49th Blackpool Chess Conference 13-15 February 2026 - Open
SwissStandard
53 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 13 Feb 2026 to 15 Feb 2026 in Blackpool, England. 6 titled players from 8 federations. Top 10 Elo average was 2294, and top seed was Jonah B Willow (🇬🇧 ENG, IM, 2541).
Sooraj M R (🇮🇳 IND, 2216) won with 4.5/5, ahead of Daniel Gomez (4.0) and Jamie Heritage (4.0). R won solo starting round 3.
The biggest upset came in round 4: Samuel A Milson (2141) beat Jonah B Willow (IM, 2541), a +400-point gap.
Location
🇬🇧Blackpool, England
Dates
13 Feb 2026 → 15 Feb 2026
Time control
Standard: 110 minutes for game with 10 sec increment from move 1
System
Swiss · 5 rounds
Titled players · 6
IM×3
FM×2
WFM×1
Federations · 8 represented
🇬🇧England×41
🇬🇧Scotland×3
🇮🇳India×2
🇬🇧Wales×2
🇦🇺Australia×1
🇨🇳China×1
🇷🇴Romania×1
🇮🇪Ireland×1
Top 3
- 🥇
- 🥈
- 🥉
How it unfolded
Top 6 · 5 roundsSooraj M R led from R3; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.
Co-leaders
20
7
1
1
1
R3–R5 · LEAD HELD
Sooraj M R held the sole lead from R3 through R5 without losing it.
R1–R4 · WIN STREAK
Sooraj M R won 4 in a row (R1–R4).
Key matchups · top 4
Head-to-head between the four finishers| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sooraj M R | * | — | ½ | — |
| 2Ilia Malinovskii | — | * | — | — |
| 3Daniel Gomez | ½ | — | * | — |
| 4Jamie Heritage | — | — | — | * |
Grille américaine
| # | Player | Elo | Fed | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts | Bu C1 | Bu | SB | Perf | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sooraj M R | 2216 | IND | +25B | +23N | +18B | +6N | =2B | 4.5 | 12.5 | 15.0 | 13.00 | 2495 | +45.4 |
| 2 | Gomez, Daniel | 2188 | ENG | +28N | +31B | =8N | +22B | =1N | 4.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 | 11.00 | 2330 | +28.4 |
| 3 | Heritage, Jamie | 2174 | ENG | +46B | +33N | =6B | +14N | =7B | 4.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 9.50 | 2271 | +29.4 |
| 4 | Malinovskii, Ilia | 2185 | ENG | +17B | =21N | =15B | +18N | +13B | 4.0 | 11.5 | 14.0 | 11.25 | 2283 | +22.4 |
| 5 | Merriman, JohnFM | 2349 | ENG | +24B | −18N | +25B | +23N | +12B | 4.0 | 10.5 | 13.0 | 10.50 | 2262 | +3.8 |
| 6 | Wang, Hao(ZJ)IM | 2436 | CHN | +34N | +20B | =3N | −1B | +22N | 3.5 | 13.5 | 15.5 | 9.00 | 2211 | -9.5 |
| 7 | Milson, Samuel A | 2141 | ENG | F | +27B | +9N | +8B | =3N | 3.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 11.50 | 2504 | +40.6 |
| 8 | Willow, Jonah BIM | 2541 | ENG | +16B | +26N | =2B | −7N | +27B | 3.5 | 13.0 | 15.5 | 10.00 | 2222 | -10.9 |
| 9 | Elgar, Tim | 2259 | ENG | +35B | =19N | −7B | +31B | +20N | 3.5 | 10.5 | 12.5 | 7.75 | 2145 | -2.6 |
| 10 | Verbytski, Oleg | 2266 | ENG | =32N | =47B | +24N | =20B | +26N | 3.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 7.75 | 2121 | -17.6 |
| 11 | Norris, Ethan | 2232 | ENG | +50N | F | =19B | +15B | +37N | 3.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.75 | 2368 | +27.6 |
| 12 | Surtees, Mike J | 2166 | ENG | +29B | +52N | −14B | +16N | −5N | 3.0 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.50 | 2096 | +5.6 |
| 13 | Allen, Keith | 2165 | IRL | −21N | +17B | +44N | +34B | −4N | 3.0 | 11.5 | 13.0 | 6.50 | 2043 | -5.8 |
| 14 | Crawford, Owen | 2249 | ENG | F | +32B | +12N | −3B | +19N | 3.0 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 7.50 | 2202 | +6.2 |
| 15 | Grose, Kameron | 2089 | ENG | +51B | =45B | =4N | −11N | +31B | 3.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 4.75 | 2062 | +0.4 |
| 16 | Hill, Andy | 2052 | ENG | −8N | +29B | +51N | −12B | +44N | 3.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 4.00 | 2102 | +11.6 |
| 17 | Ponting, Andrew | 1989 | ENG | −4N | −13N | +48B | +51B | +34N | 3.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 3.00 | 1986 | +8.2 |
| 18 | Pickles, Stephen | 2125 | AUS | +42N | +5B | −1N | −4B | =24N | 2.5 | 15.0 | 16.5 | 6.75 | 2027 | -21.4 |
| 19 | Ashworth, Michael | 2118 | ENG | +43B | =9B | =11N | =30N | −14B | 2.5 | 12.5 | 14.0 | 6.25 | 2018 | 0.0 |
| 20 | Hamer, Martyn | 2139 | ENG | +48B | −6N | +33B | =10N | −9B | 2.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 4.75 | 2052 | -1.0 |
| 21 | Ashworth, Robert | 1935 | ENG | +13B | =4B | −22N | −26N | +46B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 6.00 | 2033 | +17.4 |
| 22 | Mitchell, Martin | 2172 | SCO | =36N | +49B | +21B | −2N | −6B | 2.5 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 4.50 | 2104 | -2.6 |
| 23 | Melia, Alfie | 2125 | ENG | +53N | −1B | +43N | −5B | =35N | 2.5 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 2.50 | 1884 | -14.0 |
| 24 | Barwick, Carmel | 2060 | ENG | −5N | +39B | −10B | +46N | =18B | 2.5 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 3.75 | 2075 | +19.4 |
| 25 | Doran, Chris | 2015 | ENG | −1N | +42B | −5N | =43B | +47N | 2.5 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 3.25 | 2019 | +3.6 |
| 26 | Rughani, Mahin | 2123 | ENG | +39N | −8B | =41N | +21B | −10B | 2.5 | 11.0 | 12.5 | 4.75 | 2062 | +9.6 |
| 27 | Kershaw, Ewan | 1953 | ENG | =40B | −7N | +32N | +41B | −8N | 2.5 | 10.5 | 12.0 | 4.25 | 2095 | +13.2 |
| 28 | Richmond, Frank | 1997 | ENG | −2B | −30N | =39B | +49N | +40B | 2.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 3.25 | 2018 | +37.2 |
| 29 | Nastase, Andreea-CristinaWFM | 1955 | ROU | −12N | −16N | +42B | =47B | +41N | 2.5 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 3.50 | 1955 | -12.2 |
| 30 | Ciuravin, Andrei | 2203 | ENG | −31N | +28B | +47N | =19B | F | 2.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 4.75 | 2036 | -2.2 |
| 31 | Gardiner, Harry | 2012 | ENG | +30B | −2N | +40B | −9N | −15N | 2.0 | 13.0 | 14.5 | 4.00 | 2036 | +29.2 |
| 32 | Gunarathne, Senith Thenula | 2059 | ENG | =10B | −14N | −27B | =39N | +53B | 2.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 2.50 | 1902 | -6.0 |
| 33 | Newton, Ben | 1914 | ENG | +38N | −3B | −20N | −35B | +52N | 2.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 2.00 | 1856 | +30.8 |
| 34 | Kee, Steve | 2075 | ENG | −6B | +48N | +52B | −13N | −17B | 2.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 1.00 | 1870 | -12.2 |
| 35 | Hopkins, Kit W | 2058 | ENG | −9N | F | =46B | +33N | =23B | 2.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 3.75 | 1915 | -1.6 |
| 36 | Clarke, Stuart WFM | 1958 | ENG | =22B | −37N | =50B | =40N | =38B | 2.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 3.25 | 2000 | -23.8 |
| 37 | Green, Michael | 2103 | ENG | F | +36B | +45N | F | −11B | 2.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 3.50 | 2268 | +15.6 |
| 38 | White, Stuart A | 2151 | SCO | −33B | =46N | −49N | +52B | =36N | 2.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.50 | 1792 | -32.6 |
| 39 | Layhe, Simon | 1893 | ENG | −26B | −24N | =28N | =32B | =48N | 1.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 2.75 | 1744 | -16.0 |
| 40 | Beaumont, Chris RIM | 2174 | ENG | =27N | =44B | −31N | =36B | −28N | 1.5 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 3.00 | 1842 | -19.8 |
| 41 | Bakhtiyarov, Kamronbek | 2010 | UZB | −45N | +53B | =26B | −27N | −29B | 1.5 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.25 | 1834 | -25.6 |
| 42 | Di-Vetta, Andrew | 1822 | WLS | −18B | −25N | −29N | =48B | +51N | 1.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 0.50 | 1779 | -5.2 |
| 43 | Wang, Anlan | 1772 | ENG | −19N | +50B | −23B | =25N | F | 1.5 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 1.75 | 1887 | 0.0 |
| 44 | Harkness, Bryan | 2035 | ENG | F | =40N | −13B | +53N | −16B | 1.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.75 | 1883 | -16.0 |
| 45 | Wolstencroft, Darryl | 2192 | ENG | +41B | =15N | −37B | F | F | 1.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 3.00 | 2030 | -13.0 |
| 46 | Om Reddy Jayar | 1963 | IND | −3N | =38B | =35N | −24B | −21N | 1.0 | 11.0 | 13.0 | 2.00 | 1725 | -28.8 |
| 47 | Bak, Andrew | 2061 | ENG | F | =10N | −30B | =29N | −25B | 1.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 3.00 | 1879 | -8.4 |
| 48 | Graham, Oliver | 1850 | ENG | −20N | −34B | −17N | =42N | =39B | 1.0 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 1.50 | 1684 | -10.0 |
| 49 | Hepworth, Peter | 2005 | ENG | F | −22N | +38B | −28B | F | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 2.00 | 1892 | -3.4 |
| 50 | De Silva, Sithun | 2033 | ENG | −11B | −43N | =36N | F | F | 0.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 1.00 | 1923 | -3.6 |
| 51 | Walkowiak, Adam | 1604 | SCO | −15N | F | −16B | −17N | −42B | 0.0 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 0.00 | 1147 | -13.0 |
| 52 | Raj Konwar, Daryan | 1328 | ENG | F | −12B | −34N | −38N | −33B | 0.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 0.00 | 1085 | -21.6 |
| 53 | Llewellyn, Alan M | 1623 | WLS | −23B | −41N | F | −44B | −32N | 0.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 0.00 | 1140 | -11.4 |
Key insights
Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.
Top rating gainers
- 1Sooraj M RIND+45.44.5 pts · #1
- 2Milson, Samuel AENG+40.63.5 pts · #7
- 3Richmond, FrankENG+37.22.5 pts · #22
Top rating losers
- 1White, Stuart ASCO-32.62.0 pts · #30
- 2Om Reddy JayarIND-28.81.0 pts · #47
- 3Bakhtiyarov, KamronbekUZB-25.61.5 pts · #37
Biggest upsets
- R4+400 Elo gap
- R2+261 Elo gap
- R1+237 Elo gap