Hull Congress 2026 Enjoys Record Turnout and Strong Local Performances
The 2026 Hull Congress proved to be a tremendous success, attracting 183 entries, the highest number seen in recent memory and a significant increase on last year’s total of 144 players.
Competitors travelled from across the region and beyond to take part in what has become one of the most popular events on the Yorkshire chess calendar. Several players in both the Open and Under-2000 sections commented on the excellent organisation and once again praised the quality of the playing venue, helping to reinforce Hull Congress’s reputation as a welcoming and professionally run tournament.
This year’s event featured a range of sections catering for players of all strengths. In addition to the traditional Open, Major (U2000) and Intermediate (U1700) tournaments, the recently introduced Minor (U1500) and Foundation (U1200) sections returned with a faster time control, six rounds and a Saturday-Sunday format. These additions clearly proved popular, contributing to the increased entry numbers while also providing valuable tournament experience for newer and junior players.
There were a number of impressive performances from players representing clubs across the Hull and East Riding area:
- Open: Hull Chess Club’s Maksym Larchikov secured an excellent 3rd place finish.
- Under-2000: Beverley Chess Club’s Tim Turner finished joint 3rd.
- Under-1700: Ed Staples (Hull) and Alec Grice (Beverley) shared 1st place.
- Under-1500: Hull’s Sam Greenhalgh claimed joint 1st place, with Andrew Donegan finishing 2nd.
- Under-1200: Hull players Neco Theron and Tsz Shing Li shared 1st place, while Victoria Docks’ Harry Martin finished joint 3rd.
The success of the Congress highlights the continued strength of chess across Hull and the East Riding, with local players competing strongly throughout the various sections and a growing number of newcomers choosing to experience tournament chess.
HERCA would like to thank all players, arbiters, organisers, volunteers and supporters who helped make the event such a success. With record numbers and overwhelmingly positive feedback, the future looks bright for the Hull Congress.
Full results for all sections can be viewed via Chess Results: View Full Tournament Results.
