For this year’s championship event, the idea of playing 9 rounds rather than the long‑traditional 11 rounds was adopted. One idea was that players need take only one week off work rather than two. Play started on Saturday 29/07/2017, running through to Sunday 06/08/2017. The schedules for the 21 events were arranged to maximise the chances for people to play in more than one event, which proved particularly good news for Huddersfield’s Robert Clegg.

Yorkshire players were present in all 14 non-junior events, but in only 2 of the 7 junior events.

The top section (British Championship) reached a tie after the scheduled 9 rounds, between four players on 7 out of 9. Gawain Jones and Luke McShane (who had agreed a 16-move draw in round 9) won their 2-game semi-final rapidplay knock-out play-offs against Craig Hanley and David Howell respectively, and then played each other in the final, in which Gawain Jones won with White and then drew with Black, thus winning the British (and English) Championship for the second time, the previous occasion being 2012.

Gawain Christopher B Jones was born 11/12/1987, in Keighley. His family moved to York, where he was nurtured as a junior player, and was graded in the 190s by 2001. He later lived abroad, but returned to England around 2010, first to live in London. He now lives on the periphery of Sheffield with wife Sue Maroroa (WIM). Though Gawain doesn’t currently play county chess, or any form of league chess in Yorkshire, he plays for Guildford in the 4NCL. Wife Sue, however, plays for Hillsborough (formerly known as Stannington) in the Sheffield league.

Various “category” prizes were won by Yorkshire players in the Championship:

Name	Club/Location	Category	Place
Peter K Wells	4NCL White Rose	Over 50 Prize	2nd=
James R Adair	York, 4NCL White Rose	Rated 2451-2550	3rd
Richard J D Palliser	York, 4NCL White Rose	Rated 2351‑2450	2nd
Peter K Wells	4NCL White Rose	Rated 2351-2450	3rd
Peter Shaw	Wakefield	Rated 2051-2200

Four players who are members of Yorkshire clubs or associations won five prizes between them in lower sections, as follows:

Name	Club/Location	Points	Place	Event
Chris C W Shephard	Sheffield Nomads	5	3-6=	Age 65+
David A Patrick	Calderdale	4	3-7=	Under 160
Carl Gartside	Clay Cross (S&DCA)	4	3-7=	Under 160
Robert Clegg	Huddersfield	4	1-9=	Under 140
Robert Clegg	Huddersfield	4	2‑5=	Weekend Soanes

Some will be interested to know that one of those tying with Chris Shephard was former strong Huddersfield player Rudi van Kemenade, who now lives in Aberystwyth, and plays in the 4NCL for Rhyfelwyr Essyllwg, which translates roughly as “Glamorgan Warriors” or “Silurian Warriors” depending on quite what the ancient name Essylwg actually referred to.

Below is a list of “Yorkshire” players and their results. (I may have missed someone. Sorry if I have.)

Name	Club/Location

Open	29th July to 6th August	Points	Place
Gawain C B Jones (GM)	4NCL Guildford	7	1-4=
Richard J D Palliser (IM)	York, 4NCL White Rose	6½	5-7=
James R Adair (IM)	York, 4NCL White Rose	6	8-18=
Peter K Wells (GM)	4NCL White Rose	6	8-18=
Peter Shaw	Wakefield	5	31-40=
Peter M Gayson	4NCL White Rose	4½	41-58=
Sue Y Maroroa (WIM)	Hillsborough	3½	72-84=
103 entrants	9 rounds

Major Open	29th July to 6th August	Points	Place
Richard M Cowan	York RI
Paul A Johnson	York RI
61 entrants	9 rounds

65+ (age)	30th July to 5th August	Points	Place
Chris C W Shephard	Sheffield Nomads	5	3-6=
R van Kemenade	Aberystwyth	5	3-6=
Jim Burnett	Ecclesall	4½	7-13=
Paul S N Kendall	Beverley	4	14-18=
Jim E Vickery	Alwoodley	3½	19-32=
Peter Hughes	Halifax	3½	19-32=
Douglas McKerracher	Harrogate	1	52-53=
53 entrants	7 rounds

50+ (age)	30th July to 5th August	Points	Place
David Keddie	Huddersfield	3	20-26=
32 entrants	7 rounds

AM Open	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
Steve R Hodge	Hull	2½	16-25=
Peter W Hempson	Ecclesall	2	21-31=
40 entrants	5 rounds

Under‑180(ECF)/2050(ELO)	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
Tony J Slinger	York	2	21-26=
Carl Gartside	Clay Cross (S&DCA)	2	21-26=
Damian McCarthy	Culcheth, Calderdale	4	2-3=
Geoffrey M Brown	Sheffield	3½	4-7=
Colin S Procter	Bradford	3	8-11=
34 entrants	5 rounds

Under 160/1900	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
David A Patrick	Calderdale	4	3-7=
Carl Gartside	Clay Cross (S&DCA)	4	3-7=
Nick Burton	Ilkley	3½	8-11=
Tim M Turner	Yorkshire Terriers	3	12-18=
Gordon Farrar	Halifax	3	12-18=
Robert A Dean	Undercliffe	2½	19-30=
Robert Clegg	Huddersfield	2½	19-30=
Norman G Andrews	York	2½	19-30=
Gerhard Quinn	Rose Forgrove	2½	19-30=
Neville R Pearce	Yorks Terriers	2	31-41=
Alec Grice	Beverley	1½	42-47=
52 entrants	5 rounds

Under 140/1750	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
Robert Clegg	Huddersfield	4	1-9=
Alec Grice	Beverley	3	14-30=
Andrew Zigmond	Harrogate	3	14-30=
William J Egan	Ecclesall	3	14-30=
Bruce R Oliver	Hull	2½	31-45=
Gerhard Quinn	Rose Forgrove	1½	59-65=
Nigel Redmond	Bradford	1	66-71=
75 entrants	5 rounds

Under 120/1600	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
Nigel Redmond	Bradford	2½	20-9=
John H T Eddershaw	Ecclesall	2	30-39=
50 entrants	5 rounds

Under 100/1450	31st July to 4th August	Points	Place
Anna Szasz	Leeds Juniors	3½	4-13=
Alan Riddle	Limewood, Alwoodley	2½	20-30=
51 entrants	5 rounds

Under 9 (age)	28th to 29th July	Points	Place
Tamas Kovacs	Leeds Juniors	0	74-77=
77 entrants	6 rounds

Under 8 (age)	30th July	Points	Place
Fraser Yang-Turner	Leeds Juniors	4	8-17=
56 entrants	6 rounds

Weekend Atkins	28th to 30th July	Points	Place
David A Patrick	Calderdale	2	17-22=
Carl Gartside	Clay Cross	2	17-22=
Jamie D Tilston	Sheffield University	2	17-22=
John Brooke	Rose Foregrove	0	27-28=
28 entrants	5 rounds

Weekend Soanes	28th to 30th July	Points	Place
Robert Clegg	Huddersfield	4	2-5=
Andrew Zigmond	Harrogate	3	13-18=
Alec Grice	Beverley	2½	19-34=
Bruce R Oliver	Hull	2½	19-34=
53 entrants	5 rounds

Weekend Yates	28th to 30th July	Points	Place
Richard Wood	Ecclesall	½	66-68
68 entrants	5 rounds

Rapidplay	5th August	Points	Place
Starley Robert	Leeds University	6½	4-8=
Burton Nick	Ilkley	5	21-34=
Oliver Bruce R	Hull	4	40-72=
Grice Alec	Beverley	3½	53-59=
Riddle Alan	Limewood & Scarcroft	3	60-67=

Links to further information are as follows:

Main ECF British Championship home page: www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk

Results: http://chess-results.com/tnr293939.aspx?lan=1&art=1&rd=9&flag=30&wi=821

List of prize-winners: www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/prizewinners-2017/

Downloadable games: http://chess-results.com/PartieSuche.aspx?lan=1&id=50023&tnr=293939&art=3