2025 Newport Open
Open SwissStandard
33 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 15 Aug 2025 to 17 Aug 2025 in Newport, Wales. 6 titled players from 5 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2119, and top seed was Ifan Rathbone-Jones (🇬🇧 WLS, CM, 2208).
Aron Saunders (🇬🇧 ENG, 2166) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Haroon Majeed (4.0) and Allan J Pleasants (3.5). Saunders won solo starting round 2.
The biggest upset came in round 4: Tom Shepherd (1960) beat Ifan Rathbone-Jones (CM, 2208), a +248-point gap.
Location
🇬🇧Newport, Wales
Dates
15 Aug 2025 → 17 Aug 2025
Time control
Standard: 90 minutes with 30 second increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Titled players · 6
IM×1
FM×2
CM×3
Federations · 5 represented
🇬🇧Wales×19
🇬🇧England×11
🇪🇸Spain×1
🇿🇲Zambia×1
🇮🇪Ireland×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsAron Saunders led from R2; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
9
1
1
1
1
R2–R5 · LEAD HELD
Aron Saunders held the sole lead from R2 through R5 without losing it.
R5 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · WINNER VS 2ND
Aron Saunders drew with Haroon Majeed (Black).
WIN STREAKS · 2 top finishers
Aron Saunders 4 wins (R1–R4)Haroon Majeed 3 wins (R2–R4)
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Aron Saunders | * | ½ | — | — |
| 2Haroon Majeed | ½ | * | — | — |
| 3CMZack Norris | — | — | * | — |
| 4Allan J Pleasants | — | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saunders, Aron | 2166 | ENG | +30N | +20B | +12N | +11B | =2N | 4.5 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 10.00 | 2428 | +26.2 |
| 2 | Majeed, Haroon | 2059 | ENG | =31N | +25B | +6N | +13B | =1B | 4.0 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 9.75 | 2224 | +17.2 |
| 3 | Pleasants, Allan J | 1960 | WLS | =12N | +10B | +16N | =15B | =5N | 3.5 | 11.0 | 13.5 | 9.50 | 2286 | +43.0 |
| 4 | Norris, ZackCM | 2035 | ENG | F | +32B | =13N | +20B | +15N | 3.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.75 | 2360 | +43.2 |
| 5 | Varley, PeterFM | 2117 | WLS | =25N | +8B | =14B | =9N | =3B | 3.0 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 8.25 | 2060 | -6.2 |
| 6 | Jukes, Sam | 1971 | WLS | +29N | =11B | −2B | +27N | =7B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 12.5 | 5.75 | 2000 | +5.0 |
| 7 | Szakmany, Bence | 2008 | WLS | −26N | +21B | +19N | =14B | =6N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 7.25 | 1945 | -14.8 |
| 8 | Shepherd, Tom | 1960 | ENG | F | −5N | +21B | +12B | +11N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 7.00 | 2239 | +29.0 |
| 9 | Davis, Colin | 1955 | ENG | F | =16B | +26N | =5B | +14N | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 6.75 | 2194 | +24.8 |
| 10 | Garcia Hernandez, Oscar | 2083 | ESP | F | −3N | +22B | +25N | +18B | 3.0 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 6.00 | 1894 | -9.6 |
| 11 | Honey, Luke Anthony | 2082 | ENG | +23B | =6N | +18B | −1N | −8B | 2.5 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 6.00 | 1914 | -18.6 |
| 12 | Rathbone-Jones, IfanCM | 2208 | WLS | =3B | +28N | −1B | −8N | +31B | 2.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 4.25 | 1983 | -27.2 |
| 13 | Beaumont, Chris RIM | 2142 | ENG | +24B | =14N | =4B | −2N | =23B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 14.0 | 6.00 | 1988 | -10.1 |
| 14 | Fathallah, Joe | 1985 | WLS | +27B | =13B | =5N | =7N | −9B | 2.5 | 11.5 | 13.0 | 5.75 | 1999 | +2.2 |
| 15 | Ndhlovu, Lahende | 2200 | ZAM | F | +26B | +17N | =3N | −4B | 2.5 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 5.75 | 2063 | -25.2 |
| 16 | Kett, TimFM | 2077 | WLS | F | =9N | −3B | +26B | +20N | 2.5 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 5.00 | 2031 | -4.8 |
| 17 | Ashworth, Michael | 2053 | ENG | +22B | =18N | −15B | =23N | =24N | 2.5 | 9.0 | 11.0 | 5.25 | 1972 | -8.6 |
| 18 | Egginton, David C | 1960 | ENG | +33B | =17B | −11N | +30B | −10N | 2.5 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 2.75 | 1952 | 0.0 |
| 19 | Turner, Joseph David | 1809 | WLS | −20N | +30B | −7B | =31N | +25B | 2.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 3.00 | 1866 | +5.2 |
| 20 | Tapp, James | 2004 | ENG | +19B | −1N | +31B | −4N | −16B | 2.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 3.50 | 1914 | -12.2 |
| 21 | Dixon, Chris | 1775 | WLS | =28B | −7N | −8N | =22B | +30N | 2.0 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 2.75 | 1876 | +12.2 |
| 22 | Wynarczyk, Raymond | 1827 | ENG | −17N | =33B | −10N | =21N | +27B | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 2.75 | 1783 | -6.8 |
| 23 | Davis, LeeCM | 1907 | WLS | −11N | +29B | F | =17B | =13N | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 4.00 | 1999 | +9.6 |
| 24 | McIlroy, Gerard | 1952 | IRL | −13N | =27B | +32N | F | =17B | 2.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 3.00 | 1930 | -4.0 |
| 25 | Addis, Joseph | 1925 | WLS | =5B | −2N | +33N | −10B | −19N | 1.5 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 2.00 | 1782 | 0.0 |
| 26 | Kong, Emma Zihan | 1825 | WLS | +7B | −15N | −9B | −16N | =28B | 1.5 | 11.0 | 12.5 | 3.75 | 1896 | +14.0 |
| 27 | Farani Sani, Hamid | 1774 | WLS | −14N | =24N | +28B | −6B | −22N | 1.5 | 9.5 | 11.0 | 2.50 | 1795 | +4.0 |
| 28 | Young, Alan | 1986 | WLS | =21N | −12B | −27N | =32B | =26N | 1.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 2.25 | 1718 | -35.4 |
| 29 | Quinn, Peter | 1719 | WLS | −6B | −23N | −30N | +33B | =32N | 1.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 1.00 | 1686 | -5.8 |
| 30 | Jones, Derek | 1957 | WLS | −1B | −19N | +29B | −18N | −21B | 1.0 | 11.5 | 13.0 | 1.50 | 1675 | -29.4 |
| 31 | Bani Hani, Madged | 1843 | WLS | =2B | F | −20N | =19B | −12N | 1.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.25 | 1827 | -6.4 |
| 32 | Howells, S Wyn | 1750 | WLS | F | −4N | −24B | =28N | =29B | 1.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 1.50 | 1730 | -2.8 |
| 33 | Richards, Gareth | 1587 | WLS | −18N | =22N | −25B | −29N | F | 0.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 1.00 | 1580 | -0.4 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Norris, ZackCMENG+43.23.5 pts · #2
- 2Pleasants, Allan JWLS+43.03.5 pts · #3
- 3Shepherd, TomENG+29.03.0 pts · #7
Top rating losers
- 1Young, AlanWLS-35.41.5 pts · #27
- 2Jones, DerekWLS-29.41.0 pts · #30
- 3Rathbone-Jones, IfanCMWLS-27.22.5 pts · #11
Biggest upsets
- R4+248 Elo gap
- R3+212 Elo gap
- R1+183 Elo gap