Lancashire Rapidplay Championship 2026: John Jarmany Clinches Title in Blackburn Thriller

Jarmany Edges Gomez on Tie-Break to become Lancashire Rapidplay Champion.

Crusaders Chess Club in Blackburn played host to the Lancashire Rapidplay on Sunday, 4th October 2026. Contested over six Swiss rounds, the tournament brought together competitors from clubs across the county for an intensive day of rapid chess. When the final scores were tallied, Clitheroe Chess Club secured the top two spots in the individual standings, with John Jarmany taking the championship title on tie-break ahead of clubmate Daniel Gomez.

The day’s competition featured tight point margins throughout the field, a dramatic shift on the top boards over the final two rounds, a fiercely contested Under-1650 rating competition, and a close race for the overall club team prize.

Oleksandr Sets the Pace (Rounds 1–4)

The headline story through the early and middle stages of the congress was the exceptional run by Crusaders’ Oleksandr Lipinskyi. Entering the competition rated in the Under-1650 bracket, Oleksandr outperformed expectations across the opening four rounds.

While top seeds navigated the Swiss pairings, Oleksandr compiled four consecutive victories against higher-rated and experienced opposition:

• Round 1: Oleksandr opened with a full point on Board 9 against Phil T.
• Round 2: He maintained his positive momentum on Board 6, defeating Andrew Hargreaves.
• Round 3: Paired up to Board 3, Oleksandr registered his third win of the morning, defeating Dennis Davies.
• Round 4: Promoted to Board 1, Oleksandr defeated Great Harwood’s Martyn Hamer, keeping his score unblemished.

By the conclusion of Round 4, Oleksandr stood as the sole tournament leader on a maximum score of 4/4. Close behind him in the standings remained John Jarmany and Daniel Gomez, both positioning themselves within striking distance heading into the final third of the event.

The Decisive Turnaround (Rounds 5 & 6)

The tournament standings shifted decisively during the afternoon’s concluding rounds, as the pairing system matched the frontrunners against each other on the top boards.

In Round 5, Oleksandr defended his sole lead on Board 1 against Peter Mulleady and sucumbed in time trouble, losing his first game. Jarmany meanwhile secured the full point against Preston newcomer Kannappan. Daniel Gomez who had also lost in Round 4 and recovered in Round 5. Peter Mulledy was in sole first place on 4.5, with 8 players behind him of 4. A battle royale ensued in Round 6. It was going to go down to potential tie-breaks.

Round 6 set up a critical pair of board matchups to determine both the tournament championship and the overall podium places:

• Board 1: Peter Mulledy met Martyn Hamer, securing a half-point draw to conclude his tournament campaign on 5/6.
• Board 2: Tony Pounder faced off again John Jarmany. John prevailed and finished on 5/6.
• Board 3: Daniel Gomez faced Oleksandr, who was seeking a rebound to finish on 5 points. Gomez took the victory, halting Oleksandr’s run and joining Jarmany on 5/6.

With both Clitheroe players locked on 5 points from 6 games, the tournament victory was decided on tournament tie-break parameters. Jarmany was confirmed as the 2026 event winner, with Gomez finishing as the runner-up. The unlucky players left with the tie-breaks going against them were Zachary Barton and Peter Mulleady. Chinonso had the consolation of the U1650 prize.

Under-1650 Grading Honours

Parallel to the open title race, the Under-1650 rating section proved equally competitive:

• Winner: Chinonso Ikechukwu captured the Under-1650 winner’s prize. Chinonso produced a consistent series of results against higher-tier players throughout the day, steadily banking points to finish at the head of the category.
• Runner-Up: Despite the disappointment of falling short in the final two rounds against the tournament’s top two finishers, Oleksandr Lipinskyi did not walk away empty-handed. His commanding 4/4 start ensured he finished on 4 points, securing him the Under-1650 runner-up prize.

Team Silverware: Clitheroe and Crusaders

The congress also featured a club team competition, determined by the aggregate scores of each club’s top performers:

• 1st Place – Clitheroe Chess Club: Propelled by the first- and second-place finishes of John Jarmany and Daniel Gomez, Clitheroe collected the overall team trophy.
• 2nd Place – Crusaders Chess Club: The hosts put together a strong collective performance across the hall. Backed by Oleksandr’s points in the upper half of the table alongside solid contributions across the remaining boards, Crusaders secured second place in the team standings.

Final Standings & Category Summary

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