Michael Adams, a 54-year-old grandmaster from Taunton, experienced a significant setback at the British Championship when he resigned a rook endgame after 60 moves to Svyatoslav Bazakutsa in the fourth round. The defeat marked Adams’s first championship loss since 1988, ending an undefeated streak of 87 classical games in the competition. Adams had won nine British titles and was pursuing a record-equalling 10th crown, one short of the all-time record held by Jonathan Penrose.
The 2026 British Championship, which features 108 players competing for a £34,000 prize fund, is taking place at the University of Warwick in Coventry and concludes on Sunday. The competition has shown a marked youthful influence, with five of the eight leaders after the fifth round under age 21 and four of those still under 18. Notable young performers include Bodhana Sivanandan, 11 years old, who registered her fourth career victory against a grandmaster by defeating Ameet Ghasi with 99% accuracy in her game on Tuesday.
After six rounds, multiple competitors shared the lead with 5-6 points, including Bazakutsa, Harry Grieve, Adams, Luke McShane, and Shreyas Royal. McShane secured a marathon victory against Freddy Waldhausen Gordon in 119 moves after missing an earlier winning opportunity. The competitive field also includes several other strong performers hovering near the top positions. With three weekend rounds remaining, the tournament director noted that the possibility of a tied championship requiring a playoff on Sunday has increased significantly.
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