 |
 |
Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Editor: Dr Tim Harding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Dr Tim Harding
Last modified:
12 August 2025
This page for British senior chess news was created in order to leave the main Seniors news page free for international chess news for the over-50s. For more information about chess for over-50s, please see our Seniors calendar and our Seniors introduction page. We also now have an Irish seniors page separate from other Irish news.
The British Championships ended on Sunday in Liverpool with GM Michael Adams taking the title in the main event again with 7/9 after a tiebreak. Adams has now won nine times, including sharing the title with Matthew Sadler in 1997. The record is still held by the late GM Jonathan Penrose who had ten outright victories.
The Seniors sections were played last week over seven rounds and attracted a much larger (and arguably stronger) entry than usual. In each case two players finished on the same score (6/7) and since no second tie-break is indicated on chess-results we believe this means that the titles are shared.
GM Keith Arkell won the 50+ again with 6/7 but this year he has to share with FM John Merriman. Both players had five wins and two draws, including with each other in round six. Philip J. Crocker was third alone with five and a half points. There were 61 competitors.
Next year Keith can play in the 65+. His bitter old rival GM Mark Hebden (who is 65+ already) preferred to play in the main championship and scored 5/9.
The 65+ title was also shared. Out of the 81 players, FM Andrew P. Lewis and IM Nigel Povah emerged with 6/7. They drew with each other in round 4. FM Peter Varley was the only player on five and a half points (with one draw and a loss to Povah) so he took third prize.
The strong group on 5 points included second seed FM Terry Chapman, who had too many draws, and IM Craig Pritchett (Scotland) who was beaten by Lewis in round 5.
WGM Sheila Jackson took the women's title with 4.5 points, the same as defending champion Andrew P. Smith (Ireland). Top seed Stephen Pickles (Australia) coiuld only score 50 per cent.
The English Chess Federation has already announced that the University of Warwick at Coventry will be next year's venue for the championships and the dates will be 1-9 August. This probably means the Senior events will start on the 3rd but that will not be confirmed for some time. After the long wait for an announcement this year, the early decision on venue is welcome. The Coventry campus previously hosted the event in 2015 and 1970.
The European Senior Team Championships (50+ and 65+) concluded before Easter in Swidnica, Poland with victory for both England-1 teams. For more details, please see our dedicated page for the ESTCC. Also you can read a report from a man who was there (Chris Baker) on the English Chess Federation website.
As expected, England were again comfortable winners of the 65+ section World Senior Team Championships which was played in Prague during February, but the 50+ team had its worst ever result, finishing out of the medals in fourth place.
We also have a general report page about those championships and a separate page for the three Irish teams in the 65+. Wales did not enter a team. You can also read the reports on the English Chess Federation website.
Back to our Seniors introduction page