"Interest in English one-day blitz tournaments is growing rapidly. They offer the chance to compete in officially ranked events with many rounds without the financial pressures of overnight accommodation, and give amateurs and juniors a rare chance to take on established masters, with a chance of an upset result. This year the English Chess Federation has doubled the number of qualifying events for the UK Blitz Championship, whose final is at Leamington in November, from eight to 16,"
"Kai Hanache, 13, a pupil at the Charles De Gaulle Lycee in Kensington, London, defeated three grandmasters and three international masters, and also set a rating record at the 15-round UK Blitz qualifier. His result was totally unexpected, as his only notable previous blitz achievement was his silver medal in the World Under-10 Blitz in 2022. Hanache's rating at the start was a modest 2037, strong amateur level, but he won against three grandmasters,"
One-day English blitz tournaments have expanded rapidly, with the English Chess Federation doubling UK Blitz qualifying events from eight to 16 and staging three Greater London qualifiers. These events offer officially rated, multiple-round play without overnight costs, attracting strong fields including grandmasters and international masters. Golders Green drew a particularly strong entry and used a 15-round blitz format of three minutes plus a two-second increment per move. Thirteen-year-old Kai Hanache produced a standout performance, defeating several titled players and achieving an IM-level tournament performance from a modest starting rating, narrowly missing qualification.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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