British Senior Championships 2025

[Paul Habershon]

Ok, let's give the British Seniors a mention just before the seventh and last round.
O-50s not quite the usual cruise for Keith Arkell but he still looks at least joint favourite with Chris Baker and John Merriman vying to join him.
Merriman (5) v Baker (5)
Handley (4.5) v Arkell (5)
+4 others on 4.5

O-65s Nigel Povah favourite to win outright though he may need to win to avoid sharing:
Townsend (4.5) v Povah (5.5)
Andrew P Lewis (5) v Brooks (4.5)
+5 others on 4.5

[Mick Norris]

Povah has drawn so up to Lewis

Edit Lewis has won, so joint first

[Mick Norris]

Keith has won

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Keith has won"

Equal first? Is there a tie-break?

Well done anyway.

[Mick Norris]

I meant his game

Merriman won too, so they finish level on points

I assume it's joint first, but not sure

[Matt Mackenzie]

John Merriman in the Seniors is a bit of a jolt - really doesn't seem that long ago since I played him in a county match when he was 13 and a half (and I was in my final year at university)

[Christopher Kreuzer]

You were born in the same decade as my (older) brother. In a few years time, I can enter the over 50 events too. Oh dear.

(When did "over 50" become "Senior"??)

[NickFaulks]

(When did "over 50" become "Senior"??)

The theory is that if you're over 50 it is unrealistic to expect to win an open competition, so you need something else to aim for.

That is clearly true at the World level, less so it seems in England.

[LawrenceCooper]

(When did "over 50" become "Senior"??)

2014.

[Neil Graham]

The tournament has been the Seniors for long before that. When I was Tournament Director there was just one Senior Championship for over 60s. The innovation to split the event into Over 50s and over 65s has happened some time in the fairly recent past I presume to reflect, no doubt, the increasing number of players in these age brackets. When I first became involved in the British Championships in the early 1980s, the event was called the Veterans Championship which conjures up a picture of chess players chugging from London to Brighton. The entry then was a mere handful of elderly aficionados so, for example, the 1983 Veterans Championships comprised a mere 12 players - which no doubt was convenient for the all-play-all 11 round event.

[Roger de Coverly]

The innovation to split the event into Over 50s and over 65s has happened some time in the fairly recent past I presume to reflect, no doubt, the increasing number of players in these age brackets.

It would have been likely influenced by FIDE's decision to adopt over 50 and over 65 as cut offs for world and continental titles.

The last over 60 tournament was in 2014 with the change taking effect at Warwick University in 2015.

[Simon Brown]

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall in the 70s that Cutty Sark sponsored a tournament in London, including a first prize of a case of 12 bottles of whisky and single bottles for the runners-up in the Veteran’s category in each grading-limited section. My father won a bottle and a teammate from Orpington CC won the case.

Veteran was over 40.

[Keith Arkell]

(When did "over 50" become "Senior"??)

The theory is that if you're over 50 it is unrealistic to expect to win an open competition, so you need something else to aim for.

That is clearly true at the World level, less so it seems in England.

Try telling that to Ivanchuk.

[NickFaulks]

Try telling that to Ivanchuk.

World #116. If you wish to place a bet on Ivanchuk becoming World Champion, or even reaching the Candidates, you know where to find me.

[Matt Mackenzie]

The tournament has been the Seniors for long before that. When I was Tournament Director there was just one Senior Championship for over 60s. The innovation to split the event into Over 50s and over 65s has happened some time in the fairly recent past I presume to reflect, no doubt, the increasing number of players in these age brackets. When I first became involved in the British Championships in the early 1980s, the event was called the Veterans Championship which conjures up a picture of chess players chugging from London to Brighton. The entry then was a mere handful of elderly aficionados so, for example, the 1983 Veterans Championships comprised a mere 12 players - which no doubt was convenient for the all-play-all 11 round event.

Wasn't it actually meant to be an round robin event back then (so entry presumably on a basis of "first come, first served")?