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Michael Adams Wins 9th British Chess Championship
Michael Adams has done it again! The 53-year-old chess legend from Cornwall has won his ninth British Chess Championship title. The victory came in Liverpool after a thrilling three-way playoff.
Adams, nicknamed The Spider, beat IM Peter Roberson and GM Stuart Conquest in a rapidplay tiebreak. All three players had tied with 7/9 in the main event at the historic St George’s Hall.
This win brings Adams £5,000 and the British Crown Trophy. He first won the title back in 1989 – an incredible achievement over three decades.
In the Women’s Championship, WGM Lan Yao and WGM Elmira Mirzoeva shared the crown. Lan drew her last game, while Mirzoeva won to catch her. It’s Lan’s fourth title in a row and Mirzoeva’s first.
Rising Stars Shine
10-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan secured her final WIM norm after beating GM Peter Wells in the last round. 11-year-old Supratit Banerjee scored his first IM norm, defeating two grandmasters along the way. William Claridge-Hansen also earned an IM norm.
Commentator GM Danny Gormally praised these young talents, calling Sivanandan “some kind of magician” for her comeback win.
Playoff Drama
Before facing Adams, Stuart Conquest beat Roberson 2-0 in a playoff mini-match. Conquest, 58, rolled back the years, but Adams proved too strong in the final. Adams now sits second on the all-time list of British champions, just behind Jonathan Penrose’s 10 titles.
Tournament Highlights
Over 1,000 players competed in Liverpool across multiple events. The final round saw six players tied for first. Roberson beat Richard Pert to take the lead. Adams then defeated Maciej Czopor to join him. Conquest upset England’s top-rated player, Nikita Vitiugov, to make it a three-way tie.
England’s youngest-ever GM, Shreyas Royal, fought hard but a loss to Conquest in round eight ended his title chances. Still, his performance shows his time is coming.
Defending champion Gawain Jones finished on 6.5/9, admitting he wasn’t at his best.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 British Chess Championships will be held at the University of Warwick in Coventry. This will be the 112th edition of the event, which has been running almost every year since 1904.
Official website: britishchesschampionships.co.uk/
Photos: Yuri Krylov, English Chess Federation
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
