			2			2			3			3½		12½
46	Jon P Manley	2198	1	B	79	0	W	10	0	B	64	0	W	48	1	B	68	1	W	55	½	B	43
	Oxford City			1			1			1			1			2			3			3½		12½
47	Billy Fellowes	2287	0	W	36	1	B	83	0	W	53	½	B	57	½	B	48	1	W	74	½	B	40
	Warwickshire Juniors			0			1			1			1½			2			3			3½		12
48	Adam Sefton	2130	0	W	23	0	B	42	1	W	78	1	B	46	½	W	47	0	B	30	1	W	65
	Guildford			0			0			1			2			2½			2½			3½		11½
49	Samuel Marsden	2130	0	B	8	½	W	54	0	B	61	1	W	81	1	B	66	½	W	59	½	W	38
	Broadstairs			0			½			½			1½			2½			3			3½		11½
50	Mahin Rughani	2009	½	B	59	0	W	15	½	B	54	0	W	60	1	B	71	1	W	81	½	B	39
	Swinton & Worsley Community			½			½			1			1			2			3			3½		11½
51	Martin P Burrows	2175	1	W	18	½	B	23	1	W	16	0	B	7	0	W	20	½	B	35	0	W	32
	Wigston			1			1½			2½			2½			2½			3			3		16
52	Benjamin Larkin	2199	1	W	64	½	B	16	0	W	23	½	B	36	1	W	41
	Stratford			1			1½			1½			2			3			3			3		15
53	Rock Yu	2173	0	B	4	1	W	80	1	B	47	0	W	24	0	B	17	1	W	76	0	B	29
	Little Heath			0			1			2			2			2			3			3		13
54	Lion Lebedev	2195	0	W	1	½	B	49	½	W	50	1	B	56	1	W	36	0	B	25
	Barnet Knights			0			½			1			2			3			3			3		12½
55	James Clarke	2157	0	B	7	1	W	82	½	W	25	½	B	42	½	W	35	0	B	46	½	W	56
	Sandhurst			0			1			1½			2			2½			2½			3		12½
56	Noah Bevis	2041	½	B	15	1	W	59	0	B	33	0	W	54	½	B	74	½	W	44	½	B	55
	Magdalen College School			½			1½			1½			1½			2			2½			3		12½
57	Freddie Pick	2101	½	B	24	0	W	33	½	B	59	½	W	47	1	B	61	½	W	29	0	W	27
	South Bristol			½			½			1			1½			2½			3			3		12
58	Stephen Dishman	2284	1	B	70	0	W	2	½	B	63	0	W	40	½	B	69				1	W	77
	Wycombe & Hazlemere			1			1			1½			1½			2			2			3		12
59	Shlok Verma	2235	½	W	50	0	B	56	½	W	57	½	B	43	1	W	73	½	B	49	0	W	31
	Petts Wood & Orpington			½			½			1			1½			2½			3			3		12
60	Oleg Verbytski	2183	0	W	3	1	B	32	0	W	14	1	B	50	0	W	25	0	B	43	1	W	73
	Charlton			0			1			1			2			2			2			3		11
61	Akshath Shivakumar	1981	0	B	17	½	-	bye	1	W	49	0	B	34	0	W	57	½	B	73	1	W	75
	Solihull			0			½			1½			1½			1½			2			3		10
62	George Zhao	2212	1	W	77	0	B	13	1	W	67	½	B	14							0	W	34
	Barnet Knights			1			1			2			2½			2½			2½			2½		14
63	Russell A James	2173	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	W	58	0	B	16	½	W	43	½	B	36
	Solihull			½			1			1½			1½			2			2½			2½		11½
64	Jonathan L Collins	1935	0	B	52	1	-	bye	1	W	46	0	W	19	0	B	39	0	B	41	½	W	71
	Bury St Edmunds			0			1			2			2			2			2			2½		11½
65	Shabir Okhai	2178	0	B	9	1	W	76	0	B	24	1	W	68	0	B	26	½	W	70	0	B	48
	Syston			0			1			1			2			2			2½			2½		11
66	Nayan Keats Rastogi	1977	½	W	34	1	B	30	0	W	20	0	B	28	0	W	49	½	B	78	½	B	69
	Eton College			½			1½			1½			1½			1½			2			2½		11
67	Christopher A Gibson	1877	1	-	bye	0	W	8	0	B	62	0	W	31	1	B	84	0	B	45	½	W	68
	4NCL The Rookies			1			1			1			1			2			2			2½		10½
68	Roger D De Coverly	2035	1	W	42	0	B	11	0	W	27	0	B	65	0	W	46	1	B	83	½	B	67
	Bourne End			1			1			1			1			1			2			2½		9½
69	Zac Welling	2086	0	W	11	0	B	28	½	W	82	1	B	84	½	W	58	0	B	42	½	W	66
	Guildford			0			0			½			1½			2			2			2½		8½
70	Sai Vaddhireddy	2061	0	W	58	0	B	39	0	W	77	1	B	82	1	W	83	½	B	65	0	B	44
	Ashton			0			0			0			1			2			2½			2½		8
71	Ivan J Myall	2072	0	W	20	½	B	37	0	W	30	½	B	83	0	W	50	1	B	82	½	B	64
	Chelmsford			0			½			½			1			1			2			2½		7½
72	Sathya Vaidyanathan	1951	0	W	27	0	B	41	0	B	76	1	W	78	0	W	32	½	B	80	1	B	81
	South Birmingham			0			0			0			1			1			1½			2½		6
73	Jacob Watson	1987	1	W	28	½	B	20	0	W	21	0	B	30	0	B	59	½	W	61	0	B	60
	4NCL KJCA Kings			1			1½			1½			1½			1½			2			2		11
74	Alan M Byron	2111	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	W	28	0	B	22	½	W	56	0	B	47
	Wigston			½			1			1½			1½			2			2			2		10½
75	Finn Schell	2134	0	W	16	0	B	18	1	W	80	1	B	77	0	W	37	0	B	32	0	B	61
	Southbourne			0			0			1			2			2			2			2		9
76	Advait Keerthi Kumar	2039	0	W	25	0	B	65	1	W	72	0	B	45	1	W	77	0	B	53
	Watford			0			0			1			1			2			2			2		8
77	Alexey M Lapidus	2004	0	B	62	0	W	31	1	B	70	0	W	75	0	B	76	1	W	79	0	B	58
	Richmond Juniors			0			0			1			1			1			2			2		7
78	Nigel RE Alldritt	2004	0	B	26	0	W	44	0	B	48	0	B	72	1	-	bye	½	W	66	½	W	82
	Harrow			0			0			0			0			1			1½			2		4½
79	Louie Ellson	1928	0	W	46	0	B	45	0	W	32	½	B	80	½	W	82	0	B	77	1	W	83
	Maidstone			0			0			0			½			1			1			2		4½
80	Robert G Clark	2007	0	W	22	0	B	53	0	B	75	½	W	79	0	B	81	½	W	72	1	-	bye
	Penyffordd			0			0			0			½			½			1			2		4
81	Alexander Hertog	2015	½	W	21	0	B	34	0	W	37	0	B	49	1	W	80	0	B	50	0	W	72
	Oxford City			½			½			½			½			1½			1½			1½		6½
82	Graham Bolt	2004	0	W	35	0	B	55	½	B	69	0	W	70	½	B	79	0	W	71	½	B	78
	Exeter			0			0			½			½			1			1			1½		4½
83	Arthur Kendall	1969	½	B	38	0	W	47	0	B	40	½	W	71	0	B	70	0	W	68	0	B	79
	Sussex Juniors			½			½			½			1			1			1			1		5½
84	Ashwin Anjulan	2028	0	B	19	½	W	40	0	B	38	0	W	69	0	W	67
	Wanstead			0			½			½			½			½			½			½		3

Rules for a 2-player play-off for 1st place (and hence the Championship title) were published beforehand as follows.

Round 1: Two games, G/20 + 10’.

Round 2: If still tied, two games, G/5 + 3’.

Round 3: If still tied, an Armageddon game, white G/5, black G/4, 2’ from move 61.

Round 1 game 1, starting at 3.00 p.m., was a draw: Adams ½‑½ Vitiugov.

Round 1 game 2, starting at 4.00 p.m., was a draw: Vitiugov ½‑½ Adams.

Round 2 game 1, starting at 5.00 p.m., was won by Adams: Adams1-0 Vitiugov.

Round 2 game 2, starting at 6.00 p.m., was a draw: Vitiugov ½‑½ Adams.

So, Michael Adams was the eventual winner.