GM Michael Adams said it was probably his best ever result to win the London Chess Classic 2023 at the age of 52. He clinched the title with a draw against the future of English chess, 14-year-old IM Shreyas Royal, who described himself as “really happy and really excited” to make a second grandmaster norm. GM Gukesh Dommaraju went into the round with a tiny chance of getting the sole first place he needed for Candidates qualification, but instead crashed to defeat against GM Hans Niemann.

The 13th edition of the London Chess Classic finally saw an Englishman top the table.

Final Standings

It was his ninth time competing in the top English event.

Mickey Adams Shows That Class Is Permanent

A careful 31-move draw with the black pieces against Royal saw Adams wrap up at least a tie for first place. He’d won three games, lost none, and gained 13.3 rating points to climb to 2674.3—far off his peak of world number-four and a 2761 rating, but ample proof that even in his sixth decade, Adams has still got it! 

If anyone caught him, prize money would be shared, while a two-player tie would be decided by a rapid playoff. For a while that looked a strong possibility, with GM Amin Tabatabaei winning out of the opening against GM Jules Moussard. It was very tricky, however, and Tabatabaei allowed his opponent to wriggle out into a tricky endgame, which ultimately ended in a 64-move draw. 

The draw meant that Adams had won £15,000 (~$19,000) and joined the likes of World Champions Magnus Carlsen (four times), Vladimir Kramnik, and Viswanathan Anand in winning the London Chess Classic title. He also became the first English player to take the title. 

It crowned what Adams called a “crazy, crazy year” where he played over 90 classical games and won the Cambridge International, the British and English titles, the World Senior Individual Championship, and individiual gold in the World Senior Teams Championship (England took silver). Despite all that, he told Leon Watson of Chess.com:

Overall I lost rating, so it’s a bit of a strange year, and before here I was losing a lot of rating actually. I’m probably still over-rated, I suspect, in the modern chess world, but I always kind of after lockdown wanted to try playing a lot one year, and this year it just sort of happened!

Adams’ win in London was remarkably smooth, except for one game.

To win the London Classic is obviously pretty amazing, even though it was really just incredible luck in this game against Moussard that I won from a lost position, because I think it’s kind of clear I was out of energy by the second half of the tournament.

Adams saved his most remarkable comment for when he was asked how this victory ranked among his achievements.

I think it’s huge, because to win any tournament at the age of 52 is just really amazing, and this one is a completely different level to the other successes I had this year, so I think in many ways it’s probably my best ever result! Because other tournaments that I won were when I was in my prime as a player, and it’s completely different now, a completely different challenge to play when you’re playing people so much younger than yourself.

I think in many ways it’s probably my best ever result!

—Michael Adams

Where does winning the #LondonChessClassic rank for @MickeyAdamsGM?
“It’s huge, because to win any tournament at the age of 52 is just really amazing & this one is a completely different level to the other successes I had this year—in many ways it’s probably my best ever result!” pic.twitter.com/gomHp54LtN

— chess24.com (@chess24com) December 10, 2023

Adams was able to combine that fantastic result with watching a young apprentice rise to the challenge of what might have been a baptism of fire.

Shreyas Royal Makes 2nd Grandmaster Norm

The other big story in the final round was that 14-year-old IM Royal, who came into the event rated around two hundred points lower than any other player, made a draw to finish on 4/9, post a 2600+ performance, and earn his second grandmaster norm. 

Royal said, “no, not really, actually,” when asked if he’d felt pressure before the final round, later explaining that it made all the difference that he only needed a draw: 

If you have the white pieces against Mickey and you need a draw I think he’s probably actually the best guy to face. If you need to beat him, then I think he’s the worst to face!

“I’m slowly making my way up there,” said Royal about his goal of getting the 2500-rating he needs, along with a third and final GM norm, to gain the grandmaster title.

Tournament organizer IM Malcolm Pein commented on the English success:

As Garry Kasparov would say, it’s been lucky 13 for the London Chess Classic this year. Absolutely outstanding fighting chess and quality of play. I couldn’t have asked for more. Congratulations to Mickey Adams for his victory and, of course, congratulations also to Shreyas for his second GM norm which totally vindicates what was a difficult decision to invite him.

Congratulations also to Shreyas for his second GM norm which totally vindicates what was a difficult decision to invite him.

—Malcolm Pein

Adams in fact thought that the decision to invite Royal wasn’t so tough, at least after the youngster’s performance in the FIDE Grand Swiss 2023, and that now, “at his best he has no problem to play with high 2600 players.” Adams noted a big recent improvement:

It’s just a huge step forward for him, I think, because I was checking his games a bit before the Grand Swiss. Of course he was a promising player, but suddenly he’s just jumped hugely in level. The Grand Swiss and here, he just looks very accomplished, totally happy playing with top players, and it’s just a massive leap forward for him, and it’s great news.

What does @MickeyAdamsGM think of 14-year-old @shrez_royal09‘s performance in the #LondonChessClassic?
“He was a promising player, but suddenly he’s just jumped hugely in level! The Grand Swiss & here he just looks very accomplished, totally happy playing with top players” pic.twitter.com/xfAwyjmKMT

— chess24.com (@chess24com) December 10, 2023

The future of English chess is starting to look much brighter. 

Bartel Makes Draw, Niemann Beats Gukesh

Two of the remaining results in the final round stand out.

London Chess Classic Round 9 Results

One is that after four wins and four losses, GM Mateusz Bartel finally made a draw. His opponent, GM Nikita Vitiugov, had a very disappointing winless result in his first London Classic since switching to the English Chess Federation, but is not a player you can beat at will.

The other standout result was of course the one decisive game. Gukesh’s very faint hopes of overtaking GM Anish Giri in the race to qualify for next year’s Candidates were over as soon as Adams made a draw, but he still had a chance to win against Niemann and tie for first place. Alas for Indian chess fans, one false move—castling kingside instead of queenside—and a very promising position turned into a dead-lost one. Niemann made no mistake.

That’s our Game of the Day, analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao below.

Niemann ended on 50 percent, but you couldn’t deny he had some bragging rights.

Did the chess speak? @anishgiri pic.twitter.com/r0cuBLTVZI

— Hans Niemann (@HansMokeNiemann) December 10, 2023

Giri can’t book his flight to the Toronto Candidates just yet, however, since we’re expecting Gukesh to play in a hastily-arranged super-grandmaster tournament in Indian in the next week. More twists are almost guaranteed! 

How to replay the 2023 London Chess Classic