Darlington weekend tournaments build grassroots chess

(Newcastle Chronicle, 17 May 2024)

For the third year running, the County Durham Chess Congress hosted a maximum capacity of 162 entries at Darlington’s Dolphin Centre last weekend.

The event, ably run by Gosforth’s Mick Riding, attracted enthusiastic amateur and club players from around the UK and abroad. The event is a personal triumph for Riding, who over four years has rebuilt the Durham Congress virtually from scratch, contributing greatly to the region’s chess recovering well from the Covid pandemic.

He has relocated the congress from a small venue in Houghton-le-Spring to a much larger central Darlington venue, close to the town’s East Coast Main Line station, and generated income through increased entries and sponsorship. Darlington Council is a key supporter of the congress, and the event is a net contributor to the local economy, attracting visitors to the town.

The Open section, with 40 entries, was won by Ukrainian junior Maksym Larchikov (Hull) on 4.5/5, followed by Joakim Niilson (Sweden) and Nicolas Skettos (Cyprus) on 4. The top North East players in the tournament were Tim Wall (Newcastle, 3.5), Nathan Ekanem (Newcastle) and David Armbruster (Gosforth) (both on 3). Ten-year-old Daniel Sewart (Newcastle), playing in his first Open tournament, had a promising performance with 2/5, winning one game and drawing two over the weekend.

The Major (Under 1900) section, with 46 entries, was won by John Cawston (York) and Nicholas Webb (Middlesbrough) on 4.5/5, followed by Paul May (Leeds) and Siu Kam Wa (Hong Kong) on 4. Among the players on 3 points were Ian Chester and Andrew Robinson (Gosforth), George Ellames (Alnwick) and Morgan French (Forest Hall).

The Minor (Under 1675) section, with 76 players, was won jointly by James Flint (Newcastle University), James Barwise (Peterborough) and Neil Druggan (Cumbria) on 4.5/5. Chris Clynes (Bishop Auckland) was among the players on 4, while Thomas Cameron (Gosforth) and Jonny Kearney (Tynedale) were in the group of players on 3.5.

In addition to the main competitions, a one-day junior tournament was held on Sunday, giving opportunities to new young players.

While the Durham Congress now attracts a wide spectrum of amateur players, it has yet to entice many titled or high-rated players. The highest-rated player in the Open this year was Northumberland Champion Tim Wall, but with an international rating of 2203, he is lowly ranked at only 227th in England.

The North East’s two highest-rated players, Alnwick Grandmaster Danny Gormally (at 2416, rated No. 42nd in England) and Newcastle International Master David Eggleston (at 2335, rated 106th in England) very rarely play in North East tournaments, preferring to play instead in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) or at tournaments abroad.

The North of England has virtually no strong titled players, with the only grandmasters living here apart from Gormally being Gawain Jones (Sheffield) and Nigel Davies (Cheshire). The UK’s strongest players generally live in London and the South East, reflecting economic trends. Rather than weekend congresses, they prefer playing other strong players at the 4NCL, which takes place over five weekends a year at various out-of-town hotels in the Midlands. As a result, few titled players tend to play in events in the North of England, as prizes barely cover the cost of accommodation and travel.

The lack of titled players at Darlington is also part of a general trend in the UK of top players staying away from traditional weekend congresses, as prize funds have dwindled in real terms compared to the British chess scene’s heyday of the 1970s and 80s. One North East event that is trying to buck the trend and help to generate more strong players for the region is the Northumbria Masters, which also takes place at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington, on 22-26 August – the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The Northumbria Masters, with a prize fund of £6,500, has three tournaments giving opportunities for players to score title norms. It includes GM and IM norm all-play-alls, a Masters Open that includes invited Grandmasters, and two more FIDE-rated events aimed at amateur and club players: the Challengers (for players rated under 2000 FIDE) and the Major (for players rated under 1700 FIDE).

Entries are being taken online for all tournaments on the congress website: https://northumbriamasters.com. Inquiries are welcome from players rated 2200+ wishing to take part in the GM and IM invitational events, and can be sent to: info@northumbriamasters.com.