Fifth Kingston Invitational (17–21 August 2026)

[SMoss]

Kingston Chess Club is happy to announce that we will be holding a fifth edition of the Kingston Invitational this year, running from Monday 17 to Friday 21 August at the Richard Mayo Centre, United Reformed Church, Eden Street, Kingston KT1 1HZ – home of the Kingston club. Paul McKeown will, as last year, be chief arbiter; Jake Hung will be deputy chief arbiter.

The tournament will be a nine-round Fide-rated Swiss at a time control of 90 minutes + 30-second increment. The first round will start at 3.30pm on Monday 17 August, and round times on the succeeding four days will be at 10am and 3.30pm. A small number of byes will be permitted at the discretion of the arbiters.

The field will comprise a maximum of 64 players and entry is by invitation. There is no entry fee, but we may suggest a good cause for those who wish to make a donation in lieu of entrance fee. Whether to make a donation will be entirely at the discretion of participants. There is no rating floor for entrants, but players with Fide ratings above 2000 are likely to be given priority. Some wild cards under that rating may be given, especially to Kingston members, friends of the club and juniors.

The winner of the tournament will receive the Kingston Invitational Trophy and £500, with £250 to second and £100 to third. The leading junior (17 or under) will receive the Barden Cup (named in honour of Guardian chess correspondent Leonard Barden) and £100. If players’ scores are level at the end of the tournament, a tie-break designated by the arbiters will be used. There will be no play-off.

We are in the process of sending out invitations, but I would also be pleased to receive requests for entry from players who would like to take part. Please email me on [email protected] as soon as possible.

Stephen Moss, Kingston Chess Club captain

[John Saunders]

The 5th Kingston Invitational Swiss (17-21 August 2026) begins at 3.30pm this afternoon at the Richard Mayo Centre, United Reformed Church, Eden Street, Kingston KT1 1HZ, which is also the HQ of Kingston Chess Club.

The first round pairings are here: https://s3.chess-results.com/tnr1422361 ... 1&SNode=S0

Play may be followed at lichess: https://lichess.org/broadcast/5th-kings ... 1/ogiwoQpX

There are nine rounds (one round today and two on each of the next four days at 10.00am and 3.30pm). The rate of play is 90 min + 30 sec / move.

The winner of the tournament will receive the Kingston Invitational Cup and £500, with £250 to second and £100 to third. The leading junior (17 or under) will receive the Barden Cup (named in honour of Guardian chess correspondent Leonard Barden) and £100. If players’ scores are level at the end of the tournament, a tie-break designated by the arbiters will be used. There will be no play-off.

Top seed is GM Danny Gormally and there are three IMs in the field (Graeme Buckley, Jack Rudd and Peter Large).

The official website is https://kingstonchess.com/kingston-invi ... gust-2026/

I shall be taking photos and posting reports on my blog (which is https://johnchess.blogspot.com/ - nothing to see there as yet).

[Thomas Rendle]

In an otherwise unpredictable first round, one thing never changes it seems: https://lichess.org/broadcast/5th-kings ... X/sGLO2JPt

Is white shuffling around to find the most precise breakthrough, or has the game been another attempt to break records?

[Roger de Coverly]

Is white shuffling around to find the most precise breakthrough, or has the game been another attempt to break records?

This is the position after move 39 where .. h5 has just been played
1r6/p2rbk2/n1n1p1p1/2p1Pp1p/N1Pp1P2/1P1N1RP1/P2BK2P/R7 w - - 0 40

and the position at move 128

2r4r/p3bk2/n1n1p1p1/2p1Pp1p/N1Pp1P2/1P1N2PP/P2B4/2K1R1R1 w - - 85 128

It's an almost an identical pawn structure and the same piece count. however h3 was played at move 85 and a3 at move 133

You cannot force players to agree a 50 move draw, but arbiters have the power to intervene after 75 moves. Draw claims or arbiter intervention have been thwarted by the pawn moves. I wonder what time the venue has to close.

[NickFaulks]

The h-pawn moved.

[LawrenceCooper]

Is white shuffling around to find the most precise breakthrough, or has the game been another attempt to break records?

This is the position after move 39 where .. h5 has just been played
1r6/p2rbk2/n1n1p1p1/2p1Pp1p/N1Pp1P2/1P1N1RP1/P2BK2P/R7 w - - 0 40

It's an identical pawn structure and the same piece count thus satisfying the test of no pawn moves or piece captures.


and the position at move 128

2r4r/p3bk2/n1n1p1p1/2p1Pp1p/N1Pp1P2/1P1N2PP/P2B4/2K1R1R1 w - - 85 128

You cannot force players to agree a 50 move draw, but arbiters have the power to intervene after 75 moves. So why didn't they?

39... h5 was followed by 85 h3 which was followed by 133 a3 so I don't see what powers the arbiters had to intervene.

[Thomas Rendle]

I think it's more up to the organisers to take a stand, but I suspect they don't feel it's an issue. I've said before that I don't think it's a good look, but maybe all publicity is good.

At least his opponent is playing quickly.

[Thomas Rendle]

Last year I believe there was one over-night adjournment? Does anyone know if there's a cut-off again for the venue?

[LawrenceCooper]

I think it's more up to the organisers to take a stand, but I suspect they don't feel it's an issue. I've said before that I don't think it's a good look, but maybe all publicity is good.

At least his opponent is playing quickly.

I think it's fair to say that if you have a male Lalic playing in your tournament than you have a pretty good idea of how their games may go

[Alex Holowczak]

Last year I believe there was one over-night adjournment? Does anyone know if there's a cut-off again for the venue?

It was two years ago, I remember getting messages about it from Lance - that year's arbiter - while I was en route to the airport to go to the Sinquefield Cup. It had ended by the time I landed...

[SMoss]

There is no cut-off time imposed by this venue.

[John Saunders]

My first round report is now available:

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2026/08/ ... -1-17.html

[Graham Borrowdale]

Excellent report, John, thank you.
The organisers have put together what looks like a tournament with a lot of strength in depth. An interesting innovation, presumably made possible by sponsorship, or free venue, or other financial considerations, is that there is no entry fee, if I read that correctly, which seems to account for the strong entry. Had I still been in the area I might have tried to blag a place.

[John Saunders]

Round 2 is well into its third hour...

https://lichess.org/broadcast/5th-kings ... exW#boards

Peter Sowray has beaten Thomas Villiers, but 2nd seed Adam Taylor arrived 20 minutes late and is down to seconds against Rock Yu.

2026-08-kingston-rd2-106126.jpg (190.22 KiB) Viewed 934 times

[John Saunders]

Round 2 Report...

https://johnchess.blogspot.com/2026/08/ ... -2-18.html

2026-08-kingston-rd2-106120.jpg (182.17 KiB) Viewed 859 times