Master chess in central London is rare, yet the Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters showcased elite talent last weekend. Sponsored by Chess England, this event followed closely after the Samarkand Olympiad.

GM Jules Moussard from France emerged victorious in the Super Rapid, scoring 7.5/10, with GM Gawain Maroroa Jones finishing strong in second place at 6.5. Moussard continued his success by also clinching the Blitz title with a score of 7/10. Meanwhile, GM Praveen Balakrishnan of the US demonstrated his prowess by tying with GM Ameet Ghasi in the Challengers Rapid at 6/9 and winning the Challengers Blitz outright with another 6/9, just ahead of IM Marcus Harvey who scored 5.5.

An interesting aspect of this tournament was the scheduling of both Rapid and Blitz events over the same weekend, with start and end times of 10am and 7pm respectively. This format may help alleviate issues players face in longer tournaments, where early poor performances often lead to withdrawals.

Looking ahead, the English Championships for classical, rapid, and blitz formats are set for October 24 to November 1 in Peterborough, boasting a prize fund exceeding £20,000. The competition appears to be a showdown primarily between GM Jones and nine-time British champion GM Michael Adams, with GM Ghasi as a formidable challenger.

Additionally, qualification for the UK Blitz Championships has concluded, with 16 cities participating. Sivanandan, the defending British women’s champion, remains a strong favorite after an impressive performance in Belfast where she won all 17 games. The Open event promises unpredictability, featuring defending champion GM Danny Gormally and other rising stars.