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Not once has a player grabbed the sole lead throughout 8 rounds of play at the 2024 British Championship in Hull. However, going into the final round, there are only three players with chances of taking home the title: David Howell, Gawain Jones and Matthew Wadsworth. Howell and Jones are sharing the lead with 6½ points each, while Wadsworth is the only player standing a half point back.
Coincidentally, both Howell and Jones defeated the King's Indian Defence on Saturday, as Ameet Ghasi (against Howell) and Svyatoslav Bazakutsa (Jones) bravely decided to play the sharp opening while facing their higher-rated opponents with black. The all-or-nothing approach backfired in both cases, though Howell and Jones needed to show good endgame technique to convert the advantages they got in the early middlegame - especially Jones, whose victory came in a 95-move encounter.
Ghasi and Bazakutsa had entered the round in the leading pack, much like their respective opponents - and Wadsworth, who signed a 49-move draw in his game against defending champion Michael Adams. Since none of the players who entered the penultimate round with 5 points obtained a victory, only Wadsworth kept his chances of claiming the title alive.
In the final round, set to start 4½ hours earlier than usual (at 10.00 local time), Jones will get the white pieces against Howell, while Wadsworth will play black against Richard Palliser, the 21st seed in the field.
Round 9 pairings
Bo. | Name | Rtg | Pts. | Result | Pts. | Name | Rtg | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GM | Jones, Gawain Cb | 2640 | 6½ | 6½ | GM | Howell, David Wl | 2675 | |||
2 | IM | Palliser, Richard Jd | 2369 | 5½ | 6 | IM | Wadsworth, Matthew J | 2456 | |||
3 | GM | Adams, Michael | 2672 | 5½ | 5½ | IM | Royal, Shreyas | 2487 | |||
4 | GM | Mcshane, Luke J | 2617 | 5½ | 5½ | IM | Merry, Alan B | 2423 | |||
5 | IM | Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav | 2490 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Conquest, Stuart C | 2510 | |||
6 | IM | Ghasi, Ameet K | 2495 | 5½ | 5½ | IM | Han, Yichen | 2414 | |||
7 | FM | Czopor, Maciej | 2361 | 5½ | 5 | IM | Grieve, Harry | 2477 |
In case of a tie for first place, a rapid and blitz playoff will follow. As per the regulations:
The playoffs will be run on a knockout basis, and matches within this format will be played in one of the following formats:
Format 1 – Two players are tied
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
Format 2 – More than two players are tiedRound 1 Two games, G/10 + 5’.
Round 2 If still tied, an Armageddon game, white G/5, black G/4, 2’ from move 61
It’s been a fantastic week so far photographing the British Chess Championships. 📸
— Melinda Wilde (@meltastic1_) August 1, 2024
Check out my coverage of the Jr Championship and the PM City Hall tournaments here : @ecfchess @ECFJuniors2023 https://t.co/mXmLIWaKyC
or here https://t.co/FkDebhUXa5
Rk. | Name | Rtg | TB1 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GM | Howell, David Wl | 2675 | 6,5 | |
GM | Jones, Gawain Cb | 2640 | 6,5 | ||
3 | IM | Wadsworth, Matthew J | 2456 | 6 | |
4 | GM | Adams, Michael | 2672 | 5,5 | |
GM | Mcshane, Luke J | 2617 | 5,5 | ||
GM | Conquest, Stuart C | 2510 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Ghasi, Ameet K | 2495 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Bazakutsa, Svyatoslav | 2490 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Royal, Shreyas | 2487 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Merry, Alan B | 2423 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Han, Yichen | 2414 | 5,5 | ||
IM | Palliser, Richard Jd | 2369 | 5,5 | ||
FM | Czopor, Maciej | 2361 | 5,5 | ||
14 | IM | Grieve, Harry | 2477 | 5 | |
GM | Gasanov, Eldar | 2469 | 5 | ||
GM | Williams, Simon K | 2450 | 5 | ||
IM | Trent, Lawrence | 2416 | 5 | ||
GM | Motwani, Paul | 2414 | 5 | ||
IM | Lutsko, Artem | 2414 | 5 | ||
GM | Hebden, Mark L | 2385 | 5 |
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