There are many exciting chess events that occur once a year; Wijk aan Zee, Norway Chess, and the Sinquefield Cup to name but a few. However, for the Woodseats Chess community, no annual event causes as much excitement as the Woodseats Chess Club Blitz competition. Open to all members, the title of Champion of the 5-round, 5+3 Swiss is coveted by all.
The 2025 competition took place at the Abbey on the 17th February. In total, 18 players signed up, with an average rating of 1582. A strong tournament that guaranteed excitement.
| Rank | Name | ECF live rating | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brendan | 1626 | 4 |
| 1 | John | 2003 | 4 |
| 1 | Danny | 1899 | 4 |
| 1 | Leo | 1957 | 4 |
| 5 | Peter | 1766 | 3 |
| 5 | Bill | 1655 | 3 |
| 5 | Jamie | 1635 | 3 |
| 5 | Cade | 1255 | 3 |
| 5 | Sam | 1656 | 3 |
| 10 | Sarah | 1535 | 2.5 |
| 11 | Jon | 1609 | 2 |
| 11 | Charlie | 1319 | 2 |
| 11 | Connor | 1287 | 2 |
| 11 | Alex T | 1501 | 2 |
| 15 | Matt M | 1409 | 1.5 |
| 16 | Alex G | 1311 | 1 |
| 16 | Matt P | Unrated | 1 |
| 18 | Steve | 1479 | 0 |
Needless to say, the club’s strongest players all performed as expected, with four players ending the event with a score of 4/5. A sole winner (Brendan) could have been crowned on tiebreak scores, but in the spirit of competition, all players with 4/5 agreed to play a semifinal and final to determine the most worthy of taking the title of Champion.
| Player (white) | Score | Player (black) |
|---|---|---|
| Leo | 1 - 0 | Brendan |
| Danny | 1 - 0 | Default |
The semifinals set up an exciting final between Danny and Leo, both regular A team players.
| Player (white) | Score | Player (black) |
|---|---|---|
| Leo | 0 - 1 | Danny |
Danny managed to capitalise on a blunder by Leo to take the title of Woodseats Chess Club Blitz Champion 2025. Congratulations Danny! You can play through the game below.
A selection of photos from the event are provided below:
