English Championships: Five co-leaders in the open

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
6/22/2024 – The English Championships are taking place on June 20-23 at the Holiday Inn Kenilworth-Warwick in Kenilworth. Each event is a 7-round Swiss open. After 4 rounds, the open section has 5 players sharing the lead, including top seeds Michael Adams (pictured) and Gawain Jones. In the women’s tournament, defending champion Katarzyna Toma is the sole leader with a perfect 4/4 score. | Photo: English Chess Federation
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Top seeds Adams and Jones among co-leaders

Two players are the clear rating favourites at the English Championship this year, Michael Adams and Gawain Jones, two of the five English players rated 2600 or above at the moment — Nikita Vitiugov, David Howell and Luke McShane are not participating.

After three rounds, both Adams and Jones were sharing first place with seventh seed Peter Roberson, all with a 3/3 perfect score. In round 4, Jones played white against Adams in a game that ended drawn after 19 moves. Roberson also signed a draw, which allowed Daniel Gormally and James Jackson to join the leading pack with 3½/4 points.

Two rounds will take place on Saturday, while the final round and the potential playoffs are scheduled for Sunday.

Gawain Jones

Gawain Jones | Photo: English Chess Federation

In round 3, Roberson obtained a quick, 17-move victory over Jan Murawski. The latter underestimated his opponent’s attacking chances out of a Spanish Opening.

Roberson v. Murawski

Engines already give White a considerable advantage here, as Black has overplayed his hand by pushing his h-pawn while still undeveloped. However, after 12...a6, Murawski could have kept the battle going.

Instead, his 12...Be7 led to a quick defeat.

Roberson found the devastating 13.Nxd5, when 13...Nxd5 fails to 14.Qxb5+ with a deadly fork. In the game, there followed 13...Bg4 14.Qxb5+ Bd7 15.Nxf6+ gxf6 16.Qd5

There is no defence for Black now. Murawski tried 16...0-0, but resigned after 17.Nxf7, as White is both threatening to capture the queen and to give a number of lethal discovered checks along the light-squared diagonal.

Standings after round 4

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Adams, Michael 3,5 0
2 Roberson, Peter T 3,5 0
3 Jones, Gawain Cb 3,5 0
4 Jackson, James P 3,5 0
5 Gormally, Daniel W 3,5 0
6 Willow, Jonah B 3 0
7 Wells, Peter K 3 0
8 Wadsworth, Matthew J 3 0
9 Verbytski, Oleg 3 0
10 Ghasi, Ameet K 3 0
11 Khoury, Theo 3 0
12 Fernandez, Daniel H 3 0
13 Shearsby, Jude 3 0
14 Murawski, Jan 3 0
15 Seymour, Timothy P 3 0

...80 players

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Toma still perfect among the women

A total of 22 players have registered to participate in the Women’s English Championship, with Harriet Hunt, Elmira Mirzoeva and Katarzyna Toma the three top seeds — they are rated third, fourth and sixth in England as per the latest FIDE ratings list. Jovana Houska and Yao Lan are absent at the Championship in Kenilworth.

After four rounds, Toma is the sole leader with 4/4 points. Born in Poland, the WGM has been representing England since 2018. Last year, she was the outright winner of the Championship after scoring 5½/7 points.

In round 4, Toma beat Mirzoeva after the latter wrongly decided to trade the queens and enter a minor-piece endgame.

Toma v. Mirzoeva

Black is already in some trouble, but playing 41...Qe6, allowing 42.Qxe6 fxe6, gave White a more straightforward path to victory. Toma patiently made the most of her more flexible minor piece and superior pawn structure until getting a 70-move win.

Standings after round 4

Rk. Name Pts.  TB1 
1 Toma, Katarzyna 4 0
2 Mirzoeva, Elmira 3 0
3 Hunt, Harriet V 3 0
4 Dicen, Elis Denele 3 0
5 Hryshchenko, Kamila 2,5 0
6 Rida, Ruqayyah 2,5 0
7 Subramanian, Anusha 2,5 0
8 Maton, Emily 2,5 0
9 Latypova, Olga L 2,5 0
10 Hariharan, Shambavi 2 0
11 Longson, Sarah N 2 0
12 Catabay, Mae C 2 0
13 Varney, Zoe 2 0
14 Khunda, Deema 2 0
15 Fernando, Manel 1,5 0

...22 players

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1.e4 3 e5 19 2.Nf3 9 Nc6 7 3.Bb5 8 a6 11 4.Ba4 6 Nf6 16 5.d3 25 Bc5 1:01 6.0-0 1:43 b5 59 7.Bb3 6 d6 38 8.a4 1:50 Rb8 1:11 9.axb5 2:05 axb5 9 10.h3 5:02 h6 15 11.Nc3 1:08 0-0 4:08 12.Be3 5:43 Bb6 7:24 13.Bd2 16:40 Bc5 9:38 14.Qc1 3:25 Be6 26:06 15.Bxe6 9:57 fxe6 10 16.Be3 1:57 Bxe3 3:22 17.Qxe3 35 Nh5 4:26 18.Ne2 7:20 Nf4 2:16 19.Nxf4 24 exf4 40 20.Qd2 53 Qf6 1:56 21.d4 52 e5 4:09 22.d5 2:39 Ne7 27 23.Ra7 52 Rfc8 2:55 24.Rd1 5:13 Ng6 2:53 25.Qc3 2:35 Qd8 1:29 26.Rda1 1:01 Nf8 55 27.b4 3:12 Nd7 1:17 28.Qd3 1:36 Nf6 3:05 29.R1a6 3:32 Ra8 4:06 30.c4 5:42 Rxa7 4:03 31.Rxa7 2 bxc4 40 32.Qxc4 7 Ne8 20 33.Ne1 4:21 Ra8 1:30 34.Ra5 1:02 Rb8 2:45 35.Nf3 4:31 Nf6 2:51 36.Nd2 14 Qc8 1:37 37.Ra7 1:33 Rb7 52 38.Qa6 1:43 Rb8 9 39.Qxc8+ 1:48 Rxc8 4 40.b5 24 Ne8 2:31 41.Nb1 49 Rb8 35 42.Nc3 10 Kf8 12 43.Kf1 18 Ke7 31 44.Ke2 12 Kd7 51 45.Kd3 15 Kc8 56 46.Kc4 15 Rb7 30 47.Ra3 2:44 Nf6 1:05 48.f3 57 Nd7 40 49.Na2 38 Nb6+ 1:04 50.Kd3 23 Kd7 1:08 51.Nb4 59 Nc8 34 52.Ra5 6 Ra7 1:50 53.Na6 11 Rb7 29 54.Kc4 25 Nb6+ 30 55.Kb4 24 Nc8 20 56.Ka4 47 Nb6+ 17 57.Kb3 7 Nc8 15 58.Nb4 32 Ra7 26 59.Ra6 53 Rb7 23 60.Ra5 1:40 Ra7 9 61.Rxa7 31 Nxa7 5 62.Ka4 14 Nc8 26 63.Nc6 1:58 Nb6+ 4 64.Kb4 3 Ke8 47 65.Nb8 46 Kd8 16 66.Na6 27 Kd7 21 67.Nb8+ 28 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hunt,H2313Hariharan,S1900½–½2024C78English Championship Women 20241.1
Catabay,M1773Toma,K22200–12024E12English Championship Women 20241.2
Mirzoeva,E2260Hardwick,A18131–02024A57English Championship Women 20241.3
Milewska,A1769Hryshchenko,K21610–12024B06English Championship Women 20241.4
Dicen,E2073Alexander,E-1–02024E60English Championship Women 20241.5
Ravi,V1750Varney,Z20700–12024D31English Championship Women 20241.6
Subramanian,A2050Fernando,M17251–02024A13English Championship Women 20241.7
Singha,S1719Rida,R19620–12024C49English Championship Women 20241.8
Longson,S1981Agarwal,A17181–02024B90English Championship Women 20241.9
Khunda,D1648Maton,E19700–12024D53English Championship Women 20241.10
Toma,K2220Subramanian,A20501–02024C65English Championship Women 20242.1
Varney,Z2070Mirzoeva,E22600–12024B12English Championship Women 20242.2
Hryshchenko,K2161Longson,S19811–02024C79English Championship Women 20242.3
Rida,R1962Dicen,E20731–02024B90English Championship Women 20242.4
Maton,E1970Hunt,H23130–12024E15English Championship Women 20242.5
Hariharan,S1900Latypova,O1827½–½2024D75English Championship Women 20242.6
Fernando,M1725Catabay,M17731–02024A48English Championship Women 20242.7
Hardwick,A1813Ravi,V1750½–½2024C01English Championship Women 20242.8
Agarwal,A1718Milewska,A1769½–½2024C09English Championship Women 20242.9
Alexander,E-Singha,S17191–02024C44English Championship Women 20242.10
Hryshchenko,K2161Toma,K22200–12024B31English Championship Women 20243.1
Mirzoeva,E2260Rida,R19621–02024A05English Championship Women 20243.2
Hunt,H2313Varney,Z20701–02024C42English Championship Women 20243.3
Dicen,E2073Hariharan,S19001–02024C45English Championship Women 20243.4
Subramanian,A2050Alexander,E-1–02024B07English Championship Women 20243.5
Longson,S1981Khunda,D16481–02024B06English Championship Women 20243.6
Latypova,O1827Maton,E1970½–½2024B45English Championship Women 20243.7
Milewska,A1769Fernando,M1725½–½2024D45English Championship Women 20243.8
Ravi,V1750Agarwal,A1718½–½2024D35English Championship Women 20243.9
Catabay,M1773Hardwick,A18131–02024D02English Championship Women 20243.10
Toma,K2220Mirzoeva,E22601–02024B12English Championship Women 20244.1
Hunt,H2313Hryshchenko,K2161½–½2024B06English Championship Women 20244.2
Longson,S1981Dicen,E20730–12024B28English Championship Women 20244.3
Rida,R1962Subramanian,A2050½–½2024C08English Championship Women 20244.4
Fernando,M1725Latypova,O18270–12024A48English Championship Women 20244.5
Maton,E1970Ravi,V17501–02024D85English Championship Women 20244.6
Varney,Z2070Singha,S17191–02024C45English Championship Women 20244.7
Hariharan,S1900Mehta,S16701–02024E60English Championship Women 20244.8
Alexander,E-Catabay,M17730–12024C00English Championship Women 20244.9
Khunda,D1648Milewska,A17691–02024D02English Championship Women 20244.10
Agarwal,A1718Hardwick,A18130–12024C08English Championship Women 20244.11
Dicen,E2073Toma,K2220½–½2024B51English Championship Women 20245.1
Mirzoeva,E2260Hunt,H23131–02024E15English Championship Women 20245.2
Hryshchenko,K2161Rida,R19621–02024C78English Championship Women 20245.3
Subramanian,A2050Maton,E19701–02024D05English Championship Women 20245.4
Latypova,O1827Longson,S1981½–½2024C55English Championship Women 20245.5
Catabay,M1773Varney,Z20700–12024C34English Championship Women 20245.6
Hariharan,S1900Khunda,D16481–02024A41English Championship Women 20245.7
Hardwick,A1813Fernando,M1725½–½2024D46English Championship Women 20245.8
Milewska,A1769Ravi,V17501–02024B20English Championship Women 20245.9
Mehta,S1670Alexander,E-½–½2024B08English Championship Women 20245.10
Singha,S1719Agarwal,A1718½–½2024B23English Championship Women 20245.11
Toma,K2220Hariharan,S19001–02024C45English Championship Women 20246.1
Subramanian,A2050Mirzoeva,E22600–12024D04English Championship Women 20246.2
Dicen,E2073Hryshchenko,K21610–12024B08English Championship Women 20246.3
Varney,Z2070Latypova,O1827½–½2024C54English Championship Women 20246.4
Maton,E1970Longson,S19811–02024D10English Championship Women 20246.5
Rida,R1962Catabay,M17731–02024C42English Championship Women 20246.6
Hardwick,A1813Milewska,A17691–02024D35English Championship Women 20246.7
Fernando,M1725Khunda,D16481–02024A48English Championship Women 20246.8
Alexander,E-Agarwal,A17181–02024A07English Championship Women 20246.9
Mehta,S1670Singha,S17191–02024D00English Championship Women 20246.10
Varney,Z2070Toma,K2220½–½2024C96English Championship Women 20247.1
Mirzoeva,E2260Hryshchenko,K21611–02024A49English Championship Women 20247.2
Maton,E1970Dicen,E2073½–½2024D20English Championship Women 20247.3
Latypova,O1827Rida,R19620–12024C50English Championship Women 20247.4
Hariharan,S1900Hardwick,A1813½–½2024A59English Championship Women 20247.5
Longson,S1981Fernando,M17251–02024C42English Championship Women 20247.6
Milewska,A1769Alexander,E-½–½2024C50English Championship Women 20247.7
Ravi,V1750Mehta,S1670½–½2024A51English Championship Women 20247.8
Khunda,D1648Catabay,M17730–12024D90English Championship Women 20247.9

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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