This was my second time playing in the British Rapid Championship, and Tarun’s third. The first time we played was in 2024, where I came very close, I tied for first in the Open but lost the playoffs against GM Danny Gormally. I also won the British Rapid Women’s title that year.
Last year, I couldn’t participate as I was playing in the World Junior Championship in Petrovac, though Tarun did play. So this year, we were both really excited to be back, it’s a tournament we always look forward to.
Preparation and Streaming
Before heading to the British Rapid Championship 2026, I spent some time preparing by playing blitz games on Lichess, and I also did some live streaming on twitch.
It was great to get into a competitive rhythm before the tournament, and streaming added an extra layer of motivation.
A big thank you to everyone who joined and supported me on my stream I really appreciate it!
Tournament Format and Expectations
The tournament consisted of 11 rounds with a time control of 15+10. A total of 228 players participated.
Coming into this event, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to replicate my previous performance. I just wanted to give my best without putting too many expectations on myself.
I started as the 11th seed, with a surprisingly high ECF rapid rating.
Early morning flight—barely keeping my eyes open at Peterborough station
A Rough Start
The tournament didn’t begin well, I lost my first round. That was definitely not a great feeling, and I started thinking that maybe this just wasn’t going to be my event.
But with a long tournament ahead, I knew I still had time to turn things around.
Finding My Momentum
After that loss, I bounced back with four consecutive wins. Slowly, I felt like I was regaining momentum.
In round 6, I suffered another loss against Jan Murawski. I felt in control for most of the game, but my king came under attack and things quickly went wrong.
I ended Day 1 with 4/6. At that stage, I wasn’t expecting much, but I knew a strong Day 2 could still make a difference.
Key Games and Turning Points
I started Day 2 with a win.
In round 8, I faced Deepak Ambattu Rithwik. That game was a very narrow escape, I was completely lost at one point, but I kept looking for counterplay and eventually managed to turn it around and win.
The next round was heading for a draw, but my opponent pushed too hard and blundered.
Final Rounds
In the penultimate round, I was paired against IM Siva Mahadevan. I had played him twice before, once in Goa (2019) and recently in the London Chess Classic.
I lost a pawn early in the middlegame, but after the queens were exchanged, I felt more comfortable as I had drawing chances. I was in severe time trouble, and at one point I was even better, but the game ended in a draw.
Going into the final round, I had 7.5 points. I needed a win to become the clear Women’s Champion, but the game ended in a draw.
I finished on 8/11, sharing 1st place in the Women’s section with IM Harriet Hunt and WIM Bodhana Sivanandan.
Final Thoughts
Of course, I wish I could have pushed a bit more in the final round, but overall it was a really fun weekend filled with intense games and time scrambles. After such a rough start, I’m especially happy with how I managed to come back and finish strong. For some reason, Peterborough seems to be a lucky place for me, I’ve had good results here before!
Congratulations to Frederick for winning the British Rapid Championship with a fantastic final-round game.
The organisation was excellent, with everything running smoothly thanks to the arbiters. Looking forward to next year!