The 61st Northumberland Chess Congress was held over the weekend of 26th-28th September 2026, at The Parks Leisure Centre, Howdon Road, North Shields, North Tyneside, NE29 6TL. There were four sections, Open, Major (1900 or below), Minor (1875 of below) and a late-added Foundation section for players rated 1450 or below who have never won a main prize in a congress. Besides usual monetary section prizes, there were trophies for each section for the best result by a North East player. There was also an award for “the most outstanding performance by a North East Junior”, and a trophy to be presented to the club team of three players, each in a different section, obtaining the highest aggregate score.

	Open

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Tim P Wall	2191	1	W	11	1	B	17	1	B	2	1	W	5	½	B	3
	Newcastle			1			2			3			4			4½		14½
2	Graeme Oswald	2065	1	B	24	+	W	22	0	W	1	1	B	15	½	W	4
	Leam Lane			1			2			2			3			3½		11½
3	Nathan Ekanem	1950	½	-	bye	1	B	23	1	W	7	½	B	4	½	W	1
	Newcastle			½			1½			2½			3			3½		11
4	David J Walker	2225	½	B	8	1	W	9	1	B	16	½	W	3	½	B	2
	Leam Lane			½			1½			2½			3			3½		11
5	David Armbruster	2006	½	B	9	1	W	6	1	W	17	0	B	1	1	W	11
	Gosforth			½			1½			2½			2½			3½		10½
6	Gazis George	1919	½	-	bye	0	B	5	1	W	19	1	B	13	1	W	15
				½			½			1½			2½			3½		8½
7	Chris Izod	1908	½	-	bye	1	W	10	0	B	3	1	W	16	½	B	9
	Jesmond			½			1½			1½			2½			3		9
8	Thomas Philip	1856	½	W	4	½	B	15	1	W	14	½	B	11	½	B	10
				½			1			2			2½			3		9
9	Joel Ofeni	1782	½	W	5	0	B	4	1	W	20	1	B	18	½	W	7
	Atticus			½			½			1½			2½			3		8
10	Henry Bullough	1905	½	-	bye	0	B	7	1	W	23	1	B	19	½	W	8
	Newcastle University			½			½			1½			2½			3		8
11	John S Garnett	1825	0	B	1	1	W	24	1	B	21	½	W	8	0	B	5
	The Buffs			0			1			2			2½			2½		8
12	Robin J Nandi	1880	½	W	19	½	B	14	0	W	15	1	B	24	½	W	18
	Cowley			½			1			1			2			2½		7
13	David Egan	1787	0	B	22	1	W	20	½	B	18	0	W	6	1	B	23
	Tynemouth			0			1			1½			1½			2½		6½
14	Tim Sewart	1748	½	-	bye	½	W	12	0	B	8	½	W	23	1	B	21
	Durham City			½			1			1			1½			2½		6½
15	Daniel Sewart	1698	½	-	bye	½	W	8	1	B	12	0	W	2	0	B	6
	Newcastle			½			1			2			2			2		7½
16	Oliver Graham	1751	1	B	20	½	W	18	0	W	4	0	B	7	½	W	17
	Worksop			1			1½			1½			1½			2		7½
17	Mark B Waterfield	1909	1	-	bye	0	W	1	0	B	5	½	W	21	½	B	16
	Kettering			1			1			1			1½			2		6½
18	Fedir Dyshliuk	1978	½	-	bye	½	B	16	½	W	13	0	W	9	½	B	12
	Durham City			½			1			1½			1½			2		6½
19	Michael Yianni	0	½	B	12	½	W	21	0	B	6	0	W	10	1	-	bye
	Tyne & Wear *			½			1			1			1			2		5½
20	Tim R Spanton	1977	0	W	16	0	B	13	0	B	9	1	-	bye	1	W	24
	Battersea			0			0			0			1			2		3
21	Brian Towers	1808	½	-	bye	½	B	19	0	W	11	½	B	17	0	W	14
	South Shields			½			1			1			1½			1½		5½
22	David Henderson	2024	1	W	13	-	B	2
	Tynemouth			1			1			1			1			1		5
23	Michael L Green	1977	½	-	bye	0	W	3	0	B	10	½	B	14	0	W	13
	Carlisle			½			½			½			1			1		3½
24	Andy J Trevelyan	1812	0	W	2	0	B	11	1	-	bye	0	W	12	0	B	20
	Jesmond			0			0			1			1			1		3

	Major

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	A Keith Aitchison	1753	1	B	2	1	W	7	1	B	10	1	W	4	1	B	3
	Edinburgh			1			2			3			4			5		15
2	M John Cawston	1869	0	W	1	1	W	17	1	B	16	1	B	13	1	W	7
	Ye Olde Starre Inne			0			1			2			3			4		10
3	Randolph E Donahue	1813	1	B	29	1	W	19	½	B	4	1	W	5	0	W	1
	Leeds			1			2			2½			3½			3½		12½
4	Dalil Benchebra	1728	1	W	15	1	B	9	½	W	3	0	B	1	1	W	12
	Leam Lane			1			2			2½			2½			3½		11½
5	Robert A Dean	1755	½	-	bye	1	B	26	1	W	20	0	B	3	1	W	11
	Saltaire			½			1½			2½			2½			3½		10½
6	John S Clarke	1793	0	W	21	1	B	23	1	W	27	½	B	11	1	W	14
	Tynemouth			0			1			2			2½			3½		9
7	Andrew Robinson	1781	1	W	25	0	B	1	1	W	21	1	B	8	0	B	2
	Gosforth			1			1			2			3			3		10
8	John F Turnock	1830	½	-	bye	1	B	21	½	W	13	0	W	7	1	B	10
	Jesmond			½			1½			2			2			3		9
9	Ron Plater	1831	1	B	24	0	W	4	0	B	19	1	W	22	1	B	23
	Gosforth			1			1			1			2			3		8
10	Chris Snook-Lumb	1721	1	B	22	1	W	16	0	W	1	½	B	12	0	W	8
	Leam Lane			1			2			2			2½			2½		10
11	Graham W Matthews	1624	½	-	bye	1	B	14	½	W	12	½	W	6	0	B	5
	Hartlepool			½			1½			2			2½			2½		9
12	Paul R Bielby	1819	½	W	26	1	B	18	½	B	11	½	W	10	0	B	4
	South Shields			½			1½			2			2½			2½		9
13	Kevin Winter	1749	½	-	bye	1	W	28	½	B	8	0	W	2	½	B	22
	Ilkleyy Chess Centre			½			1½			2			2			2½		8½
14	Ewan Herd	1764	½	B	17	0	W	11	1	B	28	1	W	19	0	B	6
	Hoylake			½			½			1½			2½			2½		7½
15	Michael Ash	1852	0	B	4	1	W	24	½	-	bye	½	B	20	½	W	17
	Scotland			0			1			1½			2			2½		7
16	Ian B Chester	1755	1	W	23	0	B	10	0	W	2	½	B	21	1	W	25
	Gosforth			1			1			1			1½			2½		7
17	Ethan Ross	1577	½	W	14	0	B	2	½	W	18	1	W	29	½	B	15
	Gosforth			½			½			1			2			2½		6½
18	Stuart Marchbank	1720	½	-	bye	0	W	12	½	B	17	½	W	24	1	B	28
	Scotland			½			½			1			1½			2½		6
19	David P Holmes	1488	1	-	bye	0	B	3	1	W	9	0	B	14
	Market Harborough			1			1			2			2			2		8
20	Vivien Webster	1646	1	W	27	½	-	bye	0	B	5	½	W	15
	Halifax			1			1½			1½			2			2		8
21	Reese Wright	1658	1	B	6	0	W	8	0	B	7	½	W	16	½	B	24
	Forest Hall			1			1			1			1½			2		6½
22	Robert Kane	1842	0	W	10	½	B	25	1	W	26	0	B	9	½	W	13
	West London			0			½			1½			1½			2		5½
23	Naman Berry	1546	0	B	16	0	W	6	1	B	29	1	W	26	0	W	9
	South Shields			0			0			1			2			2		5
24	Rose Wabuti	1683	0	W	9	0	B	15	1	W	25	½	B	18	½	W	21
	Newcastle *			0			0			1			1½			2		4½
25	Mohammed Rohman	1630	0	B	7	½	W	22	0	B	24	1	W	28	0	B	16
	3Cs			0			½			½			1½			1½		4
26	Ethan Tatters	1677	½	B	12	0	W	5	0	B	22	0	B	23	1	W	29
	Forest Hall			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
27	Morgan French	1787	0	B	20	1	W	29	0	B	6
	Forest Hall			0			1			1			1			1		4
28	Nate Saer	0	½	-	bye	0	B	13	0	W	14	0	B	25	0	W	18
	Southampton			½			½			½			½			½		2½
29	Brian Robinson	1665	0	W	3	0	B	27	0	W	23	0	B	17	0	B	26
	Bishop Auckland			0			0			0			0			0		0

	Minor

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Jonathan Kearney	1629	1	B	28	1	W	31	½	B	7	1	W	16	1	W	3
	Tynedale			1			2			2½			3½			4½		13½
2	Lev Drobiazko	1583	½	B	20	1	W	14	1	B	8	1	W	7	½	W	4
	Gosforth			½			1½			2½			3½			4		12
3	Thompson John	1805	½	-	bye	1	W	24	1	B	11	1	W	5	0	B	1
				½			1½			2½			3½			3½		11½
4	Paul Castledine	1517	½	-	bye	1	W	15	½	B	9	1	W	18	½	B	2
	Alnwick			½			1½			2			3			3½		10½
5	Deborah Edmundson	1601	½	W	29	1	B	33	1	W	23	0	B	3	1	W	17
	Co Durham *			½			1½			2½			2½			3½		10½
6	Paul Ashton	1599	0	B	31	½	W	35	1	B	20	1	W	32	1	B	16
	Leyland			0			½			1½			2½			3½		8
7	Andre Coltman	1642	1	W	35	1	B	17	½	W	1	0	B	2	½	W	11
	Bare Village			1			2			2½			2½			3		11
8	Logan Richardson	1584	1	W	37	1	B	34	0	W	2	½	B	10	½	W	12
	Peterlee			1			2			2			2½			3		10½
9	Daniel Williams	1619	1	W	30	½	B	23	½	W	4	½	B	17	½	W	10
	Delves			1			1½			2			2½			3		10
10	Andy Proudfoot	1544	½	-	bye	½	W	20	1	B	27	½	W	8	½	B	9
	Durham City			½			1			2			2½			3		9
11	Jonathan Feasby	1565	½	B	25	1	B	38	0	W	3	1	W	19	½	B	7
	Thornaby			½			1½			1½			2½			3		9
12	Maximus Scott	1612	½	B	19	½	W	32	½	B	18	1	W	33	½	B	8
	Gosforth			½			1			1½			2½			3		8½
13	David J Buckell	1601	½	B	14	½	W	19	½	B	32	½	W	21	1	B	28
	Roebuck			½			1			1½			2			3		8
14	Gunasekera Asanga	1482	½	W	13	0	B	2	½	W	22	1	B	36	1	B	25
				½			½			1			2			3		7
15	Sathishkumar Gautham	1614	½	W	36	0	B	4	½	W	29	1	B	23	1	W	24
				½			½			1			2			3		7
16	Tim Bowler	1498	1	W	21	½	-	bye	1	B	25	0	B	1	0	W	6
	Maryport			1			1½			2½			2½			2½		10
17	Marco Trevisan	1553	1	W	38	0	W	7	1	B	37	½	W	9	0	B	5
	Forest Hall			1			1			2			2½			2½		9
18	Irina Briggs	1580	½	W	27	1	B	29	½	W	12	0	B	4	½	B	21
	Leam Lane			½			1½			2			2			2½		8½
19	Andrew Hardy	1491	½	W	12	½	B	13	1	W	34	0	B	11	½	W	22
	Alnwick			½			1			2			2			2½		8
20	David M Scorer	1369	½	W	2	½	B	10	0	W	6	½	B	29	1	W	31
	Roebuck			½			1			1			1½			2½		6½
21	Joey Pramana	1618	0	B	16	½	-	bye	1	W	36	½	B	13	½	W	18
	Gosforth			0			½			1½			2			2½		6½
22	Alan Johnson	1589	0	B	24	½	W	28	½	B	14	1	W	37	½	B	19
	South Shields			0			½			1			2			2½		6
23	Leonardo Trevisan	1420	1	B	26	½	W	9	0	B	5	0	W	15	½	B	30
	Forest Hall			1			1½			1½			1½			2		7½
24	Graham R Marshall	1401	1	W	22	0	B	3	½	-	bye	½	W	25	0	B	15
	Hartlepool			1			1			1½			2			2		7½
25	Darren McCarthy	1608	½	W	11	1	B	36	0	W	16	½	B	24	0	W	14
	Alnwick			½			1½			1½			2			2		7½
26	Scarlett Rozman	1595	0	W	23	1	B	30	1	W	31
	Leeds University			0			1			2			2			2		7
27	Mark Edmundson	1296	½	B	18	½	-	bye	0	W	10	½	B	31	½	W	29
	Bishop Auckland			½			1			1			1½			2		6
28	William A (Bill) Penny	1530	0	W	1	½	B	22	½	W	30	1	B	34	0	W	13
	Tynemouth			0			½			1			2			2		5½
29	Patrick N Coleman	1474	½	B	5	0	W	18	½	B	15	½	W	20	½	B	27
	Lytham St Annes			½			½			1			1½			2		5½
30	B Peter Nicholson	1520	0	B	9	0	W	26	½	B	28	1	-	bye	½	W	23
	Gateshead			0			0			½			1½			2		4
31	Stanley Johnson	1465	1	W	6	0	B	1	0	B	26	½	W	27	0	B	20
	South Shields			1			1			1			1½			1½		6
32	Daniel Howe	1486	½	-	bye	½	B	12	½	W	13	0	B	6
	Gosforth			½			1			1½			1½			1½		6
33	Louis Meadows	1471	½	-	bye	0	W	5	1	B	35	0	B	12
	Durham City			½			½			1½			1½			1½		5½
34	Blessings Chalemba	0	1	-	bye	0	W	8	0	B	19	0	W	28	½	B	35
	Liverpool *			1			1			1			1			1½		5½
35	James Phillips	1547	0	B	7	½	B	6	0	W	33	½	-	bye	½	W	34
	Newcastle			0			½			½			1			1½		3½
36	Stephen G O'Neill	1493	½	B	15	0	W	25	0	B	21	0	W	14	1	B	37
	Alnwick			½			½			½			½			1½		3½
37	Martin D Brookes	1383	0	B	8	1	-	bye	0	W	17	0	B	22	0	W	36
	Tynemouth			0			1			1			1			1		4
38	Ryan JG Duff	1649	0	B	17	0	W	11	1	-	bye
	Forest Hall			0			0			1			1			1		3
39	David J Foster Jnr	1182							½	-	bye
	Tynedale			0			0			½			½			½		1½

	Foundation

No	Name	Rtg		1			2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10		SPS

1	Sanjay Sathishkumar	1441	1	B	18	1	W	18	1	W	9	1	B	9	1	B	13	½	W	13	1	W	14	1	B	14	1	W	2	½	B	2
	Gosforth			1			2			3			4			5			5½			6½			7½			8½			9		52
2	Duc Duong	1301	+	B	10	+	W	10	1	W	5	0	B	5	1	B	6	½	W	6	1	W	13	1	B	13	0	B	1	½	W	1
	Tyne & Wear *			1			2			3			3			4			4½			5½			6½			6½			7		43
3	John Moore	1275	0	B	5	0	W	5	+	W	24	+	B	24	1	W	17	1	B	17	1	B	7	½	W	7	1	W	6	½	B	6
	South Shields			0			0			1			2			3			4			5			5½			6½			7		34
4	Yogam Vinayak	1200	0	W	6	0	B	6	1	B	23	1	W	23	1	B	21	1	W	21	1	W	8	0	B	8	1	B	13	1	W	13
	Rgs Newcastle			0			0			1			2			3			4			5			5			6			7		33
5	Heath Grimman	0	1	W	3	1	B	3	0	B	2	1	W	2	0	B	7	½	W	7	1	W	9	0	B	9	1	B	14	1	W	14
	Gosforth			1			2			2			3			3			3½			4½			4½			5½			6½		35½
6	Matteo Trevisan	0	1	B	4	1	W	4	1	W	21	1	B	21	0	W	2	½	B	2	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	0	B	3	½	W	3
	Northumberland *			1			2			3			4			4			4½			5			5½			5½			6		40½
7	Ethan Lim	0	½	B	24	1	W	24	½	B	11	1	W	11	1	W	5	½	B	5	0	W	3	½	B	3	1	B	8	0	W	8
	Rgs Newcastle			½			1½			2			3			4			4½			4½			5			6			6		37
8	Anant Handa	1246	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	B	15	0	W	15	1	W	20	1	B	20	0	B	4	1	W	4	0	W	7	1	B	7
	Greater Manchester *			½			1			2			2			3			4			4			5			5			6		32½
9	Alastair Howell	1257	1	B	19	1	W	19	0	B	1	0	W	1	0	W	15	1	B	15	0	B	5	1	W	5	1	W	18	1	B	18
	Gosforth			1			2			2			2			2			3			3			4			5			6		30
10	Rory Brennan	0	-	W	2	-	B	2	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	W	22	0	B	22	1	-	bye	1	-	bye	1	B	15	1	W	15
	Gosforth			0			0			½			1			2			2			3			4			5			6		23½
11	Marsel Zaborovs	0	1	B	20	1	W	20	½	W	7	0	B	7	0	W	14	0	B	14	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	+	B	21	+	W	21
	Tyne & Wear *			1			2			2½			2½			2½			2½			3			3½			4½			5½		29½
12	Paul Turnbull	0	0	W	17	0	B	17	0	B	22	1	W	22	1	W	23	1	B	23	½	B	15	0	W	15	1	W	20	1	B	20
	Forest Hall			0			0			0			1			2			3			3½			3½			4½			5½		23
13	Owen Temple	1350	1	W	22	1	B	22	1	B	17	1	W	17	0	W	1	½	B	1	0	B	2	0	W	2	0	W	4	0	B	4
	Consett			1			2			3			4			4			4½			4½			4½			4½			4½		36½
14	Vishnu Charan Sriram	1143	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	1	W	16	½	B	16	1	B	11	1	W	11	0	B	1	0	W	1	0	W	5	0	B	5
	Gosforth			½			1			2			2½			3½			4½			4½			4½			4½			4½		32
15	Charlie Mowbray	1128	½	B	16	½	W	16	0	W	8	1	B	8	1	B	9	0	W	9	½	W	12	1	B	12	0	W	10	0	B	10
	South Shields			½			1			1			2			3			3			3½			4½			4½			4½		27½
16	John Clark	1479	½	W	15	½	B	15	0	B	14	½	W	14	½	W	18	½	B	18	1	B	17	1	W	17
	Northumberland *			½			1			1			1½			2			2½			3½			4½			4½			4½		25½
17	Alan Smith	1175	1	B	12	1	W	12	0	W	13	0	B	13	0	B	3	0	W	3	0	W	16	0	B	16	1	B	23	1	W	23
	South Shields			1			2			2			2			2			2			2			2			3			4		22
18	Timothy Ogah	1065	0	W	1	0	B	1	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	B	16	½	W	16	1	W	19	1	B	19	0	B	9	0	W	9
	Forest Hall			0			0			½			1			1½			2			3			4			4			4		20
19	Harris Rock	0	0	W	9	0	B	9	0	W	20	0	B	20	1	-	bye	1	-	bye	0	B	18	0	W	18	1	B	22	1	W	22
	Sunderland *			0			0			0			0			1			2			2			2			3			4		14
20	Stephen Brown	1162	0	W	11	0	B	11	1	B	19	1	W	19	0	B	8	0	W	8	1	W	22	½	B	22	0	B	12	0	W	12
	Consett			0			0			1			2			2			2			3			3½			3½			3½		20½
21	Michael Clarke	1276	1	W	23	1	B	23	0	B	6	0	W	6	0	W	4	0	B	4	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	-	W	11	-	B	11
	Morpeth			1			2			2			2			2			2			2½			3			3			3		22½
22	Gaspar Stetsiuk	948	0	B	13	0	W	13	1	W	12	0	B	12	0	B	10	1	W	10	0	B	20	½	W	20	0	W	19	0	B	19
	Leam Lane			0			0			1			1			1			2			2			2½			2½			2½		14½
23	Miroslav Gara	0	0	B	21	0	W	21	0	W	4	0	B	4	0	B	12	0	W	12	½	-	bye	½	-	bye	0	W	17	0	B	17
	Leam Lane			0			0			0			0			0			0			½			1			1			1		3½
24	Ruby Johnston	1262	½	W	7	0	B	7	-	B	3	-	W	3
	Forest Hall			½			½			½			½			½			½			½			½			½			½		5