Noel Boustred’s latest congress was held in Harrogate, which has recently enjoyed three congresses per year, all run by “outsiders”, the other two organisers being Castle Chess (Tony Corfe) and 4NCL (Mike Truran). Rumour has it, however, that Castle Chess is discontinuing its Harrogate event.

Noel’s event this year had its usual “stars barred” format, with a Major section for U-170 players, and a Minor section for U-140 players, each section having 12 participants, making for a much cosier type of event that the usual 100-plus type.

The entry forms said you could enter on the basis of either ECF July 2018 or January 2019 grades, posing the question, “What about August 2019 grades?” That was probably a bit of the entry form which did not get updated at the time of drafting.

In the Major section there was a three-way tie for 1st place, between Steven Booth of Great Ayton (Cleveland league), Ben Strutt of Rose Forgrove, and George O'Brien of the Irish Republic, each on 3½ out of 5. In the Minor there was an outright winner in the form of Jeremy Brockes of Hampstead on 4 out of 5.

Cross-tables were as follows:

Major
	Name / Clubs etc		1			2			3			4			5		SPS
1	Booth, Steven B	9	B	1	12	W	1	4	W	1	2	B	½	3	W	0	13
	Great Ayton		1			2			3			3½			3½
2	Strutt, Ben	6	W	1	8	B	½	9	W	½	1	W	½	4	B	1	1½
	Rose Forgrove		1			1½			2			2½			3½
3	O'Brien, George	4	W	0	7	B	½	12	B	1	11	W	1	1	B	1	8
	Eire		0			½			1½			2½			3½
4	Ashcroft, Graham J	3	B	1	5	W	1	1	B	0	10	W	1	2	W	0	11
	Preston		1			2			2			3			3
5	Ellames, George J	11	W	1	4	B	0	7	W	½	9	B	½	8	W	1	8½
	Morpeth		1			1			1½			2			3
6	May, Paul	2	B	0	10	W	½	11	B	½	FPB	-	1	9	W	1	6½
	Limewood & Scarcroft		0			½			1			2			3
7	Gallagher, Dominic	HPB	-	½	3	W	½	5	B	½	8	B	½	10	W	½	7½
	Rose Forgrove		½			1			1½			2			2½
8	Clegg, Robert	HPB	-	½	2	W	½	10	B	½	7	W	½	5	B	0	7
	Huddersfield		½			1			1½			2			2
9	Corbyn, Andy	1	W	0	FPB	-	1	2	B	½	5	W	½	6	B	0	6½
	Great Ayton		0			1			1½			2			2
10	Sheppard, Derek A	HPB	-	½	6	B	½	8	W	½	4	B	0	7	B	½	6½
	Hull		½			1			1½			1½			2
11	Clarke, Paul RH	5	B	0	HPB	-	½	6	W	½	3	B	0	WD			3½
	Rose Forgrove		0			½			1			1			1
12	Holi, Siefaldin A	HPB	-	½	1	B	0	3	W	0	WD						2½
	Wakefield		½			½			½			½			½

Minor
	Name / Clubs etc		1			2			3			4			5		SPS
1	Brockes, Jeremy P	HPB	-	½	8	W	1	3	B	½	2	W	1	4	B	1	11
	Hampstead		½			1½			2			3			4
2	Ross, Andy	HPB	-	½	9	B	1	6	W	1	1	B	0	3	W	1	1½
	Alwoodley		½			1½			2½			2½			3½
3	Andrews, Norman G	4	W	1	5	B	½	1	W	½	7	B	1	2	B	0	1½
	York RI		1			1½			2			3			3
4	Jones, Matt	3	B	0	12	W	1	10	W	1	6	B	1	1	W	0	9
	Rose Forgrove		0			1			2			3			3
5	Zigmond, Andrew	12	B	1	3	W	½	7	B	0	8	W	½	11	B	1	9
	Harrogate		1			1½			1½			2			3
6	Smith, David	11	B	1	7	W	1	2	B	0	4	W	0	8	B	½	9½
	Wanstead		1			2			2			2			2½
7	Sneesby, Phil	FPB	-	1	6	B	0	5	W	1	3	W	0	10	B	½	8½
	St Johns Norwich		1			1			2			2			2½
8	Roberts, Malcolm A	9	W	½	1	B	0	12	W	1	5	B	½	6	W	½	7
	Holmes Chapel		½			½			1½			2			2½
9	Wilson, Richard	8	B	½	2	W	0	11	B	½	10	W	½	12	B	1	6
	Wakefield		½			½			1			1½			2½
10	Sriharan, Sri	HPB	-	½	11	W	½	4	B	0	9	B	½	7	W	½	6
	York RI		½			1			1			1½			2
11	Burton, Stephen	6	W	0	10	B	½	9	W	½	12	B	1	5	W	0	5½
	West Leeds		0			½			1			2			2
12	May, Philip	5	W	0	4	B	0	8	B	0	11	W	0	9	W	0	0
	Limewood & Scarcroft		0			0			0			0			0