Hosted at Hope School in Wigan, the Lancashire Junior Congress brought together 93 junior chess players competing across six separate sections: Queens, Rooks, Bishops, Knights, Red Pawns, and Green Pawns.
The premier Queens and Rooks sections were staged as all-play-all events, showcasing hard-fought matches among the top-rated players attending on the day.
A huge shoutout goes to Hope School for providing such a fantastic venue—along with special thanks to caretakers Phil and Andy—and to the dedicated volunteers who made the day possible.
Sincere thanks to Tournament Director Jacqui, Chief Arbiter Carl, Section leaders Gordon, Pete B, Pete M, Andy G, Richard, and Ryan, coaching and breakout room lead John, corridor coaches and supervisors Rohit and Gohan, front desk and refreshment helpers Steven, Helen, and Rachel, and playground supervisors Victoria, Ben, and Kemi. Big Thank you to all of you!
Queens Section
The premier Queens section saw six of the congress’s highest-rated players battle through a demanding five-round all-play-all schedule. Saanvi Dembla clinched first place with 4/5 points, edging out Dylan Jones and Gobishan Piratheepan by just half a point after both finished tied on 3.5/5. The decisive encounter came in Round 3, where Saanvi secured a pivotal victory over top seed Dylan. Paired with a hard-fought draw against Gobishan in Round 2, Saanvi held her nerve across the remaining rounds to stay half a step ahead of the chasing pair.
Rooks Section
Staged as a five-round round-robin among the top tier, the Rooks section delivered high-quality chess and an impressive individual display from Joshua Torres, who took first place with 4.5/5. Marcus Gristwood finished clear second on 3.5/5, followed closely by Luke Maughan and Mubarak Adegbite tied on 3/5. The key clash came in Joshua’s direct win over runner-up Marcus, backed up by a vital victory over top-rated Luke. Joshua’s sole concession of the afternoon was a resilient draw against Mubarak, sealing the title by a comfortable one-point cushion.
Bishops Section
The Bishops section featured 16 competitors contesting six Swiss rounds, culminating in an unblemished run from Brandon Poole, who swept the field to win with a perfect 6/6. Lisaanth Ratheeskanth mounted a formidable pursuit to finish clear second on 5/6, while Aiden Rengin and Ching Fung Choi shared third on 4/6. The championship-defining showdown took place in Round 4, where Brandon defeated Lisaanth in their direct encounter to seize sole leadership, having already navigated testing games against Elrik Hughes and Mia Sherry earlier in the day.
Knights Section
With 21 players competing over six rounds, the Knights section produced end-to-end tactical play and a flawless 6/6 performance from Finn Leary to claim the section title. Jack Walker kept the race alive right until the final board, securing clear second place on 5/6, while a crowded group comprising Austin Boby, Mikael Jonatan Marosz, Haniya Ratheeskanth, and Leo Broadhead finished tied on 4/6. Finn cemented his clean sweep with crucial wins over Austin in Round 3, Adam Riahi in Round 5, and a decisive final-round victory over Mikael. Jack’s head-to-head triumphs against Austin and Adam ensured he remained Finn’s closest challenger throughout the day.
Red Pawns Section
The 21-player Red Pawns section was dominated by Pak Yiu Lam, who posted an outstanding score of 6.5/7 to finish 1.5 points clear of the field. The battle for the remaining podium places was exceptionally close, with Senudi Thrimavithana, Daniel Riley, and Owen Tang locked in a three-way tie for second on 5/7. Pak Yiu established control by defeating Senudi in Round 2, Owen in Round 4, and Daniel in Round 5. A hard-fought draw against Alfie Fitzsimons in Round 6 was the only half-point Pak Yiu conceded all afternoon on the way to an emphatic tournament victory.
Green Pawns Section
Contested by 18 players across seven rapidplay rounds, the Green Pawns section saw James Martin claim top honours with a stellar 6.5/7. Cooper Melling was right on his heels throughout the day, finishing clear second with 5.5/7, while Constance Garrett, Benjamin Turner, and Maverick Morrison tied for third on 4.5/7. The defining clash unfolded in Round 4, where front-runners James and Cooper fought to a tense, well-matched draw. James capitalized with a crucial victory over third-place Constance in Round 5 to take the lead, while Cooper confirmed second place after drawing with Constance in the final round.
Coaches’ Awards
Beyond the leaderboard, special recognition was highlighted through the Coaches’ Awards, celebrating players who demonstrated outstanding sporting spirit across the afternoon. Chosen by the coaching team for showing immense courage, perseverance, and good sportsmanship—battling on with determination in every round regardless of the results—these awards reflect the true character of junior chess. Congratulations to this event’s deserving recipients: Ruth Adeniyi, Joseph Robbins, Mikael Marosz, Harrison Thompson, and Aurissa Ahmad
Full Results
Full results can be found on Chess-Results at the following ink: Lancashire Junior Congress – Wigan 17th October 2026 – you should be able to navigate through all the sections via the Tournament selection URL’s
Photo Gallery
Photo Gallery to follow, we have quite a few from the event, they are being checked.