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Thanks to the generous financial support of various sponsors, including The Chess Trust, The English Federation, The Friends of Chess, Northumberland Chess Association, Northumbria Junior Chess Association and an anonymous donor, the 2022 Northumbria Masters Congress took place successfully from 26-30 August at St. Mary’s Catholic School, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7PE.

This sponsorship was highly instrumental in our event going ahead and in securing its future.

A total of 177 competitors took part in six tournaments (Masters Open, GM norm all-play-all, IM norm all-play-all, Challengers, Combined Major & Minor, and Junior Rapidplay). Altogether, 18 different national chess federations were represented.

Two International Master norms were achieved, by Daniel Fischer (Switzerland) and Bao Nghia Dong (Vietnam). In addition, three FIDE Arbiter norms were submitted, for John Shaw and Satish Gaekwad (both England) and Paul McKeown (Ireland).

Tournament winners

The Masters Open, with a total of 67 players, was won jointly by IMs Brandon Clarke and Marcus Harvey (both England) on 7.5/9.

The GM norm all-play-all was won by IM Matthew Wadsworth (England) on 6.5./9.

The IM norm all-play-all was won jointly by Fischer and Dong on 6.5/9.

The Challengers (Under 2000 FIDE) tournament, with a total of 41 players, was won jointly by Robert Sanders (England) and David Geaney-O’Brien (Ireland) on 7.5/9.

The Combined Major & Minor (Under 1750 ECF) tournament, with a total of 27 players), was won by Joel Tofield-Brown (England) with 6/7.

The Junior Rapidplay, with a total of 22 players, was won by Kenneth Hobson (England) with 4.5/5.

Juniors and female players

A total of 48 junior players (aged under 18 on 1/1/2022) took part in the Congress, including 39 England players.

A total of 15 female players took part in the Congress, including 13 England players.

(Details are available on pages 2 and 3 of the attached excel document.)

Support for amateur players

The total prize money won by amateur (i.e. non-GM, IM or WGM) players was £2,651.00.

Including:

Masters Open £800.50

Challengers £925.50

Combined Major & Minor £625.00

Junior Rapidplay £300.00

(Details are available on Page 4 of the attached excel document.)

Bursaries awarded

A number of bursaries were awarded by the Congress and the John Robinson Youth Chess Trust to young players to help with their entry to the Congress.

Junior entry discounts were in place for Masters Open (-£30), Challengers (-£20), Combined Major & Minor (-£10) tournaments.

Looking forward to 2023

Next year, it is planned that the Northumbria Masters Congress will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (24-28 August, 2023) at the same venue (St Mary’s Catholic School, Newcastle) and with a similar range of tournaments.

Please watch this space for further announcements!

Tim Wall
Congress Director
Northumbria Masters Congress

Players and spectators at the Northumbria Masters Congress can find various shops and eating/drinking establishments within easy walking distance of the venue, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7PE.

Lidl supermarket, 1 Benton Park Rd, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7LX
Directions: from St Mary’s Catholic School: Turn left from the school gates along Benton Park Road. Walk 200 metres, cross at the fraffic lights, then Lidl is on your right across the street.

Greggs bakery, Haddricks Mill Rd, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1QL
Directions: from St Mary’s Catholic School: Turn left from the school gates along Benton Park Road. Walk 500 metres, pass one small roundabout, then turn left at a second roundabout straight afterwards. On Haddricks Mill Road, Greggs is on your left after 100 metres.

The Victory pub, 43 Killingworth Rd, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1SY
Directions: from St Mary’s Catholic School: Turn left from the school gates along Benton Park Road. Walk 500 metres, turn right at the first small roundabout. The Victory pub is across the street.

The Brandling Villa pub, Haddricks Mill Rd, South Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 1QL
Directions: from St Mary’s Catholic School: Turn left from the school gates along Benton Park Road. Walk 500 metres, pass one small roundabout, then across the second roundabout there is the Brandling Villa pub.

Pizzeria Italia, 391 Benton Park Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7EZ
Directions from St Mary’s Catholic School: Turn right from the school gates along Benton Park Road. Walk 0.7 miles and you will come to Four Lane Ends shops and crossroads. Pizzeria Italia is on your right.

We would like to thank the sponsors of the 2022 Northumbria Masters Congress for their generous support.

These include:

The Chess Trust

The Chess Trust is a charitable fund established by the English Chess Federation in 2015 with the following aims:

♦  The advancement of amateur sport by promoting the study and practice of chess in all its forms, principally, but not exclusively, for the benefit of the residents of England; and

♦  The advancement of education by promoting the development of young people through the teaching and practice of chess

The English Chess Federation

The English Chess Federation (ECF) is the governing chess organisation in England and is affiliated to FIDE (the Fédération Internationale des Échecs). Its mission is to promote the game of chess, in all its forms, as an attractive means of cultural and personal advancement to the widest possible public. In addition, the ECF exists to develop chess by creating the means to enable the highest forms of chess excellence to be achieved, and to expand the game as a social and sporting activity.

The Friends of Chess

The Friends of Chess is an independent charity, affiliated to the ECF, founded in 1969 with the objective of restoring Britain to a leading place amongst the world’s chess nations. It provides funds to aid and initiate such chess enterprises as international tournaments, matches and team events and, perhaps most importantly of all, to assist British chess players to take part in suitable international tournaments where title norms were available.

Northumberland Chess Association

Northumberland Chess Association is a county association affiliated to the ECF, covering the areas of Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. It organises the Northumbria League and the Northumberland Weekend Congress, and has been promoting chess in the North East since its founding in 1930.

Northumbria Junior Chess Association

The Northumbria Junior Chess Association (founded in 1996) is a registered UK charity that aims to help support and develop chess amoung young people in the North East of England.

It organises regular junior congresses, provides advice and support for schools and junior clubs in the area, and provides help to promising local juniors seeking to play in international competitions.

Here is a list of hotels and guest houses for your stay in Newcastle during the Northumbria Masters on 26-30 August, 2022.

When booking, always check the distance and transport connections to our venue, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7PE.

Please note: Inclusion on this list does not constitute a recommendation from the Northumbria Masters Congress.

(It’s usually best to check the prices on websites such as Booking.com and Trivago, and then see if you can get a better deal by calling the hotel direct.)

White’s Hotel, Jesmond
38-42 Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2AL
Tel: 0191 281 5126

Premier Inn, Holystone
Edmund Rd, Holystone, Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0UN
Tel: 0333 321 1338

Great North Hotel, Gosforth
Great North Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 2DS
Tel: 0191 226 8855

Cairn Hotel, Jesmond
97-103 Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2TJ
Tel: 0191 281 1358

Best Western New Kent Hotel
127 Osborne Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 2TB

Holiday Inn Jesmond
Jesmond Rd, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1PR
Tel: 0191 281 5511

Hotel Indigo
2/8 Fenkle St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5XU
Tel: 0191 300 9222

StayBridge Suites 
Buxton Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6NL
Tel: 0191 238 7000

Crowne Plaza Newcastle
Hawthorn Sq, Forth St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3SA
(5 minutes’ walk from Newcastle Central Station)
Tel: 0191 562 3333

For more details, please visit our Hotel Bookings page.

The 3rd EJCOA Invitational will take place at The Chess Centre, 8, Crescent Court, Brook Street, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 8DE. This is a dedicated 24/7, high-quality chess facility hosting tournaments, matches, club events and training.

The Invitational includes an IM norm tournament and a Youth Training Tournament.

3rd EJCOA Invitational IM Norm Tournament

The lineup for this tournament is now complete:

1 IM Jose Camacho-Collados (KOR, 2400)
2 FM Jonah Willow (ENG, 2360)
3 FM Yichen Han (NED, 2347)
4 IM David Eggleston (ENG, 2343)
5 FM Paul Macklin (ENG, 2341)
6 FM William Claridge-Hansen (ENG, 2340)
7 WIM Zala Urh (SLO, 2307) (replacing FM Iain Gourlay, SCO)
8 IM Stephen Mannion (SCO, 2271)
9 FM Shreyas Royal (ENG, 2243)
10 FM Adam Ashton (ENG, 2379)

(Any player wishing to act as a reserve or to be considered for future norm tournaments should write to: timpeterwall@gmail.com)

Average rating of opponents for highest-rated norm seeker: 2329.2.
IM Norm requirement (for all norm seekers): 6/9

Prizes:
1^st £200, 2^nd £150, 3^rd £100
No tie-breaks will be used. Prizes will be shared by players on the same score.

Time control:
90 minutes for all moves, plus 30 seconds increment per move from move 1.

FIDE-rated Youth Training All-Play-All Tournament (please note: games between all players will count for FIDE rating)

Entries confirmed so far:
1 Kyle Pelling (ENG) ECF 1929, FIDE 1809
2 Shriaansh Ganti (ENG) ECF 1337
3 Jael De Sousa Muachikape (ENG) ECF 1834
4 Dillan Duke (ENG) ECF 1623
5 Sam Coates (SCO) FIDE 1676
6 Angelica Rowe (ENG) ECF 1508
7 Ethan Pang (ENG) ECF 1376
8 Place available
9 Place available
10 Place available

Entries are welcome for the FIDE-rated Youth Training Tournament. Please write to Tournament Director Tim Wall at: timpeterwall@gmail.com.

You can download the Entry Form here: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/event-calendar/action~agenda/exact_date~23-2-2022/

To enter, participants should be under the age of 25 on January 1, 2022, and have a Standard Play FIDE rating .

February 2022 Standard Play FIDE Ratings will be used 

Entry Fee:
£75.00

Prizes:
1^st £150, 2^nd £100, 3^rd £50
No tie-breaks will be used. Prizes will be shared by players on the same score.

Time control
60 minutes for all moves, plus 30 seconds increment per move from move 1.

Training
The Youth Training Tournament time control is shorter to allow time for post-game analysis between the players with an ECF Registered Coach, who will be on hand for analysis during all rounds.

Playing schedule (for both tournaments)

R1: Wednesday 23 February, 6:30pm          

R2: Thursday 24 February, 10:00am             R3: Thursday 24 February, 3:00pm

R4: Friday 25 February, 10:00am                 R5: Friday 25 February, 3:00pm

R6: Saturday 26 February, 10:00am               R7: Saturday 26 February, 3:00pm

R8: Sunday 27 February, 10:00am                R9: Sunday 27 February, 3:00pm

Public transport directions to Ilkley Chess Centre:

Ilkley Chess Centre is 0.2 miles (3 minutes’ walk) from Ilkley Station. Direct trains to Ilkley from Leeds take approximately 30 minutes.

Post-Game Analysis/Coaching Area

The analysis area is next door to The Chess Centre, in the upstairs room at Hub-Vybe, 30a Brook St, Ilkley LS29 8DE.

Accommodation options:

The following hotels, inns and guest houses are within easy travelling distance of the venue.

Best Western Ilkley Craiglands Hotel, Cowpasture Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8RQ, Tel: 01943 430001

Bistrot Pierre – The Crescent Inn, Brook St, Ilkley LS29 8DG. Tel: 01943 811250

The Gin Lounge Rooms, 43, 45 Brook St, Ilkley LS29 8AG. Tel: 07890 689601

The Wheatley Arms, 64 Wheatley Lane, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley LS29 8PW. Tel: 01943 670030

The Riverside Hotel and Country Pub, Riverside Gardens, Bridge Lane, Ilkley LS29 9EU. Tel: 01943 607338.

The Black Hat Pub & Restaurant, 11 Church St, Ilkley LS29 9DR. Tel: 01943 607214

Once your place is confirmed, entry fees should be sent by bank transfer to:

UK Chess Events Ltd
Barclays Bank Sort Code 20-59-43
Account 2344 1954

For international transfers:
IBAN: GB49 BUKB 205943 2344 1954
SWIFT BIC: BUKB GB22