The inaugural Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters chess tournament, sponsored by Chess England, recently concluded with French and US players dominating the rapid and blitz events. GM Jules Moussard of France secured victories in both the Super Rapid and the Blitz competitions.
GM Praveen Balakrishnan from the US tied for first in the Challengers Rapid and won the Challengers Blitz outright. England's GM Luke McShane, who had been in contention for an individual medal at the Samarkand Olympiad, reportedly showed poor form at the Pall Mall event.
Looking ahead, the English Championships for classical, rapid, and blitz chess are set to take place in Peterborough from 24 October to 1 November, featuring an increased prize fund exceeding £20,000. The championship contest is anticipated to be a direct competition between GM Gawain Maroroa Jones and nine-time British champion GM Michael Adams, with GM Ameet Ghasi as a key challenger.
Qualification for the UK Blitz Championships has also concluded, with 16 cities each producing a qualifier. Bodhana Sivanandan, the defending British women’s champion, is considered a strong favourite after winning all 17 of her games in the Belfast qualifier.