University news
Checkmate: Grandmasters make their move at Sussex chess tournament
Posted on behalf of: Jenni Lacey
Last updated: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Credit: David Llada
The University of Sussex welcomed five grandmasters and chess players from around the world to its largest-ever chess tournament from 21-26 July.
The University of Sussex Chess Congress and Tournament, organised by the Sussex Student Chess Society, attracted over 200 players and 100 spectators - making it the biggest edition of the event since its launch in October 2024.
The tournament brought together aspiring young players (including 5-year-old Aahana Gupta), amateur enthusiasts and internationally recognised competitors for a celebration of the game on the University campus.
It featured three events running simultaneously at different locations across the campus:
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From 21-26 July, the Masters Tournament brought together elite players competing for a £4,000 prize fund as well as the opportunity to achieve prestigious international chess titles, including International Master and Grandmaster. The Sussex event is one of only six tournaments included in the English Chess Federation’s International Series calendar.
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A two-day Chess Summer School delivered in partnership with Sussex Junior Chess, took place from 23-24 July, giving younger players the opportunity to develop their skills and learn from experienced coaches.
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And from 24-26 July, amateur players of all abilities competed across three levels for an overall prize pool of £1,000.
Among the headline attractions were five Grandmasters competing in the Masters field.
Grandmaster Eldar Gasanov, from Ukraine was crowned winner of the Masters section with an 8/9 score.
Philip Amoak, 16, from Ghana won U2050 the highest amateur section and local competitor Christopher Jeffries, from Brighton and Hove, won the U1300 amateur section.
Professor Michael Luck, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of Sussex, attended the opening of theamateur tournament and made the first move against Malcolm Pein, Founder and CEO Chess in Schools and Community.
Professor Luck said: “As a computer scientist who has worked in the field of artificial intelligence for over 30 years, the tournament holds particular interest for me because chess has until recently been a measure of success in many different sub-fields of AI. Reasoning, analysis, search, and more. It’s terrific for Sussex to hosting such an event, with Grandmasters and with several international participants, and I hope we have many more to come.”
The tournament was organised by the University of Sussex Student Chess Society under the leadership of society president and tournament director Hooman Honarvarmahalati whose work helped establish the event as a recognised fixture in the national chess calendar.
Hooman said: “Sussex University chess festival is not just about chess it’s about chess community.I am proud to graduate from the University of Sussex after six years, helping to have shaped this festival that brought a week full of chess onto the Sussex campus.”
The occasion attracted further international attention through the attendance of David Llada, the seven-time World Championship chess photographer, who documented the event throughout the week.
The success of the event underlines the University of Sussex’s commitment to providing an outstanding student experience, where teaching is complemented by a rich programme of extracurricular opportunities.
The festival was helped and supported by the English Chess Federation, Kingston Chess Club, Brighton and Hove Chess Club, Sussex Junior Chess. There was an online qualifier tournament before the event held on Endgame.ai that supports inclusive chess.