1 week ago
This week’s puzzle is simply a chance to participate an yearly nationalist title successful which Guardian readers traditionally execute good and successful sizeable numbers. White successful nan diagram, playing arsenic accustomed up nan board, is to play and checkmate successful 2 moves, against immoderate achromatic defence.
The puzzle is nan first shape of nan yearly Winton British Solving Championship, organised by nan British Chess Problem Society and sponsored by finance managers Winton. This title is only unfastened to British residents and introduction is free. To return part, simply nonstop White’s first move by station to Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1QY, aliases by email to [email protected].
All entries must beryllium postmarked aliases emailed nary later than 31 July 2026, and supply nan entrant’s sanction and location address. Juniors nether 18 connected 31 August 2025 must besides springiness their day of birth. Please people your introduction “Guardian”. Receipt of nan solution will beryllium acknowledged aft nan closing date, erstwhile each competitors will person nan answer. Those who get it correct will besides beryllium sent nan postal information of 8 harder problems, pinch plentifulness of clip for solving.
The champion 15-20 players from nan postal round, positive nan champion juniors, will beryllium invited to nan last astatine Harrow schoolhouse connected Saturday 13 February 2027, wherever nan prize money is expected to beryllium astatine slightest £1,600. The victor of nan last will person nan correct to correspond Great Britain astatine nan 2027 world solving championships, an arena wherever GB is often a badge contender. In 2024 nan GB squad of John Nunn (individual metallic medal), David Hodge (2024 British Solving Champion) and Jonathan Mestel won nan squad golden for nan first clip since 2007.
The starter problem is tricky, pinch immoderate adjacent misses to avoid. Obvious first move choices whitethorn not work. It is easy to make an error, truthful double- and treble-check your reply earlier sending it. Good luck to each Guardian entrants.
Harry Grieve became England’s latest grandmaster connected Tuesday erstwhile nan 25-year-old, who was British champion successful 2022 and helped CSC/Kingston decorativeness 2nd successful this season’s UK 4NCL League, won first prize successful Budapest pinch a 7/9 total.
Grieve sewage his first GM norm on pinch his British title astatine Torquay 2022 , and his 2nd successful 2023 erstwhile playing for The Sharks successful nan 4NCL, but nan 3rd norm proved elusive contempt respective near-misses. Last summertime he achieved a 2500 rating, which is simply a mandatory request for grandmasters, and he yet reached his target connected Tuesday. There was a infinitesimal of uncertainty owed to a information 7 loss, but Grieve past roseate to nan occasion, defeating a Ukrainian GM in good style pinch nan decisive maneuver 32 Rxf6+!
Back successful nan 1950s astir apical English players were amateurs, often civilian servants aliases teachers, who competed successful tournaments during their vacations. After nan 1970s Fischer roar and English successes brought an influx of sponsors, chess professionals could gain a decent living, but nan tide turned again during nan 1990s. The breakup of nan USSR brought harder world competition, while Nigel Short’s world title conclusion and nan move to surface alternatively than people trading drove sponsors away.
Now nan inclination has travel afloat circle. It is understood that Grieve and his Cambridge workfellow Matthew Wadsworth will travel different 2500-rated GMs who harvester chess pinch a full-time profession successful banking, investment, AI, aliases different awesome professions.
