West Wales Chess Congress – 56th Edition

Another year of the West Wales Chess Congress has come and gone—its 56th running—and once again it proved to be a fantastic event. A huge thank-you goes to Les Phillpin, who tirelessly organises the congress every year: securing venues, advertising the event, coordinating entries, and handling the countless behind-the-scenes tasks that make the congress possible. It’s also great to see the tournament now being publicised through Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and other modern channels, helping numbers grow year after year.

This year continued that trend, with a strong turnout of 81 players across the sections.

The Minor was won by Ian Hayes, who travelled down from the Dyfed League to take part in the congress. Ian has recently returned to competitive chess and has already participated in several events, including the David Chess Congress, the South Wales Autumn Congress, and the Newport Chess Congress. His rating has been climbing steadily, and he is expected to move into the Major section next year. Ian finished on 4 points, securing clear first place.

A well-deserved congratulations to the joint runners-up on 3 points:

Chris Peters Gareth Harper Robert Hurn David Foster Major Section

The Major was tightly contested, with several players entering the final round in contention. Hywel Griffiths, Gunardi Nathan, and Jamie Roberts all reached the last round on 3 points, while Peter Bevan and Jon Tuson stood just ahead on 3½.

In the decisive final-round game, Jon Tuson secured victory to finish on 4½ points, taking the Major title. Like Ian Hayes, John also travelled down from the the Dyfed League and has been active on the congress circuit, playing in events such as the South Wales International, Newport Chess Congress, the Welsh Senior Championship, and more—even venturing as far as Swindon.

Hywel Griffiths defeated Peter Bevan in the last round and was delighted to claim runner-up after a 10-year absence from congress play. A strong field of 25 competitors made for an exciting section.

The Open was the largest section by far, featuring 33 players, including two FIDE Masters—Sven Zeidler and Tim Kett. It’s always a pleasure to host players of such a high standard. This year, the West Wales crowd had even more to celebrate as the title stayed local with Alan Young of White Knights delivering an exceptional performance, defeating Moss in the final round to score a perfect 5/5—a truly outstanding result.

The runner-up places went to Zeidler and Kett, who both finished on 4 points. Closing Remarks

With 81 players in total, this was one of the largest and most successful West Wales Congresses in recent years. It was wonderful to see such a diverse mix of competitors—from seasoned FIDE Masters battling it out to enthusiastic newcomers and junior players testing their skills in their first tournament.

A heartfelt thank you once again to Les Phillpin, whose dedication keeps this long-running event vibrant and welcoming. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!