IM John Hawksworth won the 23rd All Saints Blitz on tie-break from Peter Lalić, who was making his debut in the tournament, played on 28 October 2026
Class usually outs, and that was the case at the 23rd All Saints Blitz, with IM John Hawksworth winning on tie-break from Peter Lalić, who was making a welcome first appearance in the tournament, and defending champion Jasper Tambini third. It was John’s fourth victory in the series.
The tournament hinged on the fourth-round clash between Peter, who had White, and John, a pleasingly tactical battle which swung back and forth until John offered a draw in the position below. John is a pawn up, but the endgame would be a long one and Peter is a monster on the increment.
John’s decision was vindicated as he closed out the tournament, with victories against Jasper Tambini and Joshua Pirgon in rounds 5 and 6, and an overall win on tie-break based on the strength of opponents he faced across the six rounds.
There were strong performances from many regulars – Alan Hayward, Graham Keane, David Rowson, Joshua Pirgon, Peter Roche, Alan Bracher. But it was also good to see a batch of newcomers doing well, notably Kamal Awwad and Thirukumaran Ramasamy, two recent arrivals at Kingston Chess Club. Well done, too, to junior Mukul Kansal, also making his debut, and to David Shalom, who won the grading prize.
Thanks as ever to Edward Mospan, who both crunched the numbers and played in the tournament, so that no one was forced to take a bye. The 24th blitz in the series is scheduled for All Saints Church in central Kingston on Wednesday 25 November.
Stephen Moss is captain of Kingston Chess Club
Final standings
1: John Hawksworth (Kingston) 5.5/6 (winner on tie-break)
2: Peter Lalić (Kingston) 5.5/6
3: Jasper Tambini (Kingston) 4.5/6
4-6: Alan Hayward (Pimlico), Graham Keane (Streatham), David Rowson (Kingston 4/6