Tournament Reports by Alberto Biju

Round 4

Action continued in Round 4 with what was easily the toughest and most intense day of the Championship so far. The club room was packed, with 28 boards in play and the top boards producing especially fierce battles.

Scott Stewart, in good form, met CM Declan Smith on Board 1. The meeting ended in a hard fought draw, but the result doesn't tell the full story. Scott abandoned his usual Morra Gambit and led the game into a Taimanov line that transposed into a Grand Prix Attack. The game quickly spiraled into a frantic, tactical jumble of ideas and precise calculation — the sort of chaos Scott excels in. The game is best savoured in his own words, and his full annotation is well worth a look.

On Board 2, James Watson faced Sam Song. Sam was up significant material, but James defended resourcefully and refused to go quietly. After a long struggle, Sam couldn’t convert the advantage and the game ultimately finished in a draw.

Board 3 saw Patrick Cook dispatch the in‑form Maximus Thekkan with surprising speed, showing that experience still counts for plenty. Meanwhile, newcomer Patrick Moon has firmly cemented himself as one of the club’s rising stars. He defeated Peter Stickland in a Sicilian Dragon, picking up a couple of pawns in the middlegame and converting the rook endgame with impressive efficiency.

With all results in, the tournament remains wide open — four players now share the lead on 3.5/4, and no clear frontrunner has emerged.

Round 3

Declan Smith continued his rampage, defeating the up-and-coming Kynan Thomson. Although it was a tough game, Declan was never in real danger. Board 2 saw a largely one-sided battle between Scott Stewart and Jamie Brotheridge, with Scott playing the King's Indian Attack and bringing his heavy pieces into a kingside assault, finishing the game in style with 21.Qxh2+ - a daring queen sacrifice that forced Jamie to resign after (22.Kxh2 Rh6+ 23.Kg3 Be5+).
The game between Sam Song and Peter Stickland on board 3 was an intense endgame grind in which Peter slipped up once on move 72.Qf6??, miscalculating the promotion sequence and costing himself the point. The tournament caught fire, with only three players remaining perfect: CM Declan Smith, Stewart Scott, and Sam Song.

Round 2

The action continued in Round 2 with 54 players sitting down at the boards and 10 players taking a half-point bye. Declan won a hard-fought game against Patrick Cook on board 1. Scott met Kevin in an obscure line of the previously popular Portuguese Gambit - an aggressive line in the Scandinavian Defense that was originally introduced into master play by German chess master Carl Goring in the 19th century and later popularised by Belgian International Master Robert Jadoul in the 1980s. Although it had recently been refuted at master level, it remained a tricky gambit at club level. Scott created a messy middlegame position, true to his style, which Kevin could not hold, giving Scott the full point.
Board 3 saw strong youngster Sam Song pick up the full point against Vipin. The round's major upset happened on board 4, where our Club President Peter Stickland defeated veteran Rodney Jacobs. The game started with Rodney playing the Dutch Defense; with opposite-side castling, Peter launched a devastating kingside attack, disregarding everything else. After the game finished, he jokingly remarked, "I was so focused on the kingside, I didn't even realise I was 3 pawns up."

Introduction and Round 1

The 2026 Ballarat Chess Club Championship got underway last Thursday, utilizing the traditional Swiss format with a 60+30 time control over 9 rounds, including accelerated pairings during the first 5 rounds.
The tournament promises to see a strong turnout this year, with no less than 60 participants taking part, featuring some of the Club's most iconic figures. Kevin Perrin marks a remarkable milestone with his record 61st Championship appearance, while crowd favourite Patrick Cook returns for his 42nd. CM Declan Smith, enters as the top seed and the clear favourite to defend his title. As expected in a large Swiss event, the opening round produced no major upsets but with this field, the real battles are still to come. The A, B, and C Grade medals will be awarded to the highest-scoring players within their respective rating groups, ensuring competitive battles all the way down the board order.
And don't forget: you can record your games and review past encounters anytime via the Games tab above.

Andy Miitel Shield, Round 1 in progress

2026 Club Championships - Registration and Details

We are rapidly approaching the Club Championships for 2026 which will commence on Thursday 30th April. Participation is open to Life Members, current financial members and participants in the junior chess coaching program. Please make sure your 2026 membership fees are paid prior to the event. If you have any questions on fees, contact Kevin Perrin.
The format is the same as last year: a 9-round Swiss tournament with accelerated pairings for the first 5 rounds (similar to the Begonia Open).
Players may take up to 2 half-point byes in the first seven rounds.
Please register your intention to play in advance to assist the organisation and pairings. You can do this by emailing the tournament director: Julian, Anna, or Peter.
Early registration is particularly important if you intend to take a half-point bye in Round 1, as the accelerated format makes late additions difficult.
If you have any questions, please contact Peter or any member of the tournament committee.

Rules for Club Championship

Format: The club championship will be conducted as a single division 9 round Swiss tournament.
Prizes: The Club Champion will be the overall winner. B (Reserve) and C Grade winners will be awarded to the highest scoring rated player in the appropriate parts of the field (rated players only). A prize will also be awarded to the highest scoring un-rated player provided that there are at least 5 unrated players.
Female Champion: The title of Female Champion of the Ballarat Chess Club will be awarded to the highest scoring female player provided there are at least 2 female players competing.
Rate of Play: 60 minutes plus a 30 second increment for each move played.
Tie for First Place: If there is a tie for first place for any division then there will be a one-game playoff between the players. If more than 2 players are involved, then there will be one game against each player. The colours will be the opposite of the game played between the 2 players in the championship or decided by lot if there was no previous game played. If there is still a tie after the playoff, then a further single game will be played by any tied players until an outright winner is decided, with colours alternating. The time control for all games will be same as for the championship. If for any reason the playoff is not completed by the end of that calendar year, then the champion will be decided by a toss of the coin conducted by the Arbiter. It is not expected that this rule will ever have to be applied.