The 1st Keith Escott Memorial Congress, held at Plantsbrook School from December 14-15, 2024, turned out to be a memorable event for me. I traveled to Sutton Coldfield, UK for the tournament and am happy to share that I claimed victory in the Open section.
The venue was excellent – conveniently located near the town centre and offering spacious playing conditions. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, with a strong field of 103 players across the three sections.
One of the impressive things about the event was the modern setup. All the boards, even in the Minor section, were wired up for live transmission to the internet. This allowed people to follow the games remotely, which is a great way to promote chess and engage a wider audience.
The Open section was fairly strong comprising of one Grandmaster, International Master, Women and three FIDE & Candidate masters. I ended the tournament with 4½ points out of 5, a result I’m very pleased with. It felt good to play consistently well throughout the weekend and come out on top.
The event was organized by Golam Ali with the association of Sutton Coldfield Chess Club. Thanks to Keith’s Family for supporting the event and for the arbiters, Mattew Carr and Alex Holowczak for running the event smoothly.
I certainly hope to be back to defend my title! Winning the first Keith Escott Memorial is a real honour.
Here are games from the final day of the tournament:
Final round: