EJ Clarke Tournament 2025 – Tournament Report

Jun 26
3 min read

The EJ Clarke is the West Wales Individual Championship, unique in its format: five rounds, one game a week, each round played at a different venue. This year’s event saw Rounds 1 and 3 hosted in Llanelli, Rounds 2 and 4 in Cadoxton, and the final round in Morriston.

Another hallmark of the event is the lively banter in the official EJ Clarke WhatsApp group, which adds a fun and social edge to the competitive chess.

Strong Field and White Knights Presence

The top seeds included Alan and Bill from White Knights. I was seeded 7th, and Guto 8th—both of us also representing the club.

Round 1

A rocky start for the top seeds: Alan and Bill were held to draws by lower-rated players. Guto and I managed to win our games, getting off to a good start.

Round 2

Guto lost to Peter Bevan on top board, while I lost to Jon Thomas. I was disappointed by my play, especially considering I had drawn with Jon earlier in the league using the same opening. Alan and Bill bounced back with solid wins over Tony Goodchild and Andrew Powell.

Round 3

Bill withdrew from the tournament. I had a bye. Alan defeated Farouq Nasir, a talented junior from Morriston. Guto took down Tony Goodchild in a smooth performance.

Round 4

Alan secured a grinding win over David Foster in a game that went down to the wire. Guto quickly dispatched Paul Bevan. My own game was a real fight against Elliot Chapman, who had drawn with Bill in Round 1. I reached a resignable position, but as the old adage goes: you still have to win won games. I dug in and filled the swamp, creating complications. In severe time trouble, Elliot lost his way, and I came out on top in the endgame. He looked stunned after the game—probably wondering how it slipped away.

Standings after Round 4:

Alan – 3.5/4
Guto – 3/4
Chris – 2.5/4

Final Round

Alan was set to play Peter Bevan, while Jon Thomas was paired against Andrew Smith—both games potentially decisive. Unfortunately, Guto had to withdraw due to work, and Alan returned from holiday to find his house without electricity, so he too had to withdraw. That left me facing Peter Bevan on Board 1.

Peter and Jon were both on 3.5/4, while Andrew and I were on 2.5, meaning there was still a chance for a four-way tie if both Andrew and I won.

Before the game, Peter sat in silence, visibly weighed down by expectations—there had been much talk about him potentially winning the EJ Clarke in six different decades. I kept things casual with Jon and Andrew, only taking my seat at the last minute to give Peter more time to overthink.

I knew I needed a win, so I went all-in. Peter surprised me by not playing aggressively. We ended up in a sharp Pirc Defence with opposite-side castling—always a recipe for fireworks. He prepared a kingside attack with Bf4 and Qd2, while I launched my queenside play with …b5.

Midgame, Peter abandoned his attack and started playing more positionally. I stuck with my plan, pushing the c-pawn and joining it with my Queen and Knight for a classic storm on the queenside. From move 17 to 23, both of us made inaccuracies, but I came out with a +3.5 evaluation.

By this point, Peter lacked a clear plan, while my attack was rolling: both knights joined in, pawns pressed forward, and the rook supported everything. Time trouble loomed, as usual, but thankfully the position played itself. I opted for the safe path to victory rather than best lines, and Peter resigned on move 42.

Meanwhile, Jon drew with Andrew, finishing on 4/5 and winning the tournament outright.