Tunbridge Wells Bridge Club welcomed 84 players from near and far for a packed weekend of tournament chess from 5–7 June 2026.
Run by Psyon Chess and supported by Savills, the Tunbridge Wells FIDE Congress featured three sections: an Open, an U1800 and an U1500. Players contested five long-play games at a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one.
It was particularly encouraging to see six Tunbridge Wells Chess Club members taking part—and to find a familiar club name near the top of one of the final tables.
Tom takes third in the U1500
The outstanding local result belonged to club secretary Tom Lawrie, who finished third in the U1500 with an unbeaten 3½ points from five games.
Tom began with consecutive victories over Hardhav Hari and Elio Samaha. He then drew with eventual champion Adam Amirthanathan before completing his weekend with two further draws, against Ishaan Ratakonda and fourth-placed Glyn Hill.
That amounted to two wins, three draws and no defeats: a very steady performance in a section where only half a point separated second, third and fourth places.
Adam Amirthanathan won the section with 4/5, followed by Alexander Hudson and Tom on 3½. The tie-break placed Tom third in the final standings.
Hugh and Jon lead our U1800 contingent
Three Tunbridge Wells members entered the 29-player U1800 section.
Club treasurer Hugh Tassell finished ninth with 2½/5. After drawing his opening game, Hugh recorded consecutive victories over James Peel and fellow club member Jon Armory. Those results put him on 2½/3 and into contention near the leading boards, earning him tough final-round pairings against two of the section’s strongest performers.
Jon Armory also scored 2½/5, finishing 17th. Jon entered as the section’s 28th seed but performed at a level of 1629—more than 150 points above his listed rating of 1471.
He defeated Tom O’Neill and Matthew Reynolds and held the considerably higher-rated Chris Bernard to a draw. Jon’s result was an excellent example of why congress chess is worth trying: a player can enter near the bottom of the starting list and still compete successfully against much higher-rated opposition.
The meeting between Hugh and Jon in round three also provided the weekend’s all-Tunbridge Wells derby.
Rick Hennessy completed the club’s U1800 representation. His early pairings included several strong and experienced opponents, but he kept going and was rewarded with a final-round victory over Matthew Reynolds. Rick finished on 1½ points.
The section was won by Thommy Lipardo on 4½/5, ahead of Druha Chandrashekhar on tie-break.
Robert and Jerry take on the Open
Club president Robert Jacobs and long-standing member Jerry Anstead stepped up to contest a strong 43-player Open section headed by several titled players.
Robert produced an excellent 3/5, finishing 16th. His three wins came against Advik Saxena, Abhishek Pradhan and Eric Granzelius. The official results calculated a performance rating of 1950 and a gain of 4.8 FIDE rating points.
It was a strong, uncompromising result: Robert did not record a single draw, finishing the weekend with three wins and two defeats.
Jerry scored 2/5. Following a difficult opening, he steadied the ship with consecutive draws against Ben Barton and Peter McGill before finishing on a high with victory over Robert Wall in the final round.
The Open was won by FM Frankie Badacsonyi, whose 4½/5 left him half a point clear of Aditya Verma and Matthew Payne.
Tunbridge Wells results at a glance
| Player | Section | Score | Final place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Jacobs | Open | 3/5 | 16th |
| Jerry Anstead | Open | 2/5 | 33rd |
| Hugh Tassell | U1800 | 2½/5 | 9th |
| Jon Armory | U1800 | 2½/5 | 17th |
| Rick Hennessy | U1800 | 1½/5 | 23rd |
| Tom Lawrie | U1500 | 3½/5 | 3rd |
Serious chess in familiar surroundings
For our members, one of the pleasures of this event was the chance to play a proper weekend congress in the same attractive London Road venue that hosts our Monday club nights.
A five-round congress is a real test. With one game on Friday evening, two on Saturday and two more on Sunday, players must manage their time, energy and concentration as carefully as the positions on their boards. Every one of our six representatives came away with at least one victory, and together they scored 15 points from 30 games—exactly 50%.
The fact that all available places were filled shows the appetite for well-run, rated chess in Tunbridge Wells. Our thanks go to Satish Gaekwad and the Psyon Chess team, the arbiters, sponsors, venue staff and everyone else who helped make the weekend possible.
Could you play next year?
If you have never entered a chess congress, an event like this is an excellent place to begin. Graded sections mean that you do not have to be an expert, while the Swiss format normally brings opponents closer to your own score as the weekend progresses.
Playing five serious games in three days is challenging, but it is also one of the quickest ways to gain experience, meet other players and discover more about your own chess. Ask Tom, Robert, Hugh, Jon, Jerry or Rick about their weekend when you next see them at the club.
When this excellent competition returns next year, we would love to see an even larger Tunbridge Wells contingent taking part. Watch the club website and Psyon Chess calendar for details—and consider adding your own name to the entry list.
Let’s make the home advantage count!
Results checked against the official Open, U1800 and U1500 tables. Event format and venue information came from the official congress page.