The annual Winton British Solving Championship, organised by the British Chess Problem Society and sponsored by Winton, is now open for entries. The winner will qualify for the GB team at the 2027 World Solving Championship, where British teams are often medal contenders. The competition is free and open to British residents only.
To enter, solve the starter puzzle: White to play and checkmate in two moves. Send White's first move by post to Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Greys Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 1QY, or by email to winton@theproblemist.org. Entries must be postmarked or emailed by 31 July 2026, and include the entrant's name and home address. Juniors under 18 on 31 August 2025 must also provide their date of birth. Mark your entry “Guardian”.
Correct solvers will receive the postal round of eight harder problems. The best 15-20 players from that round, plus top juniors, will be invited to the final at Harrow School on 13 February 2027, with prize money of at least £1,600. The winner earns the right to represent Great Britain at the 2027 World Solving Championship. In 2024, the GB team of John Nunn, David Hodge, and Jonathan Mestel won team gold for the first time since 2007.
In other chess news, Harry Grieve became England's latest grandmaster on Tuesday. The 25-year-old, British champion in 2022, won first prize in Budapest with a 7/9 score. Grieve earned his first GM norm at Torquay 2022 and his second in 2023, but the third norm proved elusive until now. He achieved a 2500 rating last summer and finally secured the norm with a decisive win against a Ukrainian GM.
Grieve is expected to combine chess with a full-time career, following a trend among modern British grandmasters who work in banking, investment, or AI. This marks a shift from the 1990s when sponsorship declined, but also from the 1950s when top players were often amateurs.
