THE first weekend of March sees the chess come to Wells thanks to Rugantino and The White Hart supporting. Following on from the inaugural Congress last year there were high hopes. This year the numbers were up by 20 with just under 130 players converging on the Town Hall to do battle over the board. The increased numbers meant there were four sections instead of last year’s three.
The Open Section saw Grandmaster Keith Arkell return to defend his title. He blazed a trail from the start with four wins in his first four matches before being held to a draw by Oxford junior Daniel Udovenko in his final game. Daniel clinched second place behind Keith and it was the juniors who came to the fore this year with four of the top seven being under 18.
The Major Section (Under 1950 grading) was the largest and arguably the most competitive. With 39 players, five from Wells, this section saw many tight matches. Once again juniors featured prominently with Wells junior Leon Nelson putting in a strong performance with four wins, only losing to the final winner David Egginton. He finished third on 4 points while James Thomas took second. Wells players placed well with Matt Goatcher in sixth on 3.5 points and Jamie Eales eighth on 3 points. Jeremy Lynn and Paul Humphreys both scored a solid 2.5 points.
The new Intermediate (Under 1750 grading) section saw more Wells interest with Greg Roome, Jon Rossi and Ed Farms playing. Once again, the rising juniors provided the toughest challenge. The section was won by Alexis Malibiran with Anay Misra in second place, both Bristol junior players. Greg Roome finished a strong third on 3.5 points with Ed on 2.5 and Jon on 2 points.
The Minor section (Under 1550 grading) had lots of up-and-coming juniors in, including several from Wells. Gigi Ionescu (pictured), Forrest Whitworth, Alfie Green and Finlay Jackson along with adult member Garry Wakeling all took part. Gigi scored 3 points and the others all put in good performances and will have gained valuable tournament experience. The section was won by 18-year-old Dillon Harle from Frome. Wells Club also won the overall team event with Eales, Goatcher, Roome, and Farms notching up a collective 12.5 points.
Once again, the event was much appreciated by all who came. With the glorious spring weather Wells showed off its wonderful small city grandeur that makes it such a fabulous venue for a Chess Congress. Players will continue to come to such a beautiful venue with a well-run Congress. The club look forward to even more in 2026.
Wells Chess Club thanked Rugantino and The White Hart for their support as well as all those who donated both time and money to make the weekend such a success. Anyone interested in playing at the club can find details at wellschess.co.uk, and the club can also be contacted at wellschessclub@outlook.com.