The 1st Rhyl congress was held in 1967 and an annual series ran unbroken through to the 53rd Rhyl congress held in 2019. Rhyl being the venue of the 1969 British Championships may well have provided an earlier boost to enthusiasm of the then organisers, Rhyl and Prestatyn Chess Club.

Covid raising its head will have explained the non-occurrence of a Rhyl congress in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The 54th Rhyl Congress was played from 22nd to 24th of September 2023 (see here), but then there was a hiccup as there was no Rhyl Congress in 2024. The 55th Rhyl Congress was held from 9th to 11th May 2025 (see here). There was then a 56th Rhyl congress ambitiously arranged for some time in September 2025, but that was cancelled at short notice around 2nd of August.

The cancelled event retained its ordinal “56th” and the next advertised Rhyl congress was announced for 18th to 20th of September 2026 and labelled “57th”. This event was “run and managed by” UK Chess Congress Limited, a private limited company incorporated on 16/06/2025, with only one officer and a correspondence address in Denbigh, about 10 miles inland from Rhyl. The “UK” in the name seems inappropriate as the organisation’s aspirations as stated on its website (https://www.rhylchesscongress.co.uk/about-us) seem limited to North Wales, and stated affinities are to the the Welsh Chess Union and implicitly not Cheshire & North Wales or the NCCU and (hence strictly out of scope of this website for result-reporting).

The congress website provides an entrant list, but there are no names in it! Was this event also cancelled? Usually, Chess-Results.com carries congress data live as the event progresses, but there is no trace of this 57th event on Chess-Results.com during the event. However, after the event, data appeared on the Chess-Result site at last.

The event was played from 18th to 20th of September 2026 at Rhyl Town Hall, Wellington Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire, LL18 1AE

Round-by-round results were as follows.

Open

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Keith C Arkell	2386	1	B	17	1	W	2	1	B	3	1	W	5	1	B	4
	Totnes			1			2			3			4			5		15
2	Harry Gardiner	1979	1	W	14	0	B	1	1	W	19	1	B	10	1	W	3
	Crewe			1			1			2			3			4		11
3	Oliver A Jackson	1998	1	B	20	1	W	13	0	W	1	1	B	8	0	B	2
	Cheshire & N Wales *			1			2			2			3			3		11
4	Roger D De Coverly	1943	1	B	21	½	W	5	½	B	7	1	W	12	0	W	1
	Bourne End			1			1½			2			3			3		10.5
5	Roy Ellames	2038	1	W	18	½	B	4	½	W	6	0	B	1	1	W	15
	Carlisle			1			1½			2			2			3		9.5
6	J. R. Smith	2011	½	-	bye	1	W	8	½	B	5	½	W	7	½	B	9
	Chester			½			1½			2			2½			3		9.5
7	Andrew Savage	1933	½	W	10	1	B	16	½	W	4	½	B	6	½	W	11
	Atticus			½			1½			2			2½			3		9.5
8	Roy Thomas	1774	1	W	12	0	B	6	1	B	13	0	W	3	1	B	14
	Leeds CCCC			1			1			2			2			3		9
9	Charles F Morris	2003	½	W	19	½	B	15	½	W	14	1	B	11	½	W	6
	Wrexham			½			1			1½			2½			3		8.5
10	Rajasekhar Pentakota	0	½	B	7	1	W	17	½	-	bye	0	W	2	½	B	12
	Chester			½			1½			2			2			2½		8.5
11	Chris Doran	1967	½	-	bye	½	B	19	1	W	15	0	W	9	½	B	7
	Chester			½			1			2			2			2½		8
12	Mike J Surtees	2029	0	B	8	1	-	bye	1	W	18	0	B	4	½	W	10
	Great Lever			0			1			2			2			2½		7.5
13	Denys Podcheriaeva	0	1	-	bye	0	B	3	0	W	8	1	W	17	½	B	16
				1			1			1			2			2½		7.5
14	Terrence Jiang	0	0	B	2	1	W	20	½	B	9	½	-	bye	0	W	8
	Wallasey			0			1			1½			2			2		6.5
15	Freya Austin	1751	½	-	bye	½	W	9	0	B	11	1	W	16	0	B	5
	Greater Manchester *			½			1			1			2			2		6.5
16	Oskar Jarzynski	0	½	-	bye	0	W	7	1	B	21	0	B	15	½	W	13
	Crewe			½			½			1½			1½			2		6
17	Jamie Roberts	1806	0	W	1	0	B	10	1	W	20	0	B	13	1	W	21
	Crewe			0			0			1			1			2		4
18	Sam Bakhshian	1791	0	B	5	½	W	21	0	B	12	½	-	bye	1	W	20
	Wallasey			0			½			½			1			2		4
19	Joe Ledgerton	1645	½	B	9	½	W	11	0	B	2
	Wallasey			½			1			1			1			1		4.5
20	Bobby Murray	1599	0	W	3	0	B	14	0	B	17	1	W	21	0	B	18
	Kidsgrove			0			0			0			1			1		2
21	Kobe Jones	0	0	W	4	½	B	18	0	W	16	0	B	20	0	B	17
	Cheshire & N Wales *			0			½			½			½			½		2

Major (U1850)

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Stephen A Horrell	1758	1	W	27	1	B	15	1	W	6	L	B	3	1	W	22
	Abergavenny			1			2			3			3			4		13
2	Scarlett Sanderson	1589	½	-	bye	1	W	28	1	W	4	½	B	22	½	B	11
	Cheshire Junior Knights			½			1½			2½			3			3½		11
3	Paul Keogh	1767	½	-	bye	1	W	33	1	B	21	W	W	1	1	B	7
	Cheshire & N Wales *			½			1½			2½			2½			3½		10.5
4	Martin J Burns	1850	½	-	bye	1	W	18	0	B	2	1	W	23	1	B	14
	Crewe			½			1½			1½			2½			3½		9.5
5	Michael I Connor	1729	½	-	bye	0	B	21	1	W	30	1	B	17	1	W	13
	Eccles Community			½			½			1½			2½			3½		8.5
6	Shion Rowlands	0	1	-	bye	1	W	7	0	B	1	+	W	29	1	W	8
	Rhyl & Prestatyn			1			2			2			2			3		10
7	James Weldon	1678	1	W	32	0	B	6	1	W	24	1	B	9	0	W	3
	West Yorkshire *			1			1			2			3			3		10
8	Stephen M Lloyd	1733	½	-	bye	1	W	31	½	B	29	1	W	13	0	B	6
	Chester			½			1½			2			3			3		10
9	Lorenzo Vino	0	½	-	bye	1	W	19	½	B	12	0	W	7	1	B	25
				½			1½			2			2			3		9
10	Mike Hollyman	1637	1	W	26	0	B	22	½	W	16	1	B	28	½	W	12
	Wales			1			1			1½			2½			3		9
11	Alan P Hiatt	1771	½	B	18	½	W	14	½	-	bye	1	B	19	½	W	2
	Carlisle			½			1			1½			2½			3		8.5
12	Jon Blackburn	1735	½	-	bye	½	B	24	½	W	9	1	W	21	½	B	10
				½			1			1½			2½			3		8.5
13	Stuart Hay	0	1	W	20	1	B	16	½	W	22	0	B	8	0	B	5
	Frome			1			2			2½			2½			2½		10.5
14	William Bartlett	1638	½	-	bye	½	B	11	½	W	17	1	B	26	0	W	4
	Ashton			½			1			1½			2½			2½		8
15	Barrie Wells	1593	1	W	25	0	W	1	½	B	23	½	B	16	½	W	29
	Colwyn Bay			1			1			1½			2			2½		8
16	John Harvey	1736	1	B	30	0	W	13	½	B	10	½	W	15	½	B	18
	Didcot			1			1			1½			2			2½		8
17	Jay Drawbridge	0	½	B	19	½	W	23	½	B	14	0	W	5	1	B	28
	Cheshire & N Wales *			½			1			1½			1½			2½		7
18	David P Price	1676	½	W	11	0	B	4	½	W	25	1	B	32	½	W	16
	Crewe			½			½			1			2			2½		6.5
19	Stephen Williams	1727	½	W	17	0	B	9	1	B	31	0	W	11	1	B	30
	Cwmbran			½			½			1½			1½			2½		6.5
20	Michael A Lee	1687	0	B	13	0	W	32	½	B	27	1	W	31	1	B	33
	Holmes Chapel			0			0			½			1½			2½		4.5
21	Catriona Coutts	0	½	-	bye	1	W	5	0	W	3	0	B	12	½	B	23
	Bangor University			½			1½			1½			1½			2		7
22	Ian Hayes	1759	+	W	35	1	W	10	½	B	13	½	W	2	0	B	1
	Wales			0			1			1½			2			2		6.5
23	Richard L Bowman	1707	½	-	bye	½	B	17	½	W	15	0	B	4	½	W	21
	Bingley & Keighley			½			1			1½			1½			2		6.5
24	Nigel Collins	1576	½	B	28	½	W	12	0	B	7	½	W	33	½	W	26
	Milton Keynes			½			1			1			1½			2		6
25	James Lee	1741	0	B	15	½	W	30	½	B	18	1	W	27	0	W	9
	Chester			0			½			1			2			2		5.5
26	Peter Fisher	1758	0	B	10	½	W	27	1	B	32	0	W	14	½	B	24
				0			½			1½			1½			2		5.5
27	Gregory Barker	1613	0	B	1	½	B	26	½	W	20	0	B	25	1	W	32
	Colwyn Bay			0			½			1			1			2		4.5
28	Paul Sadler	1741	½	W	24	0	B	2	1	B	33	0	W	10	0	W	17
	Wrexham			½			½			1½			1½			1½		5.5
29	Vincent Logan	1950	½	-	bye	+	B	34	½	W	8	-	B	6	½	B	15
	Greater Manchester *			½			½			1			1			1½		4.5
30	Paul Bevan	1534	0	W	16	½	B	25	0	B	5	1	-	bye	0	W	19
				0			½			½			1½			1½		4
31	Sandra G Blackburn	1564	½	-	bye	0	B	8	0	W	19	0	B	20	1	-	bye
	Alsager			½			½			½			½			1½		3.5
32	Paul Maddock	0	0	B	7	1	B	20	0	W	26	0	W	18	0	B	27
	Colwyn Bay			0			1			1			1			1		4
33	Hazel Austin	1599	½	-	bye	0	B	3	0	W	28	½	B	24	0	W	20
	Greater Manchester *			½			½			½			1			1		3.5
34	Deio Parri	1699	½	-	bye	-	W	29
	Caernarfon			½			½			½			½			½		2.5
35	Rob Coles	1643	-	B	22
	Wiltshire *			0			0			0			0			0		0

Minor (U1600)

No	Name	Grade		1			2			3			4			5		SPS

1	Garet Crossman	0	1	B	15	1	W	19	½	B	6	1	W	3	1	B	7
	Colwyn Bay			1			2			2½			3½			4½		13.5
2	Trevor R Blower	1592	½	B	25	1	W	7	1	B	14	1	W	17	1	B	4
	Barrow			½			1½			2½			3½			4½		12.5
3	Jeffrey Foy	1589	1	W	26	1	B	17	1	W	13	0	B	1	1	W	12
	Prescot & Knotty Ash			1			2			3			3			4		13
4	David Fernandez‑Arias	0	1	W	18	½	W	8	1	B	9	1	B	12	0	W	2
	Cheshire & N Wales *			1			1½			2½			3½			3½		12
5	Kevin Rayner	0	1	B	23	½	W	14	½	B	18	½	W	6	1	B	15
	Alsager			1			1½			2			2½			3½		10.5
6	Sam Bartlett	1540	½	-	bye	1	B	28	½	W	1	½	B	5	1	W	22
	Ashton			½			1½			2			2½			3½		10
7	Dafydd Roberts	0	1	W	11	0	B	2	1	W	22	1	B	8	0	W	1
				1			1			2			3			3		10
8	Con Carey	1648	1	W	27	½	B	4	½	-	bye	0	W	7	1	B	17
	Heywood			1			1½			2			2			3		9.5
9	Malcolm Green	1509	½	-	bye	1	B	20	0	W	4	½	B	10	1	W	21
	Crewe			½			1½			1½			2			3		8.5
10	Sophie Sharpe	0	0	B	14	1	-	bye	½	-	bye	½	W	9	1	W	20
				0			1			1½			2			3		7.5
11	Martin Cockerill	0	0	B	7	0	W	15	1	B	27	1	W	28	1	B	18
	Wallasey			0			0			1			2			3		6
12	Finley Davies	0	1	W	22	½	-	bye	1	B	19	0	W	4	0	B	3
	Wales *			1			1½			2½			2½			2½		10
13	Shanaya Chauhan	1532	½	-	bye	1	W	21	0	B	3	1	W	14
	Thornaby			½			1½			1½			2½			2½		8.5
14	James Coward	0	1	W	10	½	B	5	0	W	2	0	B	13	1	B	27
	Bushbury			1			1½			1½			1½			2½		8
15	Stephen Wilson	0	0	W	1	1	B	11	1	W	24	½	B	20	0	W	5
				0			1			2			2½			2½		8
16	Ryan Edwards	0	0	B	19	0	B	18	½	-	bye	1	W	25	1	W	24
	Wrexham			0			0			½			1½			2½		4.5
17	Joseph Lake	0	1	W	24	0	W	3	1	B	23	0	B	2	0	W	8
	Wales			1			1			2			2			2		8
18	Kenneth Jardine	1713	0	B	4	1	W	16	½	W	5	½	B	21	0	W	11
	Wanstead			0			1			1½			2			2		6.5
19	Peter J Hughes	1328	1	W	16	0	B	1	0	W	12	½	B	24	½	W	23
	Central Birmingham			1			1			1			1½			2		6.5
20	Christopher Lysons	1546	½	-	bye	0	W	9	1	B	25	½	W	15	0	B	10
	Eccles Community			½			½			1½			2			2		6.5
21	Jack Patullo	0	½	-	bye	0	B	13	1	W	28	½	W	18	0	B	9
	Crewe			½			½			1½			2			2		6.5
22	Stuart Hamilton	1200	0	B	12	1	W	25	0	B	7	1	W	26	0	B	6
	Rhyl & Prestatyn			0			1			1			2			2		6
23	David Bevan	0	0	W	5	1	B	26	0	W	17	½	-	bye	½	B	19
				0			1			1			1½			2		5.5
24	Thomas F Hynes	1554	0	B	17	1	W	27	0	B	15	½	W	19	0	B	16
	Urmston			0			1			1			1½			1½		5
25	Lawrence Harold	0	½	W	2	0	B	22	0	W	20	0	B	16	1	B	26
	Eccles Community			½			½			½			½			1½		3.5
26	Gregory Howard	0	0	B	3	0	W	23	1	-	bye	0	B	22	0	W	25
	Rhyl & Prestatyn			0			0			1			1			1		3
27	John Giannini	0	0	B	8	0	B	24	0	W	11	1	-	bye	0	W	14
	Wales *			0			0			0			1			1		2
28	Amit Chauhan	0	½	-	bye	0	W	6	0	B	21	0	B	11
	Thornaby			½			½			½			½			½		2.5

There was an earlier website set up (https://rhylandprestatynchessclub.com/about-us.html) which was not developed beyond a page titled “Some History”. In case that website disappears, the text is reproduced here, as it is worth preserving:

Some History

The founding of the Rhyl Chess Club in 1966 was long overdue. Until then, North Wales enthusiasts seeking competitive chess could only contemplate the lengthy return journey to the Mold club, which played in the second division of the Chester and District Chess League.

It was not difficult for local GP Dr. Ervin Kraus to persuade a gathering of twenty players to form an organised club. Ervin Kraus was elected as the club's first chairman and the club would meet at the Morville Hotel on Thursday nights from September to May. The club was readily welcomed to the first division of the Chester and District Chess League (established in 1954). A Rhyl second team was to play in the League's second division.

Ervin Kraus and Hungarian émigré Jo Jarvis were Rhyl's strongest players and a match for most of the League's top players. They were well backed up by a squad of keen and improving players; among these were Team Captain Derek Mount, Club Secretary Neville Layhe, and Lithuanian Einar Ligema. At last, in the 1972–73 season, Rhyl won the League's first division championship.

Surprisingly, it took another twenty years for Rhyl to win the League's first division championship again – in season 1992–93, Harvey Curtis' ninth and final year as First Team Captain. Rhyl has also won the League's prestigious Team Handicap Knock–out Trophy four times. Most of Rhyl's trophies have been picked up by the second team and the third team (established in season 1976–77). They have won the second division four times and the third division six times – four of these during Elwyn Thomas' fifteen years reign as Third Team Captain (1978–79 to 1992–93).

The Rhyl Chess Club was just two years old when, ambitiously, it launched the first Rhyl Spring Chess Congress held at the Rhyl Town Hall over a long weekend in May 1967. The enterprise was welcomed and supported by the local council and Councillor John Conway donated a fine silver cup. The enthusiasm and hard work of the club members was rewarded; the chess weekend was a great success and Rhyl celebrated the outstanding play of Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis who finished joint winners of the top section. The Rhyl Chess Congress has become a permanent and well supported annual fixture in the British chess calendar attracting many overseas players as well as enthusiasts from all over the British Isles.

The top section of the Rhyl Chess Congress has become The North Wales Open Tournament and is frequently won by one of the well–known Grandmasters. Tony Miles, Nigel Short, Matthew Sadler, Mark Hebden, Nigel Davies, George Botterill and Keith Arkell have all come and conquered and in turn delighted and amazed countless amateur players and spectators.

By 1969, all chess players knew that Rhyl had a chess club to be proud of for the town had been chosen as the venue for that year's annual British Chess Championships. This demanded reliable support from the Rhyl Chess Club members – and this was not lacking. The event was held at Ysgol Llewelyn, Rhyl and went well. Rhyl's favourites (Ervin Kraus and Jo Jarvis) competed in the major section won by Dr J Penrose who thus became the British Chess Champion for the tenth (and last) time – a record unlikely to be surpassed.

The success of the Rhyl Chess Club has encouraged the formation of other stable clubs in North Wales; clubs in Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Ruthin and Holywell have enhanced the chess scene, but none can rival the pedigree and ambition of Rhyl.