Next events - Words in green are hyperlinks to pdf entry form, congress website, or contact’s e-mail

• ECF Online tournaments Something on nearly every day
• Sat 28 Jun. Delancey UK Chess Challenge Worcestershire Megafinal at St John’s Campus, University of Worcester. Megafinal begins at 10am, six round rapidplay, time control 15 min + 10 sec, Prizes for highest boy and girl scorers in each year group.
• Sat 27 Sep. UK Open Blitz Championship Birmingham Qualifier at Quinborne Community Centre, Ridgacre Road, Quinton, Birmingham B32 2TW
• Sat 11 Oct, Stroud Autumn Rapidplay at St Matthew’s Church Hall, Stroud GL5 4JE. Starting 10:30 am 6 rounds, time control 15 min + 5 sec.

24 Aug 2025. It is a bit of a risk for a titled player recovering from an injury to enter a tournament with an unusual format and facing local untitled players. WGM Kata Toma took that risk. She faced tough opposition throughout. In round 1, a quickplay round 20+10, she was black against defending junior champion James Allsopp (Malvern). James played well in the opening but Kata prevailed. In round 2, a fast classical time control 45+30, she beat another junior, Muhammed Mehmood (Halesowen). Subsequent rounds settled to a more conventional 75+30 time control against seasoned campaigners. In these she played John Wrench (Kidderminster) in round 3 - see below. In round 4, Kata played Matt Gillings (Redditch). Matt showed he was unafraid and launched a sacrificial kingside attack, but to no avail. This left two players only with 4 points each: defending champion Joe Friar (Kidderminster) and Kata to play for the 2025 title in the final round. Kata countered Joe’s king side opening with a Sicilian Defence and Joe maintained a slight initiative into the middle game. After a series of exchanges players were left in an equal position with pawns and bishops on opposite coloured squares. Kata had an advanced passed pawn and continued to probe Joe’s defences. Joe defended reolutely to force a completely drawn position and Kata had to settle for half a point. Both players finished on 4½, but Kata had the a slightly superior tie-break to take the title. See final cross.

The prize winners in other sections were: Junior champion - James Allsopp (Malvern); Women's Champion - Julie Wilson (Stourbridge); Senior Champion - Matt Gillings (Redditch); Veteran Champion (John Wrench (Kidderminster); Minor Champion (u1650) - Sean Conway (Worcester). The other awards were for the Most Enterprising Game - Matt Gillings; Best New Player - Muhammed Mehmood (Halesowen); Slow Starter Prize - Ian Clarke (Malvern); and Double Misfire Prize (for scoring best after losses in rounds 1 and 2) - James Nicholl (Worcester).

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Four players lead the pack in Worcester congress after day 1

23 Aug 2025. Four players have perfect 3 points from 3 games: WGM Kata Toma (Worcs), defending champion Joe Friar (Kidderminster), Matt Gillings (Redditch) and former champion Kevin Hurney (Longbridge). First seed Kata Toma pulled off an elegant pseudosacrifice playing on John Wrench’s (Kidderminster) weak king side squares in round 3. Matt Gillings (Redditch) had a complex minor piece and rook ending and eventually prevailed against Dorin Luca (Worcester) In round 1, Giles Stanton (Redditch) beat former champion Ian Clarke (Malvern). Defending Junior champion James Allsopp and a former junior champion Joshua Clarke (both Malvern), material down but with an advanced passed pawn drew an intense and long game in round 3. John Varilone (Kidderminster) had a surprise victory against Welsh internationa CM Lee Davis (Malvern) in round 3. Of the new players in the tournament, Graham Kemp (Pebworth), Alaric Stephen, Sai Rentachintala and Sean Conway (all Worcester) have the 2 points each. See detailed results in rounds 1-3.

Redditch win Summer Cup

20 Aug 2026. The final and the play-off for third and fourth places were played on the same night. Reddich claimed a clear victory in the final over an unchanged Longbridge team. The battle for third and fourth place was intense and ended 2-2, but Kidderminster won on board count over Worcester making the final team positions: Longbridge winners; Longbridge 2nd, Kidderminster 3rd; and Worcester 4th. See details of matches. Picture: Dan Lambourne

Lee Davis presented with Bennett Cup

13 Aug 2025. Winner of the bennett Cup competition in 2024-5 received his trophy just prior to round 1 of the open teams Summer Cup competition. Lee, a Welsh international player defeated Joe Friar, county champion in the final. Picture by Laura Friedlander..

Longbridge teams and Redditch lead in Towers Cup jamboree

13 Aug 2025. This season, controller Dan Lambourne had to provide a jamboree draw for six teams. Round 1 led to good results for both Longbridge teams and Redditch all of which ended the evening on 3 points. Malvern and Worcester each scored 1½ points and Kidderminster left empty handed. see detailed results.