49th Blackpool Chess Conference 13-15 February 2026 - Major

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70 players participated in this 5-round tournament, held from 13 Feb 2026 to 15 Feb 2026 in Blackpool, England. 7 federations represented. Top 10 Elo average was 2020, and top seed was Jack Erskine-Pereira (🇬🇧 ENG, 2040).

Charlie Pearson (🇬🇧 ENG, 1829) won with 4.5/5, ahead of John P Wareing (4.0) and Edouardos Ter Gevorkian (4.0). Pearson clinched sole first place in the final round.

The biggest upset came in round 2: Henry Burton (1526) beat Neil Irving (1926), 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

Top seed

🇬🇧Jack Erskine-Pereira2040

Avg top 10

2,020

Participants

Federations · 7 represented

🇬🇧England×58

🇬🇧Scotland×5

🇬🇷Greece×2

🇮🇲Unknown (IOM)×2

🇬🇧Wales×1

🇭🇰Hong Kong China×1

🇺🇿Uzbekistan×1

Top 3

🥇
Charlie Pearson
🇬🇧ENG·1829
4.5pts·2730perf+82.8
🥈
John P Wareing
🇬🇧ENG·2005
4.0pts·2064perf+14.2
🥉
Edouardos Ter Gevorkian
🇬🇷GRE·2038
4.0pts·2143perf+33.4

How it unfolded

Top 6 · 5 rounds

Charlie Pearson led from R5; +0.5-point edge over the runner-up.

Co-leaders

Pearson4.5Ter Gevorkian4McKiernan4Erskine-Pereira4Wareing4Sosinski3.5— ex-leaders:Wareingled R4, #7Pearsonled R5, #11

R5 · LEADER CHANGE15 Feb

Charlie Pearson takes the sole lead (4.5/5).

WIN STREAKS · 3 top finishers

Charlie Pearson 4 wins (R2–R5)Edouardos Ter Gevorkian 3 wins (R1–R3)James McKiernan 3 wins (R1–R3)

Grille américaine

#	Player	Elo	Fed	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Pts	Bu C1	Bu	SB	Perf	Δ
1	Pearson, Charlie	1829	ENG	=25B	+20N	+22B	+43N	+6B	4.5	12.0	14.0	12.75	2730	+82.8
2	Wareing, John P	2005	ENG	+13N	+41B	+12N	+3B	−5N	4.0	14.0	16.0	12.00	2064	+14.2
3	Ter Gevorkian, Edouardos	2038	GRE	+68B	+29N	+11B	−2N	+19B	4.0	12.5	13.0	9.00	2143	+33.4
4	McKiernan, James	1931	ENG	+40B	+42N	+24B	−6N	+14B	4.0	11.0	13.0	9.50	2074	+46.4
5	Erskine-Pereira, Jack	2040	ENG	F	+52N	+18B	+35N	+2B	4.0	11.0	11.0	11.00	2692	+30.8
6	Fyson, Max	2007	ENG	+54N	+7B	=26N	+4B	−1N	3.5	14.5	16.0	10.25	2012	+22.0
7	Jelfs, Alan	1913	SCO	+64N	−6N	=16B	+50B	+25N	3.5	10.5	11.5	6.50	1818	-6.6
8	Sosinski, Jakub	1863	ENG	−27N	+53B	+49N	+28B	=9N	3.5	10.0	11.5	7.25	1876	0.0
9	Rothwell, James P	1891	ENG	+62B	−26N	+63B	+24N	=8B	3.5	9.5	10.5	6.25	2562	+50.4
10	Shaw, Kevin F	1874	ENG	+70B	−11N	+51B	=27N	+43B	3.5	9.0	9.0	4.75	1959	+31.2
11	Newton, Robert A	1947	ENG	+65N	+10B	−3N	=13B	=12N	3.0	13.5	14.5	7.50	1837	-2.8
12	Parker, Michael L	1825	ENG	+21N	+31B	−2B	=29N	=11B	3.0	12.5	15.0	8.25	1931	0.0
13	Millar, Greg F	1858	ENG	−2B	+45N	+37B	=11N	=35B	3.0	12.0	14.0	7.25	1935	+31.2
14	Cukovs, Oleg	1887	ENG	+51N	=28B	+32N	=15B	−4N	3.0	12.0	13.5	6.75	1900	+4.8
15	Wilson, Kevin J	1950	ENG	+16B	=30N	=27B	=14N	=17B	3.0	11.5	14.0	8.50	1959	+10.8
16	Maheshwari, Shlok	1819	ENG	−15N	+61B	=7N	+47B	=18B	3.0	11.5	12.5	6.25	1865	+32.8
17	Green, Tom D A	1856	ENG	−26B	+62N	+31N	=32B	=15N	3.0	10.5	11.5	6.25	1957	+5.6
18	Bahtiyorova, Nodirabegim	1927	UZB	+33N	=60B	−5N	+67B	=16N	3.0	10.5	11.5	5.50	1893	+9.2
19	Ofeni, Joel	1861	ENG	+57B	F	+25N	+26B	−3N	3.0	10.5	10.5	6.50	1849	+0.8
20	Hymer, Barry	2007	ENG	F	−1B	+44N	+60B	+29N	3.0	10.0	10.0	5.50	2052	+7.4
21	Zabrocki, Philip	1969	ENG	−12B	=33N	+59B	+46N	=41B	3.0	9.5	10.5	5.25	1982	+1.0
22	Evans, Paul	1969	ENG	F	+66B	−1N	+54B	+30N	3.0	9.5	9.5	5.00	1743	0.0
23	McMenamin, Danny	1913	ENG	+59B	−24N	+65B	=30N	=27B	3.0	8.5	9.5	4.50	1883	+5.6
24	Batchelor, Francis	2031	ENG	+38N	+23B	−4N	−9B	=31N	2.5	13.0	15.5	6.75	1851	-9.2
25	Gaskell, Stephen	1984	ENG	=1N	+44B	−19B	+42N	−7B	2.5	13.0	15.0	6.25	1817	0.0
26	Smith, Jonathan M	1990	ENG	+17N	+9B	=6B	−19N	F	2.5	13.0	13.0	8.25	1892	0.0
27	Patel, Devan	2024	ENG	+8B	F	=15N	=10B	=23N	2.5	13.0	13.0	8.25	1840	-7.4
28	Jaszkiwskyj, Peter	1996	ENG	+48B	=14N	=30B	−8N	=36B	2.5	11.5	13.5	6.00	1938	+2.0
29	Boumphrey, Luke S	1899	ENG	+53N	−3B	+55N	=12B	−20B	2.5	11.5	13.0	4.50	1818	-13.8
30	Taylor, Philip	1884	ENG	+61N	=15B	=28N	=23B	−22B	2.5	11.5	12.5	5.25	1823	0.0
31	Vout, Tom	1926	ENG	+69B	−12N	−17B	+45N	=24B	2.5	10.5	11.0	3.75	1848	0.0
32	Fabri, Henrik	2024	IOM	F	+36N	−14B	=17N	+40B	2.5	10.5	10.5	6.00	1945	+0.4
33	Nield, Christopher	1803	SCO	−18B	=21B	−34N	+68N	+52B	2.5	10.0	10.5	3.50	1913	+20.2
34	Siu, Kam Wa	2008	HKG	−42B	=40N	+33B	=36N	=39B	2.5	9.5	11.5	6.00	1817	-14.6
35	McCarthy, Damian	1965	ENG	F	+67B	+50N	−5B	=13N	2.5	9.5	9.5	4.00	1858	-2.4
36	Taylor, John Paul	1839	ENG	=49N	−32B	+58N	=34B	=28N	2.5	9.0	10.5	4.75	1843	-4.2
37	Ter-gevorkian, Aram	1952	GRE	=44N	=55B	−13N	+64B	=38N	2.5	9.0	10.0	4.00	1783	-16.2
38	Wheeler, James M	1855	ENG	−24B	=59N	=40B	+63N	=37B	2.5	8.0	9.0	3.75	1811	-4.8
39	Irving, Neil	1926	SCO	=56N	−50B	=64N	+66B	=34N	2.5	6.5	7.5	3.50	1718	-24.4
40	Rutlidge, Clifford	1814	ENG	−4N	=34B	=38N	+61B	−32N	2.0	11.5	12.5	3.50	1765	+6.4
41	Adam, Michael	1902	SCO	+45B	−2N	=46B	F	=21N	2.0	11.0	12.5	4.50	1843	+4.0
42	Lambton, David	1858	ENG	+34N	−4B	=47N	−25B	=55N	2.0	11.0	12.5	4.25	1834	+10.8
43	Bolt, Graham	1977	ENG	F	+56B	+60N	−1B	−10N	2.0	10.5	10.5	2.50	1815	-9.8
44	Williams, David	1821	ENG	=37B	−25N	−20B	+59N	=49B	2.0	9.5	10.5	3.00	1892	+24.0
45	Walentowicz, Stefan	1736	ENG	−41N	−13B	+53N	−31B	+61N	2.0	9.0	10.0	2.50	1717	-0.4
46	Reaney, Conor	1802	ENG	=47N	=49B	=41N	−21B	=60N	2.0	8.5	9.5	3.25	1790	+6.4
47	Grimley, Matthew	1903	ENG	=46B	=63N	=42B	−16N	=65B	2.0	8.0	9.0	3.00	1660	-23.2
48	Saxena, Samidh	1858	ENG	−28N	−51B	=56N	+58B	=62N	2.0	7.0	8.0	2.75	1734	+7.2
49	Hilditch-Love, Daniel	1986	ENG	=36B	=46N	−8B	F	=44N	1.5	10.0	10.0	3.25	1809	-8.4
50	Burton, Henry	1526	WLS	F	+39N	−35B	−7N	=53B	1.5	10.0	10.0	3.25	1754	+33.6
51	Lloyd, Derek	1624	ENG	−14B	+48N	−10N	=56B	F	1.5	10.0	10.0	2.75	1692	0.0
52	Darwen, David	1893	ENG	=58N	−5B	=66N	=55B	−33N	1.5	9.5	10.5	2.00	1600	-73.6
53	Marsh, Aram	1742	ENG	−29B	−8N	−45B	+69N	=50N	1.5	9.5	10.0	1.25	1662	-1.2
54	McLoughlin, Finbar	1875	ENG	−6B	+69N	=57B	−22N	F	1.5	9.0	9.5	1.25	1833	+19.6
55	Bowman, Richard L	1739	ENG	F	=37N	−29B	=52N	=42B	1.5	8.5	8.5	3.00	1796	+2.6
56	Leigh, Dominic	1780	ENG	=39B	−43N	=48B	=51N	F	1.5	8.0	8.0	3.00	1717	-2.6
57	Bartlett, Joel	2020	ENG	−19N	+58B	=54N	F	F	1.5	8.0	8.0	2.25	1708	-16.8
58	Roychowdhury, Aashita	1719	ENG	=52B	−57N	−36B	−48N	+68B	1.5	7.5	8.0	1.25	1692	+23.2
59	Miah, Zahed	1783	IOM	−23N	=38B	−21N	−44B	=69N	1.0	10.5	11.0	1.50	1605	-27.6
60	Seery, Philip T	1876	ENG	F	=18N	−43B	−20N	=46B	1.0	10.0	10.0	2.50	1684	-47.6
61	Skurko, Victor	1564	ENG	−30B	−16N	+69B	−40N	−45B	1.0	9.5	10.0	0.50	1551	-6.4
62	Simpson, Derek	1642	ENG	−9N	−17B	F	=65N	=48B	1.0	9.5	9.5	1.50	1541	-10.8
63	Banerjee, Sanjoy K	1692	ENG	F	=47B	−9N	−38B	=66N	1.0	9.0	9.0	1.50	1583	-11.6
64	Bhaduri, Aviraj	1758	ENG	−7B	=68N	=39B	−37N	F	1.0	9.0	9.0	1.50	1718	+2.8
65	Westfield, Francis	1815	ENG	−11B	F	−23N	=62B	=47N	1.0	9.0	9.0	1.50	1603	0.0
66	Sinclair, Colin	1772	ENG	F	−22N	=52B	−39N	=63B	1.0	8.0	8.0	1.25	1709	+4.8
67	Hanlon, Shay	1766	ENG	F	−35N	+68B	−18N	F	1.0	7.5	7.5	0.50	1768	+8.4
68	Furness, Robert M	1860	ENG	−3N	=64B	−67N	−33B	−58N	0.5	9.0	10.0	0.50	1359	-64.2
69	Tarr, Steve F	1788	ENG	−31N	−54B	−61N	−53B	=59B	0.5	6.5	7.5	0.50	1372	-38.8
70	Galbraith, David	1613	SCO	−10N	F	F	F	F	0.0	4.5	4.5	0.00	1011	-16.4

Key insights

Biggest movers and upsets — the story behind the numbers.

Top rating gainers

1Pearson, CharlieENG
+82.8
4.5 pts · #11
2Rothwell, James PENG
+50.4
3.5 pts · #6
3McKiernan, JamesENG
+46.4
4.0 pts · #2

Top rating losers

1Darwen, DavidENG
-73.6
1.5 pts · #53
2Furness, Robert MENG
-64.2
0.5 pts · #69
3Seery, Philip TENG
-47.6
1.0 pts · #62

Biggest upsets

R2+400 Elo gap
Burton, Henry1526 beat Irving, Neil1926
R2+234 Elo gap
Lloyd, Derek1624 beat Saxena, Samidh1858
R3+224 Elo gap
Skurko, Victor1564 beat Tarr, Steve F1788