Durham Junior Chess Tournaments

The Durham City Junior Club is now held weekly on Wednesdays from 5.45pm to around 6.45pm.

Durham City Chess Club and Durham County Chess Association hold occasional junior events on some weekends. Recently these have been afternoon events at Coxhoe Village Hall. The first Durham City event was at Coxhoe Village Hall 2pm-5pm on Saturday 7th July 2012. There was a mixture of games, problem solving, and some instruction. See below for details.

Recent Durham County Junior Championships have been held in Coxhoe Village Hall, although the 2022 tournament took place at Lynn Jordison House, Belmont and the 2024 tournament will be held in Belmont Community Centre. See below for details including results from 2011 onwards.

See below for full details of previous tournaments and upcoming events.

Due to the Covid-19 situation, it was unfortunately not possible to hold the Durham County Junior Championships in 2020 and 2021.


Durham County Junior Championships 2023/24

The Durham County Junior Championships will take place at Belmont Community Centre on Saturday 27th April 2024 1300-1700. Please arrive in time for registration at 1300 and to start the first round shortly afterwards, but note that you must enter by email no later than Wednesday 24th April.

Light refreshments will be available including tea, coffee and snacks.

See the map below for the location of Belmont Community Centre, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2LL. Some parking is available in an adjoining car park.

The tournament is open to all junior chess players. However, eligibility for the Championship Titles and related prizes is restricted to juniors attending school or living in the former Durham County (which apart from Durham includes Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside). All junior chess players are welcome – no previous tournament experience is required.

There is a trophy (to be returned next year), medal (to keep) and County Champion title for the following age groups, as of 31st August 2022:

  • Under 18
  • Under 15
  • Under 13
  • Under 11
  • Under 9

There is also a trophy and medal for the best performance by a girl under 15. Depending on numbers, additional medals may be awarded.


How to Enter

We welcome entries from all junior chess players. No previous tournament experience is required, and there is also no requirement to be a member of a chess club. If you do not play in a chess club, but are interested in regular games and improving your chess, see above if you live near Durham City, or follow the links to Darlington Chess Club, the Durham County Chess Association or the Northumbria Junior Chess Association for further information about clubs in your local area.

The entry fee for all age groups is £8 per player. Pay on the day but register by Wednesday 24th April. Click on this link to download the poster advertising the event. To enter, or if you have any queries, please email the Durham County Chess Association Junior Coordinating Team junior.tournaments@durhamcitychess.co.uk

While it would not likely be beneficial for absolute beginners to enter, the tournament should be an enjoyable experience for enthusiastic chess players of all standards, including those with no previous tournament experience. The tournament controllers will explain clearly to all competitors the rules specific to tournaments chess, including the use of chess clocks.


Tournament Conditions

The tournament organisers will monitor all competitors during games, but parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring adequate supervision at all other times, including breaks between games.

Please keep all noise to a minimum in the playing hall while any games are in progress. Under no circumstances should anyone other than the Tournament Controllers interfere in any way with a game in progress.


Tournament Rules

If there are insufficient numbers in any age groups, some groups may be combined into one tournament. However, the prizes for each age group will still be awarded provided there is at least one eligible player. Note that even in such circumstances, players can only win at most one prize.

The tournaments are not run in knockout format, so all players will participate throughout the afternoon, with an approximate finishing time of 5pm, including prizegiving.

For those new to tournament chess, and as a reminder to others, the Tournament Controllers will explain the relevant rules at the start of round 1. Other than the basic moves, the main points to note for tournament chess are:

  • Touch Move: Think before you reach out to pick up a piece. Once you have intentionally touched a piece, you must move it (if it is possible to move it). If you need to adjust a piece because it is not properly in its square, that is OK, but you must indicate to your opponent that you are doing that before you touch it.
  • No Take-Back moves: Once you have let go of your piece, you cannot change your move (unless you have not played a legal move, in which case you can correct it, but the Touch Move rule still applies).
  • Illegal moves: If your opponent plays an illegal move (moves a piece in a way that is not allowed, or leaves or puts their King in check) you should ask them to take it back. If you play your move, then the game will continue even if your opponent gained an advantage by playing the illegal move. Note that you cannot win by taking your opponent's King.
  • Chess Clocks: Once you have played your move, you must press your button on the clock using the same hand you used to make your move. That will then stop your clock and start your opponents clock. If one player runs out of time, and their opponent indicates this, then they lose the game unless their opponent could not possibly win (e.g. has only a King left) in which case the game is drawn. If both players run out of time then the game is drawn - it does not matter who ran out of time first.
  • Winning a Game: You win by checkmating your opponent (unless you just played an illegal move). You also win if your opponent runs out of time, and you indicate that by stopping the clocks before you have run out of time, provided it would still be possible for you to checkmate your opponent (e.g. King and 1 pawn is fine).
  • Drawing a Game: The game is drawn if both players agree to a draw. (You can offer a draw while it is your turn to move, and your opponent can choose to accept at any time until they have played their next move.) The game is drawn if neither player could possibly win (e.g. just Kings left on the board). The game is draw if it is stalemate - this happens when the player to move cannot play any legal moves, but is not in check (so not checkmated).


Durham County Junior Championships 2023

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 18th March 2023 1300-1700. The tournament was organised by the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Ken Neat, Douglas Smith and Kevin Wilson. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes to learn from. We had a wide range of players from County Durham and beyond. Some players took part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to the next event. Others were experienced tournament players.

County Junior Champions

The event was played in two groups: Primary and Secondary School ages. Both sections were run as 5-round Swiss tournaments although in the final two rounds the pairings were separated for the different age groups. The time control was 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move for all games. Only players (living or attending school) within former Durham County were eligible for the Championship Trophies but it was great to welcome players in the Primary section from outside the County (denoted with an asterisk in the tables and list of prizewinners). Luke Owen won the U-18 Championship. Xander Gray, Tom Hawkins, Riley Lambert-Cousins and Georgii Polonskyi were joint winners of the U-15 Championship. Fedir Dyshliuk won the U-13 Championship and was also top of the Secondary section. Elliot McDonald and Lleyton Rennie jointly won the U-11 Championship and Daniel Sewart won the U-9 Championship, and all three together with Yannick Haniffa and Aditya Jadhav (who were not eligible for Championship titles) were joint winners of the Primary section. The Girls Championship was won by Jessica Sewart. Book prizes and medals were awarded to the prizewinners. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • Secondary Tournament: Fedir Dyshliuk
  • U-18: Luke Owen
  • U-15: Xander Gray, Tom Hawkins, Riley Lambert-Cousins & Georgii Polonskyi
  • U-13: Fedir Dyshliuk (Champion); Bailin Li \amp; Jamie Wang (Silver)
  • Primary Tournament: Yannick Haniffa, Aditya Jadhav, Elliot McDonald, Lleyton Rennie & Daniel Sewart
  • U-11: Elliot McDonald & Lleyton Rennie
  • U-9: Daniel Sewart (Champion); Luke McDonald (Silver)
  • Girls: Jessica Sewart

Final Results -- Secondary Tournament


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)55005.0
2Bailin Li (U13)54014.0
3Luke Owen (U18)54014.0
4Jamie Wang (U13)54014.0
5Georgii Polonskyi (U15)53023.0
6Tom Hawkins (U15)53023.0
7Samuel Brain (U18)53023.0
8Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)53023.0
9Xander Gray (U15)53023.0
10Lewis Smith (U18)52032.0
11Naman Berry (U15)52032.0
12Johan Haniffa * (U15)52032.0
13Alex He (U13)52032.0
14Dylan Hoynes (U15)52032.0
15William Gray (U13)51041.0
16Josh Hall (U18)51041.0
17Leon Tumarkin (U13)50140.5
18Adien Cox (U13)50140.5

Final Results -- Primary Tournament


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Aditya Jadhav * (U11)54014.0
2Daniel Sewart (U9)54014.0
3Elliot McDonald (U11)54014.0
4Yannick Haniffa * (U11)54014.0
5Lleyton Rennie (U11)54014.0
6Leo Cunningham (U11)53023.0
7John Smith (U11)53023.0
8Sandy Scholar (U11)53023.0
9Charles Turner (U11)53023.0
10Luke McDonald (U9)52122.5
11Logan Forster (U11)52122.5
12Henry Styles (U9)52032.0
13Taylor Alden (U11)52032.0
14Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)52032.0
15Marco Calocco (U9)52032.0
16Eldwin Archer (U9)51131.5
17Aidan O'Brien (U9)51041.0
18George Thompson * (U11)50231.0
19Alex Plevrakis (U11)50231.0
20Jessica Sewart (U9)50140.5

* denotes players not eligible for County Championships.

Games in progress

Games in Round 1


Primary


1Eldwin Archer (U9)-Yannick Haniffa * (U11)0-1
2Aditya Jadhav * (U11)-Marco Calocco (U9)1-0
3Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)-Elliot McDonald (U11)0-1
4Alex Plevrakis (U11)-Luke McDonald (U9)0-1
5Aidan O'Brien (U9)-Lleyton Rennie (U11)0-1
6Sandy Scholar (U11)-Daniel Sewart (U9)0-1
7Henry Styles (U9)-John Smith (U11)0-1
8George Thompson * (U11)-Taylor Alden (U11)0-1
9Leo Cunningham (U11)-Charles Turner (U11)1-0
10Jessica Sewart (U9)-Logan Forster (U11)0-1


Secondary


1Johan Haniffa * (U15)-Adien Cox (U13)1-0
2Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)-Tom Hawkins (U15)1-0
3Dylan Hoynes (U15)-William Gray (U13)0-1
4Alex He (U13)-Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)0-1
5Georgii Polonskyi (U15)-Bailin Li (U13)0-1
6Leon Tumarkin (U13)-Samuel Brain (U18)0-1
7Josh Hall (U18)-Jamie Wang (U13)0-1
8Naman Berry (U15)-Luke Owen (U18)0-1
9Lewis Smith (U18)-Xander Gray (U15)1-0

Games in progress 

Games in Round 2




Primary


1Luke McDonald (U9)-Yannick Haniffa * (U11)0-1
2Daniel Sewart (U9)-Aditya Jadhav * (U11)0-1
3Taylor Alden (U11)-Elliot McDonald (U11)0-1
4Lleyton Rennie (U11)-Leo Cunningham (U11)0-1
5Logan Forster (U11)-John Smith (U11)0-1
6Alex Plevrakis (U11)-Eldwin Archer (U9)0-1
7Marco Calocco (U9)-Sandy Scholar (U11)0-1
8George Thompson * (U11)-Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)0-1
9Charles Turner (U11)-Aidan O'Brien (U9)0-1
10Jessica Sewart (U9)-Henry Styles (U9)0-1


Secondary


1Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)-Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)0-1
2William Gray (U13)-Johan Haniffa * (U15)0-1
3Bailin Li (U13)-Samuel Brain (U18)1-0
4Jamie Wang (U13)-Lewis Smith (U18)1-0
5Luke Owen (U18)-Alex He (U13)1-0
6Adien Cox (U13)-Dylan Hoynes (U15)0-1
7Tom Hawkins (U15)-Leon Tumarkin (U13)1-0
8Georgii Polonskyi (U15)-Naman Berry (U15)1-0
9Xander Gray (U15)-Josh Hall (U18)1-0

Games in progress 

Games in Round 3


Primary


1Elliot McDonald (U11)-Leo Cunningham (U11)1-0
2Yannick Haniffa * (U11)-Aditya Jadhav * (U11)0-1
3John Smith (U11)-Luke McDonald (U9)1-0
4Eldwin Archer (U9)-Taylor Alden (U11)0-1
5Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)-Lleyton Rennie (U11)0-1
6Aidan O'Brien (U9)-Logan Forster (U11)0-1
7Henry Styles (U9)-Daniel Sewart (U9)0-1
8Sandy Scholar (U11)-Alex Plevrakis (U11)1-0
9Marco Calocco (U9)-Jessica Sewart (U9)1-0
10Charles Turner (U11)-George Thompson * (U11)1-0



Secondary


1Naman Berry (U15)-Adien Cox (U13)1-0
2Samuel Brain (U18)-Xander Gray (U15)1-0
3Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)-Luke Owen (U18)1-0
4William Gray (U13)-Jamie Wang (U13)0-1
5Johan Haniffa * (U15)-Bailin Li (U13)0-1
6Alex He (U13)-Josh Hall (U18)1-0
7Dylan Hoynes (U15)-Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)1-0
8Lewis Smith (U18)-Tom Hawkins (U15)0-1
9Leon Tumarkin (U13)-Georgii Polonskyi (U15)0-1

Games in progress 

Games in Round 4


1Aditya Jadhav * (U11)-John Smith (U11)1-0
2Daniel Sewart (U9)-Elliot McDonald (U11)1-0
3Taylor Alden (U11)-Yannick Haniffa * (U11)0-1
4Leo Cunningham (U11)-Sandy Scholar (U11)0-1
5Logan Forster (U11)-Lleyton Rennie (U11)0-1
6Luke McDonald (U9)-Eldwin Archer (U9)1-0
7Aidan O'Brien (U9)-Marco Calocco (U9)0-1
8Henry Styles (U9)-Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)1-0
9Jessica Sewart (U9)-Charles Turner (U11)0-1
10George Thompson * (U11)-Alex Plevrakis (U11)½-½



Secondary


1Jamie Wang (U13)-Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)0-1
2Bailin Li (U13)-Dylan Hoynes (U15)1-0
3Luke Owen (U18)-Johan Haniffa * (U15)1-0
4Tom Hawkins (U15)-Georgii Polonskyi (U15)0-1
5Samuel Brain (U18)-Naman Berry (U15)0-1
6Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)-William Gray (U13)1-0
7Xander Gray (U15)-Alex He (U13)1-0
8Adien Cox (U13)-Lewis Smith (U18)0-1
9Josh Hall (U18)-Leon Tumarkin (U13)1-0

Games in progress

Games in Round 5




Primary


1Elliot McDonald (U11)-Aditya Jadhav * (U11)1-0
2John Smith (U11)-Daniel Sewart (U9)0-1
3Yannick Haniffa * (U11)-Sandy Scholar (U11)1-0
4Lleyton Rennie (U11)-Henry Styles (U9)1-0
5Marco Calocco (U9)-Leo Cunningham (U11)0-1
6Logan Forster (U11)-Luke McDonald (U9)½-½
7Charles Turner (U11)-Taylor Alden (U11)1-0
8Trenton Bolton-Neale (U9)-Aidan O'Brien (U9)1-0
9Eldwin Archer (U9)-George Thompson * (U11)½-½
10Alex Plevrakis (U11)-Jessica Sewart (U9)½-½



Secondary


1Fedir Dyshliuk (U13)-Bailin Li (U13)1-0
2Georgii Polonskyi (U15)-Jamie Wang (U13)0-1
3Lewis Smith (U18)-Luke Owen (U18)0-1
4Naman Berry (U15)-Tom Hawkins (U15)0-1
5Dylan Hoynes (U15)-Xander Gray (U15)0-1
6Johan Haniffa * (U15)-Samuel Brain (U18)0-1
7Josh Hall (U18)-Riley Lambert-Cousins (U15)0-1
8Alex He (U13)-William Gray (U13)1-0
9Leon Tumarkin (U13)-Adien Cox (U13)½-½



Durham County Junior Championships 2022

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Lynn Jordison House, Belmont, Durham on Sunday 3rd April 2022 1300-1700. The tournament was organised by the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Robin Nandi, Ken Neat and Douglas Smith. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes to learn from. We had a wide range of players from County Durham and beyond. Some players took part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to the next event. Others were experienced tournament players.

County Junior Champions

The event was played in two groups: Primary and Secondary School ages. Both sections were run as 6-round Swiss tournaments although in the Primary section the final two rounds were separated for the U-9 and U-11 groups. The time control was 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move for all games. Only players (living or attending school) within former Durham County were eligible for the Championship Trophies but it was great to welcome players in the Primary section from outside the County (denoted with an asterisk in the tables and list of prizewinners). Luke Owen won the U-18 Championship and was also top of the Secondary section. Daniel Rajiv won the U-15 Championship while Alex Anderson and Naman Berry were joint winners of the U-13 Championship. The U-11 tournament was won by Pranav Chadda but he was not eligible for the Championship Title. The U-11 Champion is Joel Rajiv and Daniel Sewart is the U-9 Champion. Unfortunately there were no contestants for the Girls Championship. Book prizes and medals were awarded for the prizewinners, including to runners up in the U-9 and U-11 County Championships. There were insufficient entries for runners up prizes in other categories. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • U-18: Luke Owen
  • U-15: Daniel Rajiv
  • U-13: Alex Anderson & Naman Berry
  • Primary Tournament: Pranav Chadda
  • U-11: Joel Rajiv
  • U-9: Daniel Sewart

Final Results -- Secondary Tournament


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Luke Owen (U18)55006.0
2Daniel Rajiv (U15)54015.0
3Adam Anderson (U13)52033.0
4Lewis Smith (U15)63033.0
5Naman Berry (U13)52033.0
6Alex Anderson (U15)52033.0
7Charlie White (U13)50051.0

Final Results -- Primary Tournament


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Daniel Sewart (U9)65015.0
2Pranav Chadda (U11) *65015.0
3Joel Rajiv (U11)64114.5
4Leon Tumarkin (U11)64024.0
5Aditya Jadhav (U11) *64024.0
6John Smith (U9)64024.0
7Leo Cunningham (U11)53024.0
8Krish Aggarwal (U9) *63123.5
9Justin Tu (U11)52123.5
10Thomas Xu (U11)52033.0
11Yannick Haniffa (U9) *63033.0
12Logan Forster (U9)63033.0
13Terrence Song (U9) *62132.5
14Ethan Robson (U11)51042.0
15Yogam Vinayak (U9) *50141.5
16Mason Brown (U11)50051.0
17Jake Callaars (U9)60150.5

* denotes players not eligible for County Championships.

Games in progress

Games in Round 1


Primary


1Krish Aggarwal *-Mason Brown1-0
2Pranav Chadda *-Jake Callaars1-0
3Logan Forster-Leo Cunningham0-1
4Aditya Jadhav *-Yannick Haniffa *1-0
5Daniel Sewart-Joel Rajiv0-1
6Ethan Robson-John Smith0-1
7Terrence Song *-Justin Tu½-½
8Leon Tumarkin-Yogam Vinayak *1-0

Absences

Thomas Xu-Pairing alloc bye


Secondary


1Adam Anderson-Alex Anderson1-0
2Naman Berry-Daniel Rajiv0-1
3Lewis Smith-Charlie White1-0

Absences

Luke Owen-Pairing alloc bye

Games in progress 

Games in Round 2




Primary


1Joel Rajiv-Krish Aggarwal *½-½
2John Smith-Aditya Jadhav *1-0
3Thomas Xu-Pranav Chadda *1-0
4Leo Cunningham-Leon Tumarkin0-1
5Jake Callaars-Terrence Song *0-1
6Justin Tu-Logan Forster1-0
7Yannick Haniffa *-Ethan Robson1-0
8Yogam Vinayak *-Daniel Sewart0-1

Absences

Mason Brown-Pairing alloc bye


Secondary


1Luke Owen-Adam Anderson1-0
2Daniel Rajiv-Lewis Smith1-0
3Alex Anderson-Naman Berry1-0

Absences

Charlie White-Pairing alloc bye

Games in progress 

Games in Round 3


Primary


1Leon Tumarkin-Thomas Xu1-0
2Terrence Song *-John Smith0-1
3Krish Aggarwal *-Justin Tu1-0
4Mason Brown-Joel Rajiv0-1
5Pranav Chadda *-Yannick Haniffa *1-0
6Daniel Sewart-Leo Cunningham1-0
7Aditya Jadhav *-Yogam Vinayak *1-0
8Logan Forster-Jake Callaars1-0

Absences

Ethan Robson-Pairing alloc bye



Secondary


1Daniel Rajiv-Luke Owen0-1
2Lewis Smith-Alex Anderson1-0
3Charlie White-Adam Anderson0-1

Absences

Naman Berry-Pairing alloc bye

Games in progress 

Games in Round 4




Primary


1John Smith-Leon Tumarkin0-1
2Daniel Sewart-Krish Aggarwal *1-0
3Joel Rajiv-Pranav Chadda *0-1
4Thomas Xu-Aditya Jadhav *0-1
5Yannick Haniffa *-Terrence Song *1-0
6Justin Tu-Mason Brown1-0
7Ethan Robson-Logan Forster0-1
8Leo Cunningham-Jake Callaars1-0

Absences

Yogam Vinayak *-Pairing alloc bye



Secondary


1Luke Owen-Lewis Smith1-0
2Adam Anderson-Daniel Rajiv0-1
3Naman Berry-Charlie White1-0

Absences

Alex Anderson-Pairing alloc bye

Games in progress

Games in Round 5




Primary


1John Smith-Daniel Sewart0-1
2Krish Aggarwal *-Yannick Haniffa *1-0
3Logan Forster-Terrence Song *1-0
4Jake Callaars-Yogam Vinayak *½-½
5Leon Tumarkin-Aditya Jadhav *0-1
6Pranav Chadda *-Justin Tu1-0
7Joel Rajiv-Thomas Xu1-0
8Mason Brown-Ethan Robson0-1

Absences

Leo Cunningham-Pairing alloc bye



Secondary


1Alex Anderson-Luke Owen0-1
2Charlie White-Daniel Rajiv0-1
3Lewis Smith-Naman Berry0-1

Absences

Adam Anderson-Pairing alloc bye


Games in Round 6


Primary


1Daniel Sewart-Logan Forster1-0
2Terrence Song *-Krish Aggarwal *1-0
3Yogam Vinayak *-John Smith0-1
4Yannick Haniffa *-Jake Callaars1-0
5Aditya Jadhav *-Pranav Chadda *0-1
6Leon Tumarkin-Joel Rajiv0-1
7Ethan Robson-Leo Cunningham0-1
8Thomas Xu-Mason Brown1-0

Absences

Justin Tu-Pairing alloc bye



Secondary


1Luke Owen-Naman Berry1-0
2Adam Anderson-Lewis Smith0-1
3Charlie White-Alex Anderson0-1

Absences

Daniel Rajiv-Pairing alloc bye



Coxhoe Junior Tournament November 2019

A junior tournament took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 23rd November 2019 1300-1700. The tournament was run by members of the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Robin Nandi and Douglas Smith. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

There were several experienced tournament players as well as some playing their first or second tournament. There were many close games and lots of exciting chess, along with a few mistakes but hopefully a good learning experience for all.

Group Photo

The event was played as a 6-round Swiss, with a time control of 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move. All players played in the same tournament with book prizes awarded according to the leading Secondary School player and overall tournament winner, Luke Owen, and to the leading Primary School player, Gabriel Bowers. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • Secondary: Luke Owen: 6/6
  • Primary: Gabriel Bowers: 4/6

Final Ranking


PosNameWDLScore
1Luke Owen6006.0
2Edwin Smith5015.0
3Gabriel Bowers4024.0
4Paul Davison2123.5
5Bernard Socha2033.0
6=Lewis Smith2132.5
6=Simon Conway2132.5
6=Leon Tumarkin2132.5
9Athina Williams0051.0
10Olivia Williams0030.0

Secondary Winner

Games in Round 6


1Luke Owen-Lewis Smith1-0
2Edwin Smith-Simon Conway1-0
3Leon Tumarkin-Gabriel Bowers0-1
4Bernard Socha-Athina Williams1-0

Absences

Paul Davison-Pairing alloc bye


Games in Round 5


1Leon Tumarkin-Luke Owen0-1
2Gabriel Bowers-Edwin Smith0-1
3Paul Davison-Simon Conway1-0
4Athina Williams-Lewis Smith0-1

Absences

Bernard Socha-Pairing alloc bye

Ongoing Games 

Games in Round 4


1Edwin Smith-Luke Owen0-1
2Simon Conway-Leon Tumarkin½-½
3Gabriel Bowers-Bernard Socha1-0
4Lewis Smith-Paul Davison½-½

Absences

Athina Williams-Pairing alloc bye

Primary Winner

Games in Round 3


1Luke Owen-Simon Conway1-0
2Paul Davison-Edwin Smith0-1
3Lewis Smith-Gabriel Bowers0-1
4Athina Williams-Leon Tumarkin0-1
5Bernard Socha-Olivia Williams1-0

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 2


1Edwin Smith-Lewis Smith1-0
2Paul Davison-Luke Owen0-1
3Simon Conway-Bernard Socha1-0
4Gabriel Bowers-Athina Williams1-0
5Leon Tumarkin-Olivia Williams1-0

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 1


1Bernard Socha-Edwin Smith0-1
2Luke Owen-Gabriel Bowers1-0
3Olivia Williams-Paul Davison0-1
4Lewis Smith-Leon Tumarkin1-0
5Athina Williams-Simon Conway0-1



Durham County Junior Championships 2019

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 23rd March 2019 1300-1700. The tournament was organised by the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Robin Nandi, Ken Neat and Douglas Smith. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes to learn from. We had a wide range of players from County Durham and beyond. Some players taking part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to the next event. Others were experienced tournament players.

Group Photo

The event was played in two groups: Primary and Secondary School ages. The Primary tournament was a 5-round Swiss while the Secondary tournament was an all-play-all. Both tournaments had a time control of 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move, except for a slightly shorter time limit for the last rounds on the Secondary tournament as a scheduling error meant that we had to split the last two rounds in to three mini rounds. Only players (living or attending school) within former Country Durham were eligible for the Championship Trophies but it was great to welcome players from outside the County. The Secondary tournament was won by Luke Owen who was also the U-15 Champion while Lewis Smith was the U-13 Champion. There were no competitors for the U-18 Championship. The Primary tournament was won by Henry Rewcastle but he was not eligible for the Championship Title. The U-11 Champion is Naman Berry and Joel Rajiv is the U-9 Champion. The Girls Championship was shared by Chloe Smith and Olivia Williams. Book prizes were awarded for the the winners of the Secondary and Primary tournaments, and to the U-9 Champion, and all prizewinners received a medal. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • Secondary Tournament and U-15: Luke Owen
  • U-13: Lewis Smith
  • Primary Tournament: Henry Rewcastle
  • U-11: Naman Berry
  • U-9: Joel Rajiv
  • Girls: Chloe Smith & Olivia Williams

Final Results -- Secondary Tournament


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Luke Owen54104.5
2Morgan French54014.0
3Edwin Smith53023.0
4Jared Watson51222.0
5Lewis Smith51041.0
6Paul Davison50140.5

Final Results -- Primary Tournament


PosNameWDLScore
1Henry Rewcastle5005.0
2Naman Berry4014.0
3Harley James3113.5
4Sabeeh Qureshi3023.0
5Simon Conway3023.0
6Joel Rajiv3023.0
7Thomas Bourn2122.5
8Jayden Turnbull2122.5
9Arian Cheikh Daoud2032.0
10Chloe Smith1222.0
11Charlie White2032.0
12Olivia Williams1222.0
13Ryley Wheaton1222.0
14Evan Smith1222.0
15George Edwards0231.0
16Emma Briggs0140.5

Games in progress

Games in Round 1


Primary


1Thomas Bourn-Henry Rewcastle0-1
2Chloe Smith-Emma Briggs1-0
3Arian Cheikh Daoud-Evan Smith1-0
4Jayden Turnbull-Simon Conway0-1
5George Edwards-Ryley Wheaton½-½
6Charlie White-Harley James0-1
7Sabeeh Qureshi-Olivia Williams1-0
8Naman Berry-Joel Rajiv1-0

Absences

Johnny Li-Draw bye


Secondary


1Morgan French-Lewis Smith1-0
2Edwin Smith-Luke Owen0-1
3Paul Davison-Jared Watson½-½

Games in progress 

Games in Round 2




Primary


1Henry Rewcastle-Arian Cheikh Daoud1-0
2Simon Conway-Sabeeh Qureshi0-1
3Harley James-Chloe Smith½-½
4Ryley Wheaton-Naman Berry0-1
5Emma Briggs-George Edwards½-½
6Olivia Williams-Thomas Bourn½-½
7Joel Rajiv-Jayden Turnbull1-0
8Evan Smith-Charlie White0-1


Secondary


1Jared Watson-Lewis Smith1-0
2Edwin Smith-Paul Davison1-0
3Morgan French-Luke Owen0-1

Games in progress 

Games in Round 3


Primary


1Naman Berry-Henry Rewcastle0-1
2Sabeeh Qureshi-Harley James1-0
3Chloe Smith-Arian Cheikh Daoud0-1
4Charlie White-Simon Conway0-1
5George Edwards-Joel Rajiv0-1
6Thomas Bourn-Ryley Wheaton1-0
7Olivia Williams-Emma Briggs1-0
8Jayden Turnbull-Evan Smith½-½



Secondary


1Luke Owen-Jared Watson½-½
2Paul Davison-Morgan French0-1
3Lewis Smith-Edwin Smith0-1

Games in progress 

Games in Round 4




Primary


1Henry Rewcastle-Sabeeh Qureshi1-0
2Arian Cheikh Daoud-Joel Rajiv0-1
3Simon Conway-Naman Berry0-1
4Chloe Smith-Thomas Bourn0-1
5Harley James-Olivia Williams1-0
6Charlie White-George Edwards1-0
7Emma Briggs-Jayden Turnbull0-1
8Evan Smith-Ryley Wheaton½-½



Secondary


1Jared Watson-Edwin Smith0-1
2Luke Owen-Paul Davison1-0

Games in progress

Games in Round 5




Primary


1Joel Rajiv-Henry Rewcastle0-1
2Sabeeh Qureshi-Naman Berry0-1
3Thomas Bourn-Harley James0-1
4Arian Cheikh Daoud-Simon Conway0-1
5Jayden Turnbull-Charlie White1-0
6Olivia Williams-Chloe Smith½-½
7George Edwards-Evan Smith0-1
8Ryley Wheaton-Emma Briggs1-0



Secondary


1Morgan French-Jared Watson1-0
2Paul Davison-Lewis Smith0-1


Games in Round 6




Secondary


1Edwin Smith-Morgan French0-1
2Lewis Smith-Luke Owen0-1



Coxhoe Junior Tournament December 2018

A junior tournament took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Sunday 2nd December 2018 1300-1700. The tournament was run by members of the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Robin Nandi, Ken Neat and Douglas Smith.

We had planned a team tournament but unfortunately there was not sufficient interest so we ran an individual tournament instead. As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes. In the end Zhenya Tumarkin was the clear winner with 5 out of 5, but some games could have turned out differently!

Group Photo

The event was played as a 5-round Swiss, with a time control of 12 minutes plus 10 seconds per move. All players played in the same tournament with book prizes awarded according to the overall tournament winner, Zhenya Tumarkin, and the leading Primary School player, Simon Conway. Both these players also received Gold medals. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • 1st: Zhenya Tumarkin: 5/5
  • Primary: Simon Conway: 2½/5

Final Ranking


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Zhenya Tumarkin55005.0
2Luke Owen53113.5
3Paul Davison42023.0
4Nicholas Hayes53023.0
5Lewis Smith52122.5
6Simon Conway  (P)52122.5
7Jonny Li  (P)52032.0
8Reuben Carr  (P)52032.0
9Amulya Vanka  (P)41031.5
10Ryan Bentham50140.5

** P denotes Primary School age group.
Ongoing Games

Games in Round 5


1Paul Davison-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
2Lewis Smith-Luke Owen½-½
3Reuben Carr-Simon Conway1-0
4Nicholas Hayes-Ryan Bentham1-0
5Amulya Vanka-Jonny Li0-1

Ongoing Games 

Games in Round 4


1Luke Owen-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
2Lewis Smith-Paul Davison0-1
3Simon Conway-Amulya Vanka1-0
4Nicholas Hayes-Reuben Carr1-0
5Ryan Bentham-Jonny Li0-1

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 3


1Luke Owen-Paul Davison1-0
2Zhenya Tumarkin-Nicholas Hayes1-0
3Reuben Carr-Lewis Smith0-1
4Ryan Bentham-Amulya Vanka0-1
5Jonny Li-Simon Conway0-1

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 2


1Lewis Smith-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
2Paul Davison-Reuben Carr1-0
3Amulya Vanka-Luke Owen0-1
4Simon Conway-Ryan Bentham½-½
5Jonny Li-Nicholas Hayes0-1

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 1


1Nicholas Hayes-Lewis Smith0-1
2Reuben Carr-Ryan Bentham1-0
3Luke Owen-Simon Conway1-0
4Zhenya Tumarkin-Jonny Li1-0

Absences

Amulya Vanka-Half point bye
Paul Davison-Bye



Coxhoe Junior Tournament November 2018

A junior tournament took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Sunday 4th November 2018 1300-1700. The tournament was run by members of the Durham County Junior Coordinating Team: Robin Nandi, Ken Neat and Douglas Smith. Thomas Eggleston and Malola Prasath also helped on the day. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes. We had a wide range of players from County Durham and beyond. Some players taking part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to the next event. Others were experienced tournament players.

Group Photo

The event was played as a 5-round Swiss, with a time control of 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move. All players played in the same tournament with book prizes awarded according to the overall tournament winner, Luke Owen, and the leading Primary School player, Arun Mohindra. Both these players received Gold medals, while Paul Davison was awarded and Silver medal, and Lewis Smith a Bronze medal. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • 1st: Luke Owen: 5/5
  • 2nd: Paul Davison: 4/5
  • 3rd: Lewis Smith: 3½/5
  • Primary: Arun Mohindra: 2½/5

Final Ranking


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Luke Owen55005.0
2Paul Davison54014.0
3Lewis Smith53113.5
4Edwin Smith53023.0
5Jared Watson53023.0
6Zhenya Tumarkin53023.0
7Arun Mohindra  (P)52122.5
8Simon Conway  (P)52032.0
9Fraser Ranns  (P)52032.0
10Oliver Wintrip  (P)52032.0
11Bobby Dunkerley  (P)52032.0
12Alex Lowes  (P)52032.0
13Urwa Qaiser  (P)51041.0
14Shayaan Qaiser  (P)50050.0

** P denotes Primary School age group.
Ongoing Games

Games in Round 5


1Luke Owen-Edwin Smith1-0
2Paul Davison-Jared Watson1-0
3Lewis Smith-Simon Conway 1-0
4Arun Mohindra -Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
5Fraser Ranns -Bobby Dunkerley 1-0
6Oliver Wintrip -Urwa Qaiser 1-0

Absences

Alex Lowes -Bye

Ongoing Games 

Games in Round 4


1Paul Davison-Luke Owen0-1
2Zhenya Tumarkin-Edwin Smith0-1
3Arun Mohindra -Lewis Smith½-½
4Jared Watson-Fraser Ranns 1-0
5Alex Lowes -Simon Conway 0-1
6Bobby Dunkerley -Oliver Wintrip 1-0

Absences

Urwa Qaiser -Bye

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 3


1Lewis Smith-Paul Davison0-1
2Luke Owen-Arun Mohindra1-0
3Oliver Wintrip-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
4Edwin Smith-Fraser Ranns1-0
5Simon Conway-Jared Watson0-1
6Urwa Qaiser-Alex Lowes0-1
7Shayaan Qaiser-Bobby Dunkerley0-1

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 2


1Zhenya Tumarkin-Lewis Smith0-1
2Paul Davison-Edwin Smith1-0
3Jared Watson-Luke Owen0-1
4Alex Lowes-Arun Mohindra0-1
5Fraser Ranns-Shayaan Qaiser1-0
6Bobby Dunkerley-Simon Conway0-1
7Urwa Qaiser-Oliver Wintrip0-1

Ongoing Games

Games in Round 1


1Simon Conway-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
2Edwin Smith-Alex Lowes1-0
3Oliver Wintrip-Jared Watson0-1
4Lewis Smith-Bobby Dunkerley1-0
5Arun Mohindra-Fraser Ranns1-0
6Luke Owen-Urwa Qaiser1-0
7Shayaan Qaiser-Paul Davison0-1



Durham County Junior Championships 2018

The Durham County junior Championships took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 24th March 2018 1300-1700, preceded by a morning training session. The tournament was organised by the Durham County junior Coordinator, Malola Prasath with assistance from Robin Nandi, Ken Neat and Douglas Smith. The much appreciated refreshments stall was run by Sharon Smith.

As usual, there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes. We had a wide range of players from County Durham and beyond. Some players taking part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to the next event. Others were experienced tournament players.

Group Photo

The event was played as a 5-round Swiss, with a time control of 15 minutes plus 5 seconds per move. All players played in the same tournament with prizes awarded according to age groups, except it was decided to award the U-18 trophy, although there were no players in that age group, by moving the U-15 and U-13 Champions up to the higher age groups. Only players (living or attending school) within former Country Durham were eligible for the Championship Trophies but it was great to welcome players from outside the County. The overall tournament was jointly won by Daniel Shek and Morgan French after a tought struggle in the final round ended in a draw. All participants received a medal (gold for 3/5 or better, otherwise silver) and a chess booklet. The full results of the tournament are listed below.

Prizewinners

  • U-18: Jared Watson: 3/5
  • U-15: Gregor Hutchison: 4/5
  • U-13: Edwin Smith: 3/5
  • U-11: Daniel Rajiv: 4/5
  • U-9: Naman Berry: 3/5
  • Joint Tournament Winners: Daniel Shek & Morgan French: 4½/5 (Both outside County Durham)

The Durham County Chess Association President, Brian Bainbridge also attend the the tournment. Brian has been involved in chess for many years and has worked hard to promote chess in the region. He has played a key role in the DCCA and its activities such as the Durham County Leagues.

Paul Bielby and Brian Bainbridge

Paul Bielby came to present Brian Bainbridge with an English Chess Federation President's Award for Services to Chess.

ECF President's Award

Final Results


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1=Daniel Shek U9*54104.5
1=Morgan French U15*54104.5
3=Gregor Hutchison U1353204.0
3=Daniel Rajiv U1154014.0
5Roshan Gupta U11*53113.5
6=Edwin Smith U1353023.0
6=Varnu Boora U11*42023.0
6=Jared Watson U1553023.0
6=Lewis Smith U1153023.0
6=Naman Berry U953023.0
11Prachi Arora U9*52122.5
12=Arun Mohindra U952032.0
12=Kian Jaberzadeh U1152032.0
12=Michael Landon U9*52032.0
12=Fraser Ranns U1152032.0
12=Sabeeh Qureshi U952032.0
12=James Turner U941032.0
12=Harrison Scott U1152032.0
19=Daniel Fleming U940041.0
19=Raphael Bonner U940041.0
19=Joel Rajiv U940041.0

U9 denotes age group Under-9 (School Year 4 and below) and players marked with * were from outside County Durham.
Players ready to start

Games in Round 1


1Edwin Smith U13-Roshan Gupta U11*1-0
2Naman Berry U9-Lewis Smith U110-1
3Kian Jaberzadeh U11-Sabeeh Qureshi U91-0
4Gregor Hutchison U13-Fraser Ranns U111-0
5Daniel Fleming U9-Daniel Rajiv U110-1
6Joel Rajiv U9-James Turner U90-1
7Arun Mohindra U9-Daniel Shek U9*0-1
8Prachi Arora U9*-Michael Landon U9*1-0
9Harrison Scott U11-Morgan French U15*0-1
10Raphael Bonner U9-Jared Watson U150-1

Absences

Varnu Boora U11*-Bye

Analysing an ending 

Games in Round 2


1Lewis Smith U11-Varnu Boora U11*0-1
2Daniel Rajiv U11-Edwin Smith U130-1
3Daniel Shek U9*-Kian Jaberzadeh U111-0
4James Turner U9-Gregor Hutchison U130-1
5Jared Watson U15-Prachi Arora U9*1-0
6Morgan French U15*-Daniel Fleming U91-0
7Fraser Ranns U11-Naman Berry U90-1
8Roshan Gupta U11*-Arun Mohindra U91-0
9Michael Landon U9*-Joel Rajiv U91-0
10Sabeeh Qureshi U9-Harrison Scott U111-0

Absences

Raphael Bonner U9-Bye



Games in Round 3


1Edwin Smith U13-Daniel Shek U9*0-1
2Varnu Boora U11*-Morgan French U15*0-1
3Gregor Hutchison U13-Jared Watson U151-0
4Kian Jaberzadeh U11-Raphael Bonner U91-0
5Prachi Arora U9*-Roshan Gupta U11*½-½
6Daniel Rajiv U11-Lewis Smith U111-0
7Naman Berry U9-James Turner U91-0
8Sabeeh Qureshi U9-Michael Landon U9*0-1
9Arun Mohindra U9-Fraser Ranns U111-0
10Daniel Fleming U9-Harrison Scott U110-1

Absences

Joel Rajiv U9-Bye

The final game 

Games in Round 4


1Morgan French U15*-Gregor Hutchison U13½-½
2Daniel Shek U9*-Naman Berry U91-0
3Jared Watson U15-Edwin Smith U131-0
4Varnu Boora U11*-Kian Jaberzadeh U111-0
5Michael Landon U9*-Daniel Rajiv U110-1
6Lewis Smith U11-Prachi Arora U9*1-0
7Roshan Gupta U11*-Joel Rajiv U91-0
8James Turner U9-Sabeeh Qureshi U90-1
9Raphael Bonner U9-Arun Mohindra U90-1
10Harrison Scott U11-Fraser Ranns U110-1

Absences

Daniel Fleming U9-Bye

Group Photo

Games in Round 5


1Gregor Hutchison U13-Daniel Shek U9*½-½
2Jared Watson U15-Morgan French U15*0-1
3Daniel Rajiv U11-Varnu Boora U11*1-0
4Kian Jaberzadeh U11-Roshan Gupta U11*0-1
5Edwin Smith U13-Michael Landon U9*1-0
6Sabeeh Qureshi U9-Lewis Smith U110-1
7Arun Mohindra U9-Naman Berry U90-1
8Prachi Arora U9*-Daniel Fleming U91-0
9Fraser Ranns U11-Raphael Bonner U91-0
10Joel Rajiv U9-Harrison Scott U110-1

Absences

James Turner U9-Bye




Durham County Schools Championship 2017

The Durham County Schools Championships took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 28th January 2017 1300-1700. It was advertised as a Team Tournament but allowing also individual entries. Unfortunately Shincliffe CoE Primary was the only school to provide a team, so there was no team competition. Instead there was an individual tournament. As is usually the case in chess tournaments (junior or otherwise), there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes. Everyone seemed to enjoy their games and hopefully most will be encouraged to continue practising and playing. We also had some players taking part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to further opportunities.

Winner

The event was played as a 5-round Swiss, and the there was also a problem solving challenge to keep the players occupied between games. The full results of the chess tournament are listed below.

Runner-Up

Tournament Result

  • 1st: Sam Neil: 5/5
  • 2nd: Edwin Smith: 4/5
  • 3rd equal: Stuart Lewis and Zhenya Tumarkin
  • 3rd equal & 1st equal Primary: Prachi Arora, Tanvi Manchineni, Jude Robinson and Lewis Smith
Prizewinners

Final Results


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Sam Neil55005.0
2Edwin Smith54014.0
3=Tanvi Manchineni53023.0
3=Zhenya Tumarkin53023.0
3=Stuart Lewis53023.0
3=Prachi Arora53023.0
3=Lewis Smith53023.0
3=Jude Robinson53023.0
9=Rahul Gajawada52032.0
9=Joshua Denning52032.0
11Jarek Lockhart51131.5
12=Edward Li51041.0
12=Kian Jabeozadd50231.0
14Iris Murray50140.5

Group Photo

Games in Round 1


1Rahul Gajawada-Sam Neil0-1
2Edwin Smith-Jude Robinson1-0
3Edward Li-Zhenya Tumarkin0-1
4Tanvi Manchineni-Joshua Denning1-0
5Iris Murray-Prachi Arora0-1
6Lewis Smith-Jarek Lockhart1-0
7Kian Jabeozadd-Stuart Lewis0-1

Games in progress 

Games in Round 2


1Sam Neil-Tanvi Manchineni1-0
2Prachi Arora-Edwin Smith0-1
3Zhenya Tumarkin-Lewis Smith1-0
4Stuart Lewis-Rahul Gajawada1-0
5Jude Robinson-Iris Murray1-0
6Jarek Lockhart-Edward Li0-1
7Joshua Denning-Kian Jabeozadd1-0

Games in progress 

Games in Round 3


1Edwin Smith-Stuart Lewis1-0
2Sam Neil-Zhenya Tumarkin1-0
3Tanvi Manchineni-Jude Robinson1-0
4Edward Li-Prachi Arora0-1
5Lewis Smith-Joshua Denning1-0
6Rahul Gajawada-Jarek Lockhart1-0
7Kian Jabeozadd-Iris Murray½-½

Games in progress 

Games in Round 4


1Edwin Smith-Sam Neil0-1
2Zhenya Tumarkin-Tanvi Manchineni1-0
3Stuart Lewis-Lewis Smith1-0
4Prachi Arora-Rahul Gajawada1-0
5Jude Robinson-Edward Li1-0
6Iris Murray-Joshua Denning0-1
7Jarek Lockhart-Kian Jabeozadd½-½

Games in progress

Games in Round 5


1Sam Neil-Prachi Arora1-0
2Zhenya Tumarkin-Edwin Smith0-1
3Tanvi Manchineni-Stuart Lewis1-0
4Joshua Denning-Jude Robinson0-1
5Lewis Smith-Edward Li1-0
6Rahul Gajawada-Kian Jabeozadd1-0
7Iris Murray-Jarek Lockhart0-1










Durham County Junior Championships 2013

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 11th May 2013 1300-1700. There were a similar number of competitors to last year with ages ranging from 6 to 16. The U-9 section again had a good entry, 12 this year but the other sections were combined as there were only 5 players in total. As in previous years there was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes, but everyone seemed to enjoy their games and hopefully most will be encouraged to continue practising and playing. We also had some players taking part in their first tournament, and hopefully they have gained some experience and are looking forward to further opportunities.

Participants

The U-9 group played a 6-round Swiss, while the others played an all-play-all tournament. The full results are listed below.

Participants

Prizewinners

  • U-18: Szymon Palucha (Champion)
  • U-13: Yangyang Wang (Champion)
  • U-11: Aidan Garner (Champion)
  • U-9: Bobby Green (Champion), Harry Wilson (Silver Medal), Edwin Smith & Rohan Rawat (Bronze Medals)
Prizewinners

Durham County Junior Chess Chamionships 2013 -- U-11, U-13, U-15, U-18


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Szymon Palucha44005.0
2Aidan Garner43014.0
3Yangyang Wang42023.0
4David Mathias41032.0
5Luke Spinks40041.0

Games in progress - Over 9s
Games in Round 1

1Yangyang Wang-Luke Spinks1-0
2Aidan Garner-David Mathias1-0

Games in Round 2

1Luke Spinks-Aidan Garner0-1
2Szymon Palucha-Yangyang Wang1-0

Games in Round 3

1Aidan Garner-Szymon Palucha0-1
2David Mathias-Luke Spinks1-0

Games in Round 4

1Szymon Palucha-David Mathias1-0
2Yangyang Wang-Aidan Garner0-1

Games in Round 5

1David Mathias-Yangyang Wang0-1
2Luke Spinks-Szymon Palucha0-1

Games in progress - U9

Durham County Junior Chess Chamionships 2013 -- U-9


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Bobby Green66006.0
2Harry Wilson65015.0
3=Edwin Smith64024.0
3=Rohan Rawat64024.0
5=Tymek Palucha63033.0
5=Regan Law63033.0
5=James Cheng63033.0
8=Lewis Smith62132.5
8=Ted Imrie62132.5
10Matthew Robson62042.0
11Laki Palaniappa61051.0
12Tom Edwards60060.0

More Games in progress - U9 Games in Round 1

1Edwin Smith-Laki Palaniappa1-0
2Ted Imrie-Lewis Smith½-½
3Bobby Green-James Cheng1-0
4Rohan Rawat-Tymek Palucha1-0
5Regan Law-Harry Wilson0-1
6Tom Edwards-Matthew Robson0-1

Games in Round 2

1Lewis Smith-Edwin Smith0-1
2Harry Wilson-Bobby Green0-1
3Matthew Robson-Rohan Rawat0-1
4Laki Palaniappa-Ted Imrie0-1
5Tymek Palucha-Tom Edwards1-0
6James Cheng-Regan Law0-1
Still Games in progress - U9
Games in Round 3

1Rohan Rawat-Ted Imrie1-0
2Bobby Green-Edwin Smith1-0
3Matthew Robson-Harry Wilson0-1
4Regan Law-Tymek Palucha0-1
5Tom Edwards-Lewis Smith0-1
6James Cheng-Laki Palaniappa1-0

Games in Round 4

1Rohan Rawat-Bobby Green0-1
2Harry Wilson-Lewis Smith1-0
3Edwin Smith-Tymek Palucha1-0
4Ted Imrie-James Cheng0-1
5Regan Law-Matthew Robson1-0
6Laki Palaniappa-Tom Edwards1-0
Simultaneous Display
Games in Round 5

1Tymek Palucha-Bobby Green0-1
2Edwin Smith-Regan Law1-0
3Harry Wilson-Rohan Rawat1-0
4Lewis Smith-James Cheng1-0
5Tom Edwards-Ted Imrie0-1
6Matthew Robson-Laki Palaniappa1-0

Games in Round 6

1Bobby Green-Lewis Smith1-0
2Rohan Rawat-Edwin Smith1-0
3Ted Imrie-Harry Wilson0-1
4Laki Palaniappa-Tymek Palucha0-1
5Regan Law-Tom Edwards1-0
6James Cheng-Matthew Robson1-0

Simultaneous Display by Malola Prasath

As the U9 group played one more round, during this last round Malola Prasath played a simultaneous match against the over 9s.





Durham City Junior Chess@Coxhoe

The Durham City Junior Chess@Coxhoe event took place at Coxhoe Village Hall on Saturday 7th July 2012 1400-1700. We had 10 juniors taking part and 3 different chess activities. There was a standard chess tournament (3 rounds) played with a time limit of 15 minutes each. We also had a problem solving competition, with 3 sheets of problems, with increasing difficulty through bronze, silver and gold levels. Also Malola Prasath ran a training session on the theme of movement and placement of pieces on the chess board, with the aim of getting an instinct for piece movement and coordination. As well as Malola, I would like to thank David James who helped out on the day, and Sharon Smith for running the tuck shop. The variety of snacks and hot & cold drinks was much appreciated by everyone there.

In the end we awarded prizes of a chess book to the top 3 in the chess tournament. Yangyang was the overall winner with 3 wins out of 3, although he didn't play Edwin or Nix who finished second equal with 2.5/3, so the fair outcome was that all three got a prize. Yangyang also produced the best position, as adjudged by Malola in the final part of his training session. Edwin was the clear winner of the problem solving tournament, correctly solving all 17 problems except one at the gold level which no-one else solved either. The final round game between Edwin and Nix is also worth commenting on. Edwin made a good start, and managed to trap Nix's queen to win it for a rook. However, Edwin later made a very careless move to lose his queen, and Nix immediately took advantage to get a better position. Eventually Nix reached a totally winning position, but committed a very common mistake at this level, accidentally stalemating Edwin. The lesson here is to always think what your opponent's next move might be before you play your own move, that way you will often avoid making a mistake and should immediately notice if your opponent doesn't have any possible moves!

Participants

Here are the full details of results for the games and problem solving.


Final Ranking after 3 Rounds


PosNameWDLScore
1Yangyang Wang3003.0
2=Edwin Smith2102.5
2=Nix Thomson2102.5
4=Amir Tajuddin2012.0
4=Lewis Smith2012.0
6=David Mathias1021.0
6=Tymek Palucha1021.0
6=Zak Tajuddin1021.0
9=Noah Threlfall-Holmes0030.0
9=Mark Humphries0030.0

Participants

Games in Round 1



1Edwin Smith-Noah Threlfall-Holmes1-0
2Amir Tajuddin-Tymek Palucha1-0
3Yangyang Wang-Mark Humphries1-0
4Nix Thomson-David Mathias1-0
5Lewis Smith-Zak Tajuddin1-0


Games in Round 2



1Lewis Smith-Edwin Smith0-1
2Amir Tajuddin-Yangyang Wang0-1
3Tymek Palucha-Nix Thomson0-1
4David Mathias-Mark Humphries1-0
5Noah Threlfall-Holmes-Zak Tajuddin0-1


Games in Round 3



1Edwin Smith-Nix Thomson½-½
2Yangyang Wang-David Mathias1-0
3Noah Threlfall-Holmes-Lewis Smith0-1
4Zak Tajuddin-Amir Tajuddin0-1
5Mark Humphries-Tymek Palucha0-1


Participants

Problem Solving Scores


PosNameBronze (15)Silver (15)Gold (24)Total (54)
1Edwin Smith15151949
2Yangyang Wang1271029
3Lewis Smith741728
4Tymek Palucha1212226
5Mark Humphries612422
6=Nix Thomson97420
6=Amir Tajuddin124420
6=David Mathias124420
6=Zak Tajuddin97420
10Noah Threlfall-Holmes45413

The points awarded for each position dpeended on the difficulty, and sometime there were some points for a good but not best move. There were 6 positions at each level, except for Silver where I had to ignore the first position. It involved promoting a pawn to a knight. However no-one stated which piece they would take when moving the pawn, and promoting to a queen immediately lost! Some scores may not be entirely accurate as there was some discussion between some participants. Also, Tymek didn't have time to complete the Gold sheet, so way well have reached second position.



Durham County Junior Championships 2012

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Shincliffe C of E Primary School on Sunday 22nd April 2012 1330-1700. There were a few more competitors than last year which was encouraging, although we will be looking to increase numbers further in future. As last year with Dylan Wilson, this year's youngest player, Lewis Smith, will still qualify for the U-9 tournament in 4 years time. The U-9 and U-11 sections were combined, as were the U-13, U-15 and U-18 sections. There was lots of good and exciting chess played, and of course many mistakes, but everyone seemed to enjoy their games and hopefully most will be encouraged to continue practising and playing.

Participants

Both groups played a 5-round Swiss. The full results are listed below. Some highlights were:

  • Szymon Palucha winning the U-18 Championship, but the 2011 Champion, Daniel White, only lost out on the tie-break rules.
  • Many hard-fought games in both sections.
  • Several new players, with a particularly good U-9 entry.

Prizewinners

  • U-18: Szymon Palucha (Champion), Daniel White (Silver Medal)
  • U-15: Mark Rowden (Champion)
  • U-13: Andrew Gatenby (Champion)
  • U-11: Manav Gupta (Champion), AJ Thorne-Wallis (Silver Medal)
  • U-9: Bobby Green (Champion), Tymek Palucha & Dylan Wilson (Silver Medals)
  • Best Girl under 15: Rebecca Gill

Durham County Junior Chess Chamionships 2012 -- U-13, U-15, U-18


PosNameGmsWDLScoreBSBhlzProgrSBgr
1Szymon Palucha54014.0-1-212.514.09.50
2Daniel White54014.0-1-311.012.07.00
3Andrew Gatenby53023.0-1111.57.06.50
4Mark Rowden53023.0-1-110.58.05.00
5Akhil Gupta51222.01114.07.54.50
6Ibrahim Nasser51131.51-114.56.54.00
7Isaac Armstrong51131.51211.52.02.50
8Joe Heselton51041.01314.53.01.50

Prizewinners
Games in Round 1

1Akhil Gupta-Andrew Gatenby1-0
2Daniel White-Isaac Armstrong1-0
3Szymon Palucha-Joe Heselton1-0
4Ibrahim Nasser-Mark Rowden1-0

Games in Round 2

1Daniel White-Akhil Gupta1-0
2Ibrahim Nasser-Szymon Palucha0-1
3Isaac Armstrong-Andrew Gatenby0-1
4Mark Rowden-Joe Heselton1-0

Games in Round 3

1Szymon Palucha-Daniel White1-0
2Akhil Gupta-Ibrahim Nasser½-½
3Andrew Gatenby-Mark Rowden0-1
4Joe Heselton-Isaac Armstrong1-0

Games in Round 4

1Mark Rowden-Szymon Palucha0-1
2Ibrahim Nasser-Daniel White0-1
3Isaac Armstrong-Akhil Gupta½-½
4Joe Heselton-Andrew Gatenby0-1

Games in Round 5

1Andrew Gatenby-Szymon Palucha1-0
2Akhil Gupta-Daniel White0-1
3Joe Heselton-Mark Rowden0-1
4Isaac Armstrong-Ibrahim Nasser1-0

Games in progress

Durham County Junior Chess Chamionships 2012 -- U-9, U-11


PosNameGmsWDLScoreBSBhlzSBgrProgr
1Manav Gupta54104.5-1-213.511.7514.5
2AJ Thorne-Wallis54014.01215.010.5012.0
3Bobby Green53113.51115.510.2510.5
4Aidan Garner53023.0-1-115.06.5012.0
5Tymek Palucha53023.0-1-114.57.008.0
6Dylan Wilson53023.0-1-114.06.009.0
7Edwin Smith52122.5-1-111.04.756.0
8Rebecca Gill52122.51111.02.756.0
9Harry Wilson52122.5119.02.506.5
10Oliver Gill52032.01114.03.507.0
11George Hampson51222.01110.02.006.5
12Ned Hampson51131.5-1-111.02.004.0
13Lewis Smith51041.0119.00.003.0
14Eryn Stephenson50050.0-1-112.50.000.0

Games in Round 1

1Harry Wilson-George Hampson½-½
2Ned Hampson-Dylan Wilson0-1
3Tymek Palucha-Edwin Smith1-0
4Lewis Smith-Aidan Garner0-1
5Eryn Stephenson-Manav Gupta0-1
6Bobby Green-Oliver Gill1-0
7Rebecca Gill-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1

Games in Round 2

1Manav Gupta-Dylan Wilson1-0
2Aidan Garner-Bobby Green1-0
3AJ Thorne-Wallis-Tymek Palucha1-0
4George Hampson-Ned Hampson½-½
5Edwin Smith-Harry Wilson1-0
6Oliver Gill-Lewis Smith1-0
7Rebecca Gill-Eryn Stephenson1-0

Games in Round 3

1Manav Gupta-AJ Thorne-Wallis1-0
2George Hampson-Aidan Garner0-1
3Bobby Green-Tymek Palucha1-0
4Dylan Wilson-Rebecca Gill1-0
5Oliver Gill-Edwin Smith1-0
6Harry Wilson-Ned Hampson1-0
7Lewis Smith-Eryn Stephenson1-0

Games in Round 4

1Aidan Garner-Manav Gupta0-1
2Dylan Wilson-Bobby Green0-1
3AJ Thorne-Wallis-Oliver Gill1-0
4Tymek Palucha-Harry Wilson1-0
5Eryn Stephenson-George Hampson0-1
6Ned Hampson-Lewis Smith1-0
7Edwin Smith-Rebecca Gill½-½

Games in Round 5

1Bobby Green-Manav Gupta½-½
2AJ Thorne-Wallis-Aidan Garner1-0
3Oliver Gill-Dylan Wilson0-1
4George Hampson-Tymek Palucha0-1
5Harry Wilson-Eryn Stephenson1-0
6Lewis Smith-Edwin Smith0-1
7Rebecca Gill-Ned Hampson1-0




Durham County Junior Championships 2011

The Durham County Junior Championships took place at Belmont C of E Junior School on Saturday 21st May 2011 1330-1700. The number of competitors was not as high as in previous years, so the U-9 and U-11 sections were combined, as were the U-13, U-15 and U-18 sections. There was lots of good and exciting chess played, and certainly in the lower age group many games could have gone either way so the final table doesn\'t necessarily reflect the close competition.

The younger players competed in a 9-round all-play-all, while the older players had a more relaxed 5-round schedule including one bye each. Under the rules, players were eligible to win only the section they had entered. Full results are listed below, but some particularly impressive performances were:

  • Szymon Palucha with an almost perfect score in the older age group tournament.
  • AJ Thorne-Wallis who always looked in control with a perfect score in the younger age group tournament.
  • Shriram Geethanath who played very well on his way to the U-11 title.

Some honourable mentions also go to Aidan Garner and Edwin Smith for a tight battle for second place in the U-9 section, and to some of the younger players showing that chess is for all ages -- in particular Dylan Wilson will still be eligible for the U-9 section in four years time!

Prizewinners

Prizewinners

  • U-18: Daniel White (Champion)
  • U-15: Szymon Palucha (Champion)
  • U-13: Andrew Gatenby & Akhil Gupta (Joint Champions)
  • U-11: Shriram Geethanath (Champion)
  • U-9: AJ Thorne-Wallis (Champion), Aidan Garner (Silver Medal)
  • Best Girl under 15: Eryn Stephenson

Durham County Junior Chess Championships 2011 -- U-13 U-15 U-18


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1Szymon Palucha43103.5
2Andrew Gatenby41212.0
3Daniel White42022.0
4Akhil Gupta41212.0
5Mark Rowden40130.5


Games in Round 1

1Akhil Gupta-Daniel White0-1
2Mark Rowden-Szymon Palucha0-1

Games in Round 2

1Daniel White-Mark Rowden1-0
2Andrew Gatenby-Akhil Gupta½-½

Games in Round 3

1Mark Rowden-Andrew Gatenby½-½
2Szymon Palucha-Daniel White1-0

Games in Round 4

1Andrew Gatenby-Szymon Palucha0-1
2Akhil Gupta-Mark Rowden1-0

Games in Round 5

1Szymon Palucha-Akhil Gupta½-½
2Daniel White-Andrew Gatenby0-1

Durham County Junior Chess Championships 2011 -- U-9 U-11


PosNameGmsWDLScore
1AJ Thorne-Wallis99009.0
2Shriram Geethanath97117.5
3Aidan Garner96126.5
4Edwin Smith95226.0
5Nico Goeta93244.0
6Michael Corner93153.5
7Will Lindsey93153.5
8Harry Wilson93063.0
9Dylan Wilson91262.0
10Eryn Stephenson90090.0

Games in Round 1

1Aidan Garner-Michael Corner1-0
2Will Lindsey-Shriram Geethanath0-1
3Edwin Smith-Nico Goeta1-0
4Eryn Stephenson-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1
5Dylan Wilson-Harry Wilson0-1

Games in Round 2

1Michael Corner-Harry Wilson1-0
2AJ Thorne-Wallis-Dylan Wilson1-0
3Nico Goeta-Eryn Stephenson1-0
4Shriram Geethanath-Edwin Smith½-½
5Aidan Garner-Will Lindsey1-0

Games in Round 3

1Will Lindsey-Michael Corner0-1
2Edwin Smith-Aidan Garner½-½
3Eryn Stephenson-Shriram Geethanath0-1
4Dylan Wilson-Nico Goeta½-½
5Harry Wilson-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1

Games in Round 4

1Michael Corner-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1
2Nico Goeta-Harry Wilson1-0
3Shriram Geethanath-Dylan Wilson1-0
4Aidan Garner-Eryn Stephenson1-0
5Will Lindsey-Edwin Smith1-0

Games in Round 5

1Edwin Smith-Michael Corner1-0
2Eryn Stephenson-Will Lindsey0-1
3Dylan Wilson-Aidan Garner0-1
4Harry Wilson-Shriram Geethanath0-1
5AJ Thorne-Wallis-Nico Goeta1-0

Games in Round 6

1Michael Corner-Nico Goeta0-1
2Shriram Geethanath-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1
3Aidan Garner-Harry Wilson1-0
4Will Lindsey-Dylan Wilson1-0
5Edwin Smith-Eryn Stephenson1-0

Games in Round 7

1Eryn Stephenson-Michael Corner0-1
2Dylan Wilson-Edwin Smith0-1
3Harry Wilson-Will Lindsey1-0
4AJ Thorne-Wallis-Aidan Garner1-0
5Nico Goeta-Shriram Geethanath0-1

Games in Round 8

1Michael Corner-Shriram Geethanath0-1
2Aidan Garner-Nico Goeta1-0
3Will Lindsey-AJ Thorne-Wallis0-1
4Edwin Smith-Harry Wilson1-0
5Eryn Stephenson-Dylan Wilson0-1

Games in Round 9

1Dylan Wilson-Michael Corner½-½
2Harry Wilson-Eryn Stephenson1-0
3AJ Thorne-Wallis-Edwin Smith1-0
4Nico Goeta-Will Lindsey½-½
5Shriram Geethanath-Aidan Garner1-0