Hampshire Chess Congress Minor 2022

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6

Final Table
Games
Gallery
HCA Secretary Report
Acknowledgements and sources

Alongside the Hampshire Individual Chess Open and Major a competitive Minor tournament was also taking place. If the Major had a number of improving players this was probably even more prevalent in the Minor. When you look at the final table and check the names at the top in a couple of years I am sure you will see these players with ratings 200 to 500 points higher and playing in the Major and Opens.

The picture above shows first place winner of the Minor Tom Philidor of Fareham Chess Club being presented with first place prize by Hampshire Chess President David Nelson.

Whereas Arthur Brameld keyed in the games from the Open and Minor this was not the case for the Minor, therefore this report is less in-depth than the others. However, if you played in the tournament and have an annotated (or unannotated) game please do send to me and I will update the article accordingly.

Keven Lamb took the photographs and many thanks to him for this.

For a list of the winners of the Hampshire Individual Championship and links to any articles I have written the table on the Hampshire Individual Championship is the best place to look. In addition, the table on the Hampshire Tournaments will detail these and any other tournament articles I have completed. Both of these are available from the menu at the top of the site as well.

Round 1

Players current grades are less relevant in Minor chess tournaments, as there will always be a number of players who are improving and the tournament will be a stepping stone to the Major and Open tournaments. I looked at the entrants and thought a couple of players stood out as potential winners.

Peter Eales:- Returning to chess after a long break and has been graded 140 to 150 in the past (1750 to 1825).
Tom Philidor:- Only had a rating for a year, but plays in Keith Gregory’s Wessex Online Tournaments and regularly beats players who would be in Open tournaments.
Keven Lamb:- Has done very well in these tournaments in the past and a very dangerous aggressive player.

These were the players I knew of, but with 38 players in the Minor there would be many I was unaware of. The first round is an example of not expecting the higher graded players to win easily with junior Nicholas Deacon defeating the top seed G Ainsley.

He was not the only one though, as J Wallman and O Pustyntsev both won against higher rated opponents.

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	G Ainsley	1593	0	N Deacon	1400	1
2	C Gardiner	1399	0.5	J Hunt	1585	0.5
3	N Hordnes	1566	1	A Matthews	1386	0
4	J Wallman	1386	1	L Devlin	1548	0
5	P Collis	1541	1	D Williams	1361	0
6	H Blin	1471	0	T Philidor	1512	1
7	S Syed	1506	1	M Davies	1267	0
8	B Cochran	1283	0	A Pradhan	1505	1
9	C Budden	1483	1	A Graham	1248	0
10	O Pustyntsev	1242	1	C Charalambous	1473	0
11	P Eyles	1474	0.5	F Shabgard	1456	0.5
12	O Ward	1452	1	D Campion	UG	0
13	J Bent	UG	0	P Stevens	1450	1
14	K King	1448	1	Y Forbes	UG	0
15	A Weaver	1184	0	D Burton	1439	1
16	K Lamb	1440	1	E Ricketts	1116	0
17	H Saunders	UG	0.5	P Eales	1422	0.5
18	B Hermanns	1379	1	Controller Bye
19	J Taylor	1191	0	default
20	F Christou-Moore	1460	0.5	bye
21	L Summers	1299	0.5	bye

Round 2

N Hordnes, P Collis, Tom Philidor, A Pradhan, C Budden, O Pustyntsev and K King all moved onto maximum points.

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	P Stevens	1450	0	N Hordnes	1566	1
2	D Burton	1439	0	P Collis	1541	1
3	T Philidor	1512	1	K Lamb	1440	0
4	N Deacon	1400	0.5	S Syed	1506	0.5
5	A Pradhan	1505	1	J Wallman	1386	0
6	B Hermanns	1379	0	C Budden	1483	1
7	O Pustyntsev	1242	1	O Ward	1452	0
8	F Shabgard	1456	0	K King	1448	1
9	J Hunt	1585	1	H Saunders	UG	0
10	P Eales	1422	1	P Eyles	1474	0
11	L Summers	1299	0	F Christou-Moore	1460	1
12	D Williams	1361	1	C Gardiner	1399	0
13	A Graham	1248	0.5	G Ainsley	1593	0.5
14	L Devlin	1548	1	B Cochran	1283	0
15	C Charalambous	1473	1	J Bent	UG	0
16	E Ricketts	1116	1	J Taylor	1191	0
17	A Matthews	1386	0.5	A Weaver	1184	0.5
18	M Davies	1267	0	Y Forbes	UG	1
19	D Campion	UG	0.5	bye		0.5

Round 3

A couple of players took a bye on the Saturday afternoon, but N Hordnes, O Pustyntsev and A Pradhan all played and won their games to maintain maximum points.

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	N Hordnes	1566	1	K King	1448	0
2	P Collis	1541	0	O Pustyntsev	1242	1
3	C Budden	1483	0	A Pradhan	1505	1
4	F Christou-Moore	1460	1	J Hunt	1585	0
5	S Syed	1506	0.5	P Eales	1422	0.5
6	O Ward	1452	1	N Deacon	1400	0
7	D Williams	1361	0	L Devlin	1548	1
8	J Wallman	1386	1	C Charalambous	1473	0
9	E Ricketts	1116	0	P Stevens	1450	1
10	Y Forbes	UG	1	D Burton	1439	0
11	G Ainsley	1593	0.5	B Hermanns	1379	0.5
12	P Eyles	1474	1	A Weaver	1184	0
13	D Campion	UG	0	F Shabgard	1456	1
14	C Gardiner	1399	1	L Summers	1299	0
15	H Saunders	UG	0.5	A Matthews	1386	0.5
16	J Taylor	1191	0	B Cochran	1283	1
17	J Bent	UG	1	Controller Bye
18	T Philidor	1512	0.5	Bye
19	K Lamb	1440	0.5	Bye
20	A Graham	1248	0.5	Bye
21	M Davies	1267	0.5	Bye

Round 4

Only six players took a Saturday evening bye and two of the leaders (N Hordnes and A Pradhan) drew their game against each other. Meanwhile a refreshed Tom Philidor came back from his afternoon bye to beat O Pustyntsev and join the other two players on three and a half points.

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	A Pradhan	1505	0.5	N Hordnes	1566	0.5
2	T Philidor	1512	1	O Pustyntsev	1242	0
3	L Devlin	1548	0	F Christou-Moore	1460	1
4	P Stevens	1450	0.5	S Syed	1506	0.5
5	K King	1448	1	C Budden	1483	0
6	J Wallman	1386	0	O Ward	1452	1
7	J Hunt	1585	1	B Hermanns	1379	0
8	N Deacon	1400	1	P Eyles	1474	0
9	F Shabgard	1456	0.5	C Gardiner	1399	0.5
10	K Lamb	1440	0	D Williams	1361	1
11	C Charalambous	1473	0.5	A Graham	1248	0.5
12	D Burton	1439	1	H Saunders	UG	0
13	A Matthews	1386	1	E Ricketts	1116	0
14	J Bent	UG	0	M Davies	1267	1
15	L Summers	1299	1	D Campion	UG	0
16	B Cochran	1283	1	Controller Bye		0
17	P Collis	1541	0.5	Bye
18	P Eales	1422	0.5	Bye
19	Y Forbes	UG	0.5	Bye
20	G Ainsley	1593	0.5	Bye
21	A Weaver	1184	0.5	Bye
22	J Taylor	1191	0.5	Bye

Round 5

A number of key games were played with the leaders clashing. Tom Philidor managed to beat N Hordes and mentioned that this was his most difficult game.

My round 5 game against Niclas Hordes which was the toughest, lasting the full four hours I had black pieces against his Jobava London, I had a French set up with opposite side castling, very dynamic, I was up in opening & middle game but losing in endgame, my only saving grace was his time was nearly gone, he got a second queen which I took with my rook leaving his queen against my bishop but I had 4 pawns one ready to promote, he resigned.
Tom Philidor

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	N Hordnes	1566	0	T Philidor	1512	1
2	F Christou-Moore	1460	1	A Pradhan	1505	0
3	O Ward	1452	1	K King	1448	0
4	O Pustyntsev	1242	1	J Hunt	1585	0
5	P Eales	1422	0.5	P Stevens	1450	0.5
6	S Syed	1506	0.5	P Collis	1541	0.5
7	C Budden	1483	1	J Wallman	1386	0
8	B Cochran	1283	1	Y Forbes	UG	0
9	D Williams	1361	1	D Burton	1439	0
10	C Gardiner	1399	0.5	A Matthews	1386	0.5
11	M Davies	1267	0.5	G Ainsley	1593	0.5
12	P Eyles	1474	1	K Lamb	1440	0
13	B Hermanns	1379	0.5	C Charalambous	1473	0.5
14	A Graham	1248	1	L Summers	1299	0
15	A Weaver	1184	0.5	J Bent	UG	0.5
16	H Saunders	UG	0	E Ricketts	1116	1
17	J Taylor	1191	1	Controller Bye		0
18	F Shabgard	1456	0	Default		1
19	N Deacon	1400	0.5	Bye

Round 6

Tom Philidor beat F Christou-Moore which gave him an unbeatable five and half points and the Parsons Trophy. O Ward beat N Hordnes to reach five points which meant he finished in sole second place. The two players above who lost had the consolation prize of shared third place, whilst the under 1450 grading prize was shared by C Budden, D Williams, Peter Eales and O Pustyntsev.

Sophie Syed who scored four points was the winner of the Gillian Moore Ladies Prize for the best performance by a lady in the Congress. There were a number of ladies in the tournament and this is another good sign to see.

Number	Player	Grade	Result	Player	Grade	Result
1	T Philidor	1512	1	F Christou-Moore	1460	0
2	N Hordnes	1566	0	O Ward	1452	1
3	A Pradhan	1505	1	O Pustyntsev	1242	0
4	P Collis	1541	1	N Deacon	1400	0
5	K King	1448	0	S Syed	1506	1
6	B Cochran	1283	0	C Budden	1483	1
7	P Stevens	1450	0	D Williams	1361	1
8	J Hunt	1585	0	P Eales	1422	1
9	A Matthews	1386	0.5	P Eyles	1474	0.5
10	Y Forbes	UG	1	C Gardiner	1399	0
11	B Hermanns	1379	1	A Graham	1248	0
12	G Ainsley	1593	1	J Wallman	1386	0
13	C Charalambous	1473	0.5	M Davies	1267	0.5
14	E Ricketts	1116	0	D Burton	1439	1
15	K Lamb	1440	1	A Weaver	1184	0
16	L Summers	1299	0	J Bent	UG	1
17	H Saunders	UG	0	F Shabgard	1456	1

Final Table

The final table is detailed below. Tournament winner Tom Philidor commented on his win.

This was my first OTB tournament victory after starting chess in August 2020 and I’ve never been happier, I got the trophy replicated so when I surrender the annual one I have a permanent memory of the event.

My logic when entering was that my online rapid rating was very high, even though online ratings are inflated I knew I had potential to win, i took a half point bye in round three giving me a mental break on the Saturday where you have 3 games in a row, I also stayed at the venue so I had a base to relax and get in the zone, experiencing it to the full.
Tom Philidor

To win a tournament after only starting playing two years previously is a huge achievement and you can be sure that Tom will be playing and achieving great results in the higher rated tournaments in the future. He also came in with a plan and took sensible breaks to maintain his strength in what is a gruelling contest.

It was excellent to see such a high number of entries into the Minor, which alongside the Major had the highest number of entries ever (where there were three sections). It is hoped that next years tournament will be just as successful.

Place	Player	Points
1	Tom Philidor	5½
2	O Ward	5
3=	F Christou-Moore, A Pradhan	4½
5=	P Collis, Sofia Syed, C Budden, D Williams, Peter Eales, O Pustyntsev	4
11=	N Hordnes, Y Forbes	3½
13=	G Ainsley, K King, F Shabgard, P Stevens, D Burton, N Deacon, A Matthews, B Hermanns, Brian Cochran, Paul Eyles	3
23=	J Hunt, C Charalambous, Keven Lamb, C Gardiner, M Davies, A Graham, J Bent	2½
30=	L Devlin, J Walman, E Ricketts	2
33=	A Weaver, J Taylor,L Summers	1½
36	H Saunders	1
37	D Campion	½