Tag: Rapid Play

Steve Harley wins 2026 Rapid Tournament

The 2026 Rapid Tournament was held over three successive warm July Thursday evenings. There were 22 entrants, although many were not able to play all rounds due to holidays.

Above is the start of round 1.

Our 2025 Rapid Champion, Jon Ady started strongly winning his first 3 rounds, as did Steve Harley. Next placed were 7 with 2 out of 3.

In round 4, above, Steve gets ready to reply to Jon’s first move as white, and Bob Wooding cannot believe he is on board 2 (It has never happened to him before) as he takes on Aditya.

The situation after round 5 was Steve on 5 points, Jon on 4 points and Ryan on 3.5 points.

After a tense last couple of last rounds Steve and Aditya agree a draw, resulting in Steve winning the tournament outright and Jon coming second.

There were some outstanding performances particularly by junior Ryan who finished equal 3rd with 3.5 points. This was Ryan’s first club tournament and he had some great games. Aditya, Bob W, Ollie, Sid and Tristan all finished on 3.5 points too. Also a mention for junior Jake M. who performed well in a tough field.

Above, Jon hands the Rapid Trophy to the worthy winner, Steve Harley. On receiving the trophy Steve commented “This is the first trophy I have won since I was 16!” It was a nice surprise to see Steve winning a trophy, rather than more usually handing them out!

Full details are in the cross table above. Click on it to go into more details, e.g. select a player for performance ratings etc.

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Club Rapid Championship 2024

Thu August 8, 2024 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Held on three Thursdays: 18 July, 25 July and 1 August 2024 (1st postponed to 8th August)

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its second year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. Julien Shepley is the reigning champion from 2023.

Format

Entry Requirements

Rapid Champion – Julien Shepley

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map
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Club Rapid Championship 2024

Thu August 8, 2024 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Held on three Thursdays: 18 July, 25 July and 1 August 2024 (1st postponed to 8th August)

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its second year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. Julien Shepley is the reigning champion from 2023.

Format

Entry Requirements

Rapid Champion – Julien Shepley

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map
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Club Rapid Championship 2024

Thu July 25, 2024 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Held on three Thursdays: 18 July, 25 July and 1 August 2024 (1st postponed to 8th August)

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its second year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. Julien Shepley is the reigning champion from 2023.

Format

Entry Requirements

Rapid Champion – Julien Shepley

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map
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Club Rapid Championship 2024

Thu July 18, 2024 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Held on three Thursdays: 18 July, 25 July and 1 August 2024 (1st postponed to 8th August)

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its second year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. Julien Shepley is the reigning champion from 2023.

Format

Entry Requirements

Rapid Champion – Julien Shepley

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map
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2025 Camberley Keith Richardson Rapid Play Tournament

The 2025 Keith Richardson Memorial Tournament was held on Saturday 27th Sep at Camberley Chess Club. Keith was a valued club member from the 1970s, an International Correspondence Grandmaster and very well known in the English chess community. He played for the club right up to his death in 2017. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease and a significant contribution to Parkinson’s UK will be made from this events proceeds. The ECF said “Keith was one of the nicest chess players they have ever come across”

Congratulations to IM Nigel Povah, winner of our Keith Richardson rapidplay tournament for 2025. Nigel scored 5.5/6. Second was Dildarav Lishoy Gengis Paratazham and third was Tom Farrand, who were both unbeaten on 5/6.

The junior prize went to Adam Sefton and the highest U-1600 rating prize went to Siddarth Ramaraju.

Game Showcase: A killer attack from the Blackmar-Diemer by Tom Farrand , who finished third overall

Thanks to all the participants for supporting this event and making it so friendly and enjoyable.

Special thanks to Thomas West for doing an excellent job as tournament ECF arbiter, Steve Harley and Martin Wallman for organising and running the event and everyone who helped with the setting up and clearing away.

Last but certainly not least, a special thank you to Nigel Povah and Tom Farrand for donating their prize winnings to the tournament, and Parkinson’s UK.

The 2026 event is planned for the last Saturday in September.

The prize winners

  • Junior winner – Adam Sefton
  • U-1600 winner – Siddarth Ramaraju
  • 3rd place – Tom Farrand
  • 2nd place – Dildarav Lishoy Gengis Paratazham
  • 1st place – IM Nigel Povah
Junior winner – Adam Sefton
U-1600 winner – Siddarth Ramaraju
3rd place – Tom Farrand
2nd place – Dildarav Lishoy Gengis Paratazham
1st place – IM Nigel Povah

Cross table and Photos

Click on the cross table below to go to the tournament chess-results site to get individual performance ratings, details etc.

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Club Rapid Championship 2025

Thu July 10, 2025 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

10, 17 and 24 July @ 7.30pm – 9.30pm

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its third year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. David Bean is the reigning champion from 2024.

Tournament progress on chess-results

Format

  • 2 games a night, held on the Thursday club night for three consecutive weeks (6 rounds total)
  • Time control will be 20 + 10 (20 minutes for each player plus 10 second increment per move)
  • Results will be submitted to the ECF Rapid rating list
  • Play begins at 19:30 on each night
  • HALF-POINT BYES: each player is entitled to take up to two half-point byes in rounds 1-4. To request a bye, let the club know either by email, phone or in-person in advance of the round.
  • LATE ARRIVALS: if you arrive after 19:30 and have not informed the club before this time that you are running late (either by email to info@camberleychess.co.uk or by phone/Whatsapp), then you will not be paired and will be given a zero-point bye. If you have informed us that you will be running late, then you will be paired and your clock will be started at the scheduled round start time.
  • If two players finish on the same number of points, a 5 + 3 blitz playoff match will be played to determine the tournament winner (if this is a draw the players will be declared joint winners). If three or more players finish on the same number of points, the top player based on tiebreaks will be declared the winner.

Entry Requirements

  • All entrants must be fully paid-up members of Camberley Chess Club, as well as current members of the ECF
  • To enter email info@camberleychess.co.uk

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map

Club Rapid Championship 2024

Thu August 8, 2024 @ 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Held on three Thursdays: 18 July, 25 July and 1 August 2024 (1st postponed to 8th August)

The Club Rapid Championship returns for its second year. This annual event determines our official club rapid champion for the year. Julien Shepley is the reigning champion from 2023.

Format

Entry Requirements

Rapid Champion – Julien Shepley

Heatherside Community Centre

Heatherside Community Centre, Martindale Avenue
Camberley, GU15 1BB United Kingdom + Google Map
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