What a tournament! The dust has settled on the boards, and we are thrilled to announce the champions of the Leominster Chess Club Championship 2025!
After nine intense weeks and over two months of strategic battles, our second annual club championship came to a thrilling close on Tuesday, December 2nd. A big shout-out to all 23 local players who took part across both the Regular and Junior sections—the competition this year was truly phenomenal!
And the winner is…
The final match in the Regular Section was a clash of titans that went the full distance over two gripping games. We send massive congratulations to Stephen Priestley, who successfully defended his title by defeating the strong challenger Steve Olrog!
That’s right, Stephen takes home the coveted trophy and retains the title of Leominster Chess Club Champion for 2025! A brilliant performance from both players throughout the entire knockout stage.
A New Junior King on the Board!
In the Junior Section, we saw an exciting changing of the guard! A huge well done to Alexander Adarski, who played incredibly well to beat the defending champion, Lewis Mears, and claim the title of Leominster Chess Club Junior Champion 2025!
Lewis put up a valiant fight, but Alexander’s focus and skill proved too much on the night. What a fantastic victory for one of our rising stars!
How the Tournament Unfolded
This year’s structure was a big hit! The competition kicked off with 8 rounds of random pairings, ensuring everyone got to face a variety of new opponents. This phase narrowed the field down, with the top eight players in each section progressing into the nail-biting knockout rounds (Quarterfinals and Semifinals) before leading us to the finals on Tuesday evening.
Ben and Iulia of Leominster Chess said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our second annual championship. The level of play this year was exceptional, and we extend our congratulations to all the competitors, especially our new champions, Stephen Priestley and Alexander Adarski!”
♟️ Ready to Play? Join Us in 2026!
Missed out on the action or just keen to get back to playing? We’ll be back on Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, for our regular weekly sessions at Leominster Community Centre.
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned player, all ages and abilities are welcome to come along and join the fun!
Find full details about the club, meetings, and future tournaments here on the website.
We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!
