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The prizewinners in the 2025 Northumbria Masters Congress were as follows:

(each player may win only one prize)

Open

1st equal Guy Levin 6.5 (£667)
1st equal Mark  Hebden 6.5 (£667)
1st equal Tim Elgar 6.5 (£667)
4th equal Daniel Gormally 6 (£217)
4th equal Oliver Stork 6 (£217)
4th equal Theo Khoury 6 (£217)
Top Over 50 Craig Thomson 5 (£100)
Top Female Player Zoe Varney 5 (£100)
Top U18 Nicholas Kowalski-Rubiales 5 (£100)
Top Under 2200 FIDE (equal) Frankie Badacsonyi 5.5 (£50)
Top Under 2200 FIDE (equal) Husain Nakara 5.5 (£50)

Total prizes: £3052

Challengers

1st equal Jonathan McKay 6.5 (£292)
1st equal Mark  Waterfield 6.5 (£292)
1st equal Luke Owen 6.5 (£292)
Top Over 50 Kevin Wilson 6 (£75)
Top Female Player Alice Lampard 5.5 (£75)
Top U18 Tino Sander 6 (£75)
Top U-1850 Richard  Porter 5.5 (£75)

Total prizes: £1176

Major

1st Yechu Chen 6.5 (£400)
2nd Owen Robson 6 (£200)
3rd equal Daniel Atcheson 5.5 (£50)
3rd equal Mohammed Rohman 5.5 (£50)
Top Over 50 Stephen Pride 5.5 (£50)
Top Female Player Kaiqiao Chen 1 (£50)
Top U18 Joey Pramana 5 £50

Total prizes: £850

Blitz

1st Guy Levin 7 (£30)
2nd equal Oliver Stork 6.5 (£15)
2nd equal Supratit Banerjee 6.5 (£15)
Top U2000 Nicholas Kowalski Rubiales 5 (£10)
Top U2000 Husain Nakara 5 (£10)
Top U2000 Ross  Blackford 5 (£10)
Top U2000 Leo Kowalski Rubiales 5 (£10)

Total prizes: £100

The Northumbria Masters is pleased to announce brand new sponsorship for this year’s Congress, which takes place 24-28 August in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Chess enthusiast and creative writer Mark Jordan, a former Publicity Manager for the English Chess Federation, has offered an innovative form of sponsorship: a total prize fund of £600 for a player or players who score a Grandmaster, International Master, Women’s Grandmaster or Women’s International Master title norm in the GM Schiller tournament, IM Schiller tournament or the Masters Swiss at the Northumbria Masters Congress.

Prize Fund Will Be Shared Between Players Scoring GM, IM, WGM & WIM Norms

If more than one player makes a GM, IM, WGM or WIM norm, they share the £600 equally; if just one player makes a GM, IM, WGM or WIM norm, they get the whole £600 as a prize.

In addition, Mark is also funding accommodation for two visiting GMs, a form of sponsorship that helps not only titled players meet their expenses, but offers opportunities to other players seeking to play against GMs for title norms.

Mark Jordan said: “I am just happy to support English chess in this small way. If it encourages players to go for titles, and to raise the public profile of chess, that’s fantastic.”

Northumbria Masters Congress Director Tim Wall said: “We are extremely grateful to Mark for putting his hand in his pocket and offering this great incentive for would-be titled players. We hope this funding will attract more players to enter the Congress and help to secure its future for the years ahead.”

“Together with the hard work by ECF International Director Malcolm Pein over the years to secure funding from the UK government for chess, sponsorship such as Mark’s is a great example of a chess enthusiast supporting the game.”

To enter the Northumbria Masters Congress online, go to: https://northumbriamasters.com

Email: info@northumbriamasters.com

Tel/WhatsApp: +44 750 372 2366

Notes for Editors:

The Northumbria Masters, now holding its 6th major congress, is the premier international chess event in the North of England, and has produced several title norms for aspiring chess professionals.

The Congress is profoundly grateful for the support it receives from the English Chess Federation, The Chess Trust, The John Robinson Youth Chess Trust, Friends of Chess, Northumberland Chess Association and Northumbria Junior Chess Association, plus other private donors.