The Kingston summer programme kicked off on 1 June with a six-round blitz, won by Joshua Pirgon on tie-break from Julian Ward in a well-contested tournament

Photograph (above): William Lin v Robin Haldane playing out a tense endgame

Kingston Chess Club, now fully installed in its new venue at the United Reformed Church in the heart of the town, is keen to keep up the momentum of a successful league season with a series of events this summer. The opening tournament – a six-round blitz played at the unusual time control of 3+7 (dubbed by arbiter on the night John Foley “the Kingston time control”) was won by Joshua Pirgon.

Joshua is a Surbiton player, but a key point about these events is that they are being thrown open not only to Kingston members but also players from other clubs, or indeed no club. We are trying to create a hub of year-round chess activity as well as fielding strong teams during the league season, and the success of this opening event led us to believe we are on to something.

Joshua tied on five points with Julian Ward, but was awarded first prize – a compendium of great chess games – because he had beaten Julian in their head-to-head encounter in round 4. The next three places were occupied by two redoubtable veterans, Robin Haldane and Peter Roche, and a rising talent, Constantin Liesch, all on 4.5/6, with a gaggle of strong players on 4/6 hard on their heels. Full results.

The event marked a superior degree of organisation. We made this an ECF-rated event as many players find value in monitoring their progress. We also collected a game fee (£5 members / £10 non-members, cash or card) towards the cost of renting the venue for which we used a credit card reader. The club’s projector was used to display each round’s pairings and rankings on the wall. The results were displayed in real time on Chess-Results for anybody who wants to follow the tournament.

Next week the club will stage a FischerRandom tournament, and future events in June and July will include a rapidplay, another blitz, a simultaneous display by FM David Maycock and a talk on “Principles of Attack” by FM Julian Way. Julian’s talk is free, but we are making a modest charge as above to participate in the tournaments and simul – to pay for the room and raise funds for the club. We hope this programme will form a template for future summers.

Stephen Moss is Kingston Chess Club captain

IM John Hawksworth won the 21st edition of the monthly blitz at All Saints church in Kingston on 27 May 2026 on tie-break from Jasper Tambini, with both scoring 5/6

At the beginning of the 21st edition of the All Saints Blitz, IM John Hawksworth seemed a bit doubtful about signing up to play. It was another hot day in the middle of a very hot spell, and John had recorded an important victory for Kingston the previous evening in the Alexander Cup final against Guildford, played at Ashtead, when Kingston secured their fifth title in a row, winning the match by 6.5-3.5.

But tired or not, John battled hard to win his third All Saints crown against a pack or young contenders, with Jasper Tambini, an accomplished blitz player, running him very close. The two met in the fourth round when Jasper turned down John’s draw offer before (in true Jasper style) going on to press too hard for a win, losing in the process. But that is essence of Tambini – attacking flair that can sometimes backfire – and to try to change or dilute such a style would be dangerous, the baby possibly being ejected along with the bathwater.

John went on to draw his final two games against Joshua Pirgon and Tom Mayers, while Jasper beat Marcus Gosling and Joshua, but the round 4 victory was enough to hand first place in the tournament to John on tie-break. It was far too hot for the traditional chocolates to be given as a prize on this occasion, so John won a handsome water bottle for his pains. Far more appropriate.

Robin Haldane, who came third, Joshua Pirgon and Chris Briscoe as usual performed with aplomb. Joshua and Chris were joined in joint fourth by a new kid on the All Saints block, Tom Mayers, who also scored an impressive 4/6, downing your correspondent in a tight game along the way. Alan Hayward, a previous winner of the tournament, also returned to form and was another of the players sharing fourth spot.

We also need to single out Jimmy Kew, a chess lover who has only just started playing competitive chess but who played with skill and spirit throughout, ending on a more than creditable 2/6, having missed at least one other win against a very strong player along the way. A remarkable performance. The young twins Piotr and Robert Chmiest also played wonderfully well. Their chess is showing marked progress, which is gratifying as they are keen and highly regarded members of the Kingston club.

The All Saints tournament now takes a summer break, returning on Wednesday 30 September with All Saints Blitz XXII. It will then take place on the last Wednesday of each month until the end of the year, running from 11am until 1pm.

Stephen Moss is Kingston Chess Club captain

Final standings

1: John Hawksworth (Kingston) 5/6
2: Jasper Tambini (Kingston) 5/6
3: Robin Haldane (Streatham) 4.5/6
4-7: Joshua Pirgon (Surbiton) 4/6, Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) 4/6, Tom Mayers (Streatham) 4/6, Alan Hayward (Surrey) 4/6

Full results

Complete list of All Saints winners

IM John Hawksworth won the 20th edition of the monthly blitz at All Saints church in Kingston on 29 April 2026 scoring a perfect 6/6, with Chris Briscoe and Jasper Tambini second and third

Class will always out and so it proved in the 20th edition of the All Saints Blitz. With 10-times winner Peter Large on his way back from playing for England in the Fide World Senior Team Championships in Albania, fellow IM John Hawksworth scooped the monthly prize with a faultless display which earned him six wins from six games.

John is always very modest and said he expected “normal service to be resumed next month” with Peter Large likely to be back in action, but this was a tremendous display. Having disposed of my dubious Smith-Morra Gambit in round one, he beat a succession of strong players – David Rowson, Tom Mayers, Jasper Tambini, Chris Briscoe and Epsom president Marcus Gosling. Four of those players are 2000 ECF strength or above, and Tom is rising fast.

John’s reward for winning the tournament was a copy of The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games, a special prize to mark the 20th edition of the monthly All Saints Blitz. He was presented with the book (plus the obligatory bar of chocolate) by visiting Kingston luminary and FM Vladimir Li (see photograph above, with John on the left).

Chris Briscoe, who is always in the frame, was second with 5/6 and Jasper Tambini – a strong and enthusiastic blitz player – third with 4.5/6. Then came several seasoned club players on 4/6, but special mention should be made of Dominic Fogg, who belied his rating of 1612 with a strong performance to also finish with 4/6. Commendations, too, to John Hawes and David Shalom for excellent showings. John, in particular, played startlingly well for a relative newcomer in beating three strong players.

All in all, another memorable All Saints Blitz. We do it all again on Wednesday 27 May, with our Albanian absentees – past winner Tony Hughes was also in Albania, playing for Wales, as was Alan Scrimgour representing Scotland – likely to return to make the field even stronger.

Stephen Moss is Kingston Chess Club captain

Final standings

1: John Hawksworth (Kingston) 6/6
2: Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) 5/6
3: Jasper Tambini (Kingston) 4.5/6
4-7: Dominic Fogg, Marcus Gosling, Graham Keane, David Rowson 4/6

Full results

Complete list of All Saints winners

IM Peter Large won the 19th blitz held at All Saints church in Kingston on 31 March 2026, with Chris Briscoe and Arne Eilers in joint second scooping the other prizes

It is becoming a familiar tale: Peter Large (pictured above, receiving his prize from arbiter Edward Mospan) once again won the monthly All Saints Blitz – his tenth win in 19 editions of the event. Peter sets the standards and it’s up to the rest of us to try to emulate him.

It was one of Peter’s more comfortable victories. Once he had disposed of me in the first round, he beat Marcus Gosling – his former team-mate at Epsom – in a second-round crunch match, and then saw off a trio of strong players, Jasper Tambini, Chris Briscoe and Robin Haldane, in the next three rounds. Peter is a consummate pro and closed out the tournament with a draw against Arne Eilers in the final round.

Peter finished on 5.5/6, a full point ahead of Arne and Chris, who came joint second. There was plenty of strength in depth in the tournament, as the four players who came next on 4/6 – Robin Haldane, Joshua Pirgon, Anthony Hughes and Jasper Tambini – demonstrated. Peter Roche came eighth with 3.5/6, and Kingston junior William Lin scored a commendable 3/6, alongside Alan Hayward and David Rowson.

Special thanks to Constantin Liesch, who contrived to lose on time to me when he was completely winning, thus giving my score more respectability than I deserved. We will do it again in the 20th All Saints Blitz on 29 April.

Stephen Moss is Kingston Chess Club captain

Final standings

1: Peter Large (Kingston) 5.5/6
2-3: Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) 4.5/6, Arne Eilers (Streatham) 4.5/6
4-7: Robin Haldane (Streatham) 4/6, Joshua Pirgon (Surbiton) 4/6, Anthony Hughes (Wimbledon) 4/6, Jasper Tambini (Kingston) 4/6
8: Peter Roche (Kingston) 3.5/6
9/11: William Lin (Kingston) 3/6, Alan Hayward (Pimlico) 3/6, David Rowson (Kingston) 3/6

Full results

Complete list of All Saints winners

IM Peter Large won the 18th blitz held at All Saints church in Kingston on 4 March 2026, but suffered a loss to Chris Briscoe before fighting back in the final round

A strong field of 20 players assembled for the 18th All Saints Blitz. Once again it was won by IM Peter Large – he has now won exactly half the monthly tournaments, nine out of 18 – but this one was a true battle.

Peter lost to the highly rated Chris Briscoe in round 4 and thereafter had to play catch up. Peter duly beat Tom Mayers in round 5 and Stephen Lovell in round 6, but it was still Chris’s to lose. Chris drew with IM John Hawksworth in round 5 and then had to beat fellow Surbiton player Joshua Pirgon (whom he used to coach!) in the final round to take the title. But Joshua played an excellent game to secure the win, and thus hand Peter Large the crown (and the victor’s box of chocolates) yet again.

That left Chris Briscoe and John Hawksworth tied for second, with plenty of very strong players just behind them. It was another memorable event, ably overseen by Edward Mospan. Many thanks to Ed and to All Saints church for allowing us to use the Heritage Room. Thanks also to the organist for playing very softly during the tournament. We are scheduled to do it all again on 1 April – this is not an April Fool!

Final standings

1: Peter Large (Kingston) 5/6
2-3: Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) 4.5/6, John Hawksworth (Kingston) 4.5/6
4-7: Marcus Gosling (Epsom) 4/6, Stephen Lovell (Kingston) 4/6, Tom Mayers (Streatham) 4/6, Joshua Pirgon (Surbiton) 4/6
8/9: Graham Keane (Streatham) 3.5/6, Arne Eilers (Streatham) 3.5/6

Full results

Complete list of All Saints winners

IM Peter Large won the 17th blitz held at All Saints church in Kingston on 28 January 2026 with a perfect 6/6

This was the 17th All Saints Blitz and, in winning the event with a perfect 6/6, IM Peter Large took his eighth title, pronouncing it his “cleanest” win yet. It was a strong field, but Peter made victory look straightforward, beating Peter Roche, Robin Haldane, CM Chris Briscoe, Arne Eilers, CM Tony Hughes and Graham Keane en route to the title – a handy half dozen, all very strong players. If there was a trophy, we would give it to Peter in perpetuity, but there isn’t, so he had to make do with his umpteenth box of chocolates as a prize.

Chris Briscoe came second with 5/6, finishing his final round just in time to dash off to teach chess at Kingston Grammar School. Peter Roche, a key figure in sustaining the Wednesday social chess group at All Saints, was third with 4/6, followed by Tony Hughes and All Saints debutant Arne Eilers on 3.5. A gaggle of players finished on 3/6 – Robin Haldane, Graham Keane, Alan Hayward and David Shalom.

It was the first All Saints Blitz in which Edward Mospan was tournament controller. Many thanks to Ed for doing a brilliant job, especially as he had to manually pair the first round when the ecclesiastical internet disappeared. The tournament was held in the Heritage Room at All Saints Church, and we thank the church for making this delightful space available to us. This will be the home of the tournament henceforth. There will be 10 All Saints Blitzes during 2026. The next one is scheduled for Wednesday 4 March, and the big question is “Who can stop IM Large grabbing the chocolates again?”

Final standings

1. Peter Large (Kingston) 6/6
2. Chris Briscoe (Surbiton) 5/6
3. Peter Roche (Kingston) 4/6
4-5. Tony Hughes (Wimbledon) and Arne Eilers (Streatham) 3.5/6
6-9. Robin Haldane (Streatham), Graham Keane (Crystal Palace),
Alan Hayward (Pimlico) and David Shalom Kingston) 3/6

Full results

List of All Saints winners

Peter Large won the 16th blitz held at the All Saints church in Kingston on 26 November 2025 with 5.5/6

The phrase “irresistible and smooth” refers not only to the style of play of IM Peter Large in winning All Saints Blitz XVI but also to the first prize of a box of Lindor salted caramel chocolates. Peter has now won seven of the 16 All Saints blitzes, just enough to open a confectionery kiosk in the market square for Christmas. He dropped half a point in the penultimate round to Graham Keane, the second-highest rated player after Peter.

The 16th edition of the All Saints Blitz was held in the heritage room of the church, which is a quiet and comfortable space to the side of the church with wooden flooring, panelled cupboards and a vaulted ceiling. It was also warm, which was welcome on a day starting at -2°C.

There were 12 participants in the blitz, including former winners Peter Large, Robin Haldane and Marcus Gosling. The time control was the usual three minutes per game plus seven seconds per move. We treated ourselves to six rounds, which meant each game followed immediately after the other without intervening chit-chat.

Many games swung between comedy and tragedy. Several games were lost on time in a winning position. Tactics were missed given the short time control. In round 1 (photo above), Graham Keane as White had three connected pawns, a sheltered king and a queen against Alan Hayward’s queen and isolated pawn, with the king exposed in the middle of the board. Nevertheless, Graham somehow managed to lose when Black’s king went on the attack.

It was excruciating to watch some endings. On the optimistic side, players can improve simply by studying basic concepts such as the “opposition” in king and pawn endgames. A study of rook endgames is required to disprove the doleful but pragmatic perception of JJ Walsh that “Rook endings a pawn up are generally drawn – but rook endings a pawn down are usually lost.”

Graham won his next three games and faced Peter Large in round 5. The two top-rated players agreed a quick draw after a level opening – the only draw of the entire event.

All Peter had to do in the final round was avoid defeat against Alan Hayward, who can be a dangerous player. Alan managed to whip up a threatening attack but ran out of time trying to prosecute it. So Peter ended up with 5.5, a clear point ahead of the field. Peter said afterwards that he keeps coming because he enjoys the relaxed atmosphere of the All Saints Blitz.

We took a midway break to officially present a cheque for £250 as the club’s donation to the Saxon Kings Embroidery Project. As president of the Kingston club, I handed over the cheque to the Revd Joe Moffatt, vicar of All Saints, thanking the church for hosting the chess and expressing our particular interest in the tapestry of Æthelred the Unready as the unofficial club patron saint. In turn, the vicar said that they were very happy that we used the space as part of the community and brought custom to the café. He noted that we were friendly and flexible.

Final standings

5½ IM Peter Large (Kingston)
4½ Graham Keane (Crystal Palace)
4 Robin Haldane (Streatham), James Pooler (Epsom)
3 Alan Hayward (Pimlico), Marcus Gosling (Epsom), Peter Roche (Kingston), Dominic Fogg (Kingston)

Full results

List of All Saints winners

Marcus Gosling won the 15th All Saints Blitz on 29 October 2025, continuing a strong run of form. Above: receiving the prize from John Foley

The event was restricted to 12 registrants because the playing area is now shared with the seasonal Christmas card display. We added four walk-ins to the starting line-up, as befits a friendly event. We lacked some regulars, including Robin Haldane, Chris Briscoe and John Hawksworth, while Peter Large was battling in the FIDE World Senior Championships in Gallipoli, Italy. Hence, there was a golden opportunity for a new recipient of the first prize – the coveted box of Lindor chocolates.

When the monthly blitz takes place at half term, we get a wider range of participants. Hence, we were graced by the presence of Marcus Gosling, the president of Epsom Chess Club. Marcus’s rating has been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of last year and he recently joined the 2000 club. We suspect he is studying chess seriously at last or maybe Epsom salts have some special ingredient. It is rumoured he is working on a book provisionally titled “From Suburban Obscurity to International Fame.”

Marcus deserves praise for rising to the occasion and winning his first five games, defeating the highest-rated entrant Graham Keane (2119). In the final round, he lost to Surbiton’s Joshua Pirgon, so both players ended up with 5/6. Marcus received the prize on tie-break.¹

Marcus was modest in victory, declaring that “Joshua is a more deserving winner, as he got the better of me in our individual encounter – there is no perfect tie-break solution.” However, after the number of entrants was expanded, we extended the tournament from five rounds to six rounds. If we had remained with five rounds, Marcus would have been the clear winner.

Discontented at his last-round loss, Marcus immediately burned the midnight oil and has found a more astute defence in the Sämisch Variation of the Nimzo-Indian courtesy of Svetozar Gligorić. His quest for self-improvement is never-ending.

The other player who made a mark was junior Ethan Kim, a graduate of the Kingston Chess Academy, who scored 4/6, defeating Joshua in the first round and losing to Graham and Marcus.

Final standings

5/6 Marcus Gosling, Joshua Pirgon
4/6 Ethan Kim, Anthony Hughes, Graham Keane
3/6 Jon Eckert, Alan Hayward, David Shalom, Peter Roche, Kevin Bowyer, Stephen Moss

Complete standings

List of previous winners

Note

1. We pre-declared the Bucholz tie-break method, which calculates the sum of the opponents’ scores. The decisive factor was that Marcus had defeated Graham Keane (4/6), whereas Joshua did not defeat any players on 4/6. Whilst a direct encounter tie-break would have given the prize to Joshua, it would complicate matters if there were several people on the same final score. Fide has committees to deal with the thorny issue of tie-breaks. The summary opinion of Stephen Moss, who organises the Kingston Invitational, is that “all tie-break systems are flawed”. Whatever method we select, the match results will contrive to prove it wrong.
   ↩︎

14th All Saints Blitz, played at All Saints Church, Kingston, on Wednesday 24 September

The series of All Saints Blitzes resumed on the last Wednesday in September, having had a break to enjoy the hot summer. We had a select bunch of participants who were gearing up for the new season.

The favourite Peter Large suffered a setback in round 3 when he came a cropper against Surbiton’s Joshua Pirgon. Peter fell for a queen fork against his king and a loose rook. Peter, however, kept his resolve and won in the last two rounds. The final standings saw three players on 4/5: Peter Large, Chris Briscoe and Robin Haldane. Peter won on tie-break by the thinnest of margins (using the Buchholz Cut 1 method) reflecting the fact that Peter played all the strongest players : Hayward, Haldane, Pirgon, Keane and Briscoe.

Joshua Pirgon came in fourth, along with Stephen Moss – the highest placings they have achieved in the All Saints Blitz so far.

The event was held at the same time as a school group was enacting the coronation of King Athelstan in the other side of the church. Although there were cries of acclamation for the new King of England, the players did not flinch or complain.

Final standings