The 16th Leyland Chess Congress took place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, with 3 sections, two of which were FIDE rated. The veteran of weekend congresses, Keith Arkell, won the Open section with an impressive 5.5/6. Tie breaks determined the winners in the Major section. Hull’s David Stephenson coming out ahead of Preston’s Hambel Willow both tied with 5/6. Finally, in the Minor section, fresh after his win at the 2nd Lancaster Congress, Om Reddy Jayar won with a maximum score of 6/6. Thanks to Brendan O’Gorman for the photo of Keith Arkell.
Open Section
| Rank | Title | Name | Fed | Rating | Club | Score | TB1 | TB2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM | Arkell, Keith C | ENG | 2382 | 4ncl Cheddleton | 5.5 | 19 | 21 |
| 2 | Doran, Chris | ENG | 1946 | Chester | 4.5 | 19 | 22 | |
| 3 | Elgar, Tim | ENG | 2024 | Ashton | 4 | 16 | 24 |
Major Section
| Rank | Name | Fed | Rating | Club | Score | TB1 | TB2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephenson, David W | ENG | 1836 | St Andrews Hull | 5 | 20 | 23 |
| 2 | Willow, Hambel M | ENG | 1796 | Preston | 5 | 17 | 22 |
| 3 | Cheetham, Mark M | ENG | 1693 | Little Heath | 4.5 | 15 | 22 |
Minor Section
| Rank | Name | Fed | Rating | Club | Score | TB1 | TB2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jayar, Om Reddy | IND | 1525 | London | 6 | 21 | 20 |
| 2 | Yang, Andy | ENG | 1557 | Bolton | 5 | 18 | 21 |
| 3 | Kilmartin, David | ENG | 1477 | Blue Club (Oldham) | 4.5 | 13 | 21 |