Thanks to Forest Hall Chess Club, international chess is returning to the legendary Chillingham pub in Newcastle after a break of nearly 22 years – with the announcement that the Northumbria Chess Masters is to be held there from February 14-18, 2018.

The tournament – a nine-round FIDE-rated Swiss – will have opportunities for international title norms, including for GM and IM, and now has a total prize fund of £3,150, including a 1st prize of £1,200. Confirmed entries from a number of very strong titled players, including 6 Grandmasters: Vojtech Plat (Czech Republic), Jahongir Vakhidov (Uzbekistan), Alexander Raetsky (Russia), Bogdan Lalic (Croatia), Daniel Gormally and Mark Hebden (England). We also have entries from 12 International Masters: Justin Tan (Australia), Martin Percivaldi (Denmark), Grzegorz Nasuta (Poland), Gerard Welling (The Netherlands), Andrew Greet, Andrew Muir and Craig Pritchett (Scotland), Alan Merry, Adam Hunt, Ravi Haria, David Eggleston and Gary Quillan (England).

list of entries

1 GM Vojtech Plat (CZE) 2569

2 GM Jahongir Vakhidov (UZB) 2516

3 IM Grzegorz Nasuta (POL) 2478

4 GM Daniel Gormally (ENG) 2477

5 IM Justin Tan (AUS) 2466

6 IM Andrew Greet (SCO) 2459

7 GM Mark Hebden (ENG) 2429

8 IM Alan Merry (ENG) 2418

9 GM Bogdan Lalic (CRO) 2415

10 IM Adam Hunt (ENG) 2407

11 IM Martin Percivaldi (DEN) 2391

12 IM David J. Eggleston (ENG) 2388

13 IM Ravi Haria (ENG) 2374

14 FM Iain Gourlay (SCO) 2371

15 GM Alexander Raetsky (RUS) 2362

16 IM Gary Quillan (ENG) 2340

17 Paul Macklin (ENG) 2329

18 IM Gerard Welling (NED) 2320

19 FM Alex Longson (ENG) 2317

20 FM William Claridge-Hansen (ENG) 2304

21 IM Andrew Muir (SCO) 2302

22 FM David J Walker (ENG) 2284

23 FM Neil Berry (SCO) 2283

24 IM Craig Pritchett (SCO) 2269

25 FM Charles H Storey (ENG) 2262

26 FM Richard Britton (ENG) 2256

27 FM Murad Abdulla (SCO) 2250

28 FM Chris Duncan (ENG) 2226

29 FM Glenn House (ENG) 2214

30 Adam Bukojemski (POL) 2210

31 M. Paul Townsend (ENG) 2208

32 Edmund Player (ENG) 2174

33 Thomas Eggleston (ENG) 2170

34 Pavel Asenov (ENG) 2169

35 Nikolas Tavoularis (GRE) 2151

36 Peter M. Gayson (ENG) 2150

37 WFM Sarah Longson (ENG) 2122

38 Stuart White (SCO) 2112

39 James Moreby (ENG) 2088 (junior)

40 Alan Dunn (NZL) 2046

41 Joseph Dalton (ENG) 2045 (junior)

42 FM Akshaya Kalaiyalahan (ENG) 2023 (junior)

43 Daniel Sullivan (ENG) 1967

44 Nick Burrows (ENG) 1965

45 Max Turner (ENG) 1929 (junior)

46 Yichen Han (NED) 1913 (junior)

47 Robert Kane (ENG) 1900

48 Zheming Zhang (ENG) 1900 (junior)

49 Tim Spanton (ENG) 1888

50 Chris Izod (ENG) 1882

51 Piotr Niedbal (POL) 1877

52 Robin J Nandi (ENG) 1806

53 Mark Younger (ENG) 1720

54 Peter J Garrett (ENG) 1685