The English Championships began last Friday at the Holiday Inn Kenilworth-Warwick, featuring an Open Tournament and a Women’s Tournament. The program also included an Amateur Championship for players rated below 1700. All events were 7-round Swiss tournaments, with morning and afternoon rounds on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The final round took place on Monday at 10 a.m.
A total of 84 players competed in the Open Championship, including seven grandmasters. Eligibility was limited to players born in England, those who have lived in England for at least 12 months, or those registered with the FIDE federation code ENG.
Top seeds Nikita Vitiugov and Michael Adams were the clear favorites and fought a close battle for the title. Shreyas Royal was also a strong contender throughout the event.
Adams started the tournament with four straight wins, while Vitiugov’s winning streak was halted in round four by Royal. In round five, Adams and Vitiugov drew their game. Shreyas Royal defeated John Merriman to join Adams at the top of the standings, both on 4.5 points. In the sixth round’s top matchup, Adams beat Royal to take sole lead with 5.5 points. Nikita Vitiugov and Matthew J. Wadsworth were close behind, just half a point back.
In the final round, a draw against Matthew Wadsworth was enough for Michael Adams to secure the title. Nikita Vitiugov won his last game against Ammet Ghasi, drawing level with Adams on 6 points, but lost out on tiebreak.
Four players finished with 5.5 points: Shreyas Royal, Matthew Wadsworth, Peter Roberson, and Gawain Jones.
Final standings after seven rounds
| 1 | GM | Adams, Michael | 2726 | 6 | 0,5 |
| 2 | GM | Vitiugov, Nikita | 2746 | 6 | 0,5 |
| 3 | GM | Royal, Shreyas | 2617 | 5,5 | 0 |
| 4 | IM | Wadsworth, Matthew J | 2575 | 5,5 | 0 |
| 5 | IM | Roberson, Peter T | 2499 | 5,5 | 0 |
| 6 | GM | Maroroa Jones, Gawain | 2723 | 5,5 | 0 |
| 7 | IM | Willow, Jonah B | 2490 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | IM | Merry, Alan B | 2399 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | IM | Clarke, Brandon Gi | 2585 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | IM | Harvey, Marcus R | 2477 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 11 | FM | Badacsonyi, Stanley | 2455 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 12 | CM | Shearsby, Jude | 2314 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 13 | GM | Emms, John M | 2428 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 14 | IM | Jackson, James P | 2437 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 15 | Saunders, Aron | 2207 | 4,5 | 0 | |
| 16 | GM | Ghasi, Ameet K | 2577 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 17 | Carroll, Thomas | 2281 | 4,5 | 0 | |
| 18 | FM | Badacsonyi, Frankie | 2257 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 19 | GM | Hebden, Mark L | 2427 | 4,5 | 0 |
| 20 | Hanache, Kai | 2258 | 4 | 0 |
…84 players
Games
Women’s Championship
Only ten players took part in the Women’s Championship, with Elmira Mirzoeva—now based in London—entering as the highest-rated participant. After a draw and three wins, Mirzoeva lost in round five to 14-year-old Shambavi Hariharan from the Oxford City Chess Club. Zhu Yaoyao seized the opportunity to take the lead with four points.
In round two, Zhu had also defeated Shambavi Hariharan. However, in round six, the tournament leader lost to Sarah N. Longson, allowing Shambavi Hariharan and Elmira Mirzoeva to take the lead. In the final round, both of them won, and since Shambavi Hariharan had won her direct encounter against Mirzoeva, the title went to her.
Shambavi Hariharan | Photo: Oxford City Chess Club
Final standings after 7 rounds
| Rk. | SNo | Name | FED | Rtg | Club/City | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | WCM | Hariharan, Shambavi | ENG | 2153 | Oxford City | 5,5 | 1 | 26 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | WGM | Mirzoeva, Elmira | ENG | 2368 | West London | 5,5 | 0 | 26,5 | 25,5 |
| 3 | 6 | WFM | Longson, Sarah N | ENG | 2019 | Marple | 5 | 1 | 25,5 | 25 |
| 4 | 4 | Zhu, Yaoyao | ENG | 2104 | 4ncl 3cs | 5 | 0 | 26,5 | 26 | |
| 5 | 5 | Maton, Emily | ENG | 2067 | Hertfordshire Juniors | 3,5 | 0,5 | 27,5 | 27 | |
| 6 | 2 | WFM | Dicen, Elis Denele | ENG | 2231 | Coventry Chess Academy | 3,5 | 0,5 | 24 | 23,5 |
| 7 | 7 | WCM | Sheikh, Anum | ENG | 1926 | Chingford | 3 | 1 | 23 | 22,5 |
| 8 | 10 | Fernando, Manel | ENG | 1677 | 4ncl The Pitstop | 3 | 0 | 20,5 | 20 | |
| 9 | 9 | Saharkar, Sharvari | ENG | 1707 | St Johns Norwich | 0,5 | 0,5 | 23,5 | 22,5 | |
| 10 | 8 | Roychowdhury, Aashita | ENG | 1719 | Leeds Junior Chess Club | 0,5 | 0,5 | 22 | 21,5 |
Games
