They say the best way to really know a subject is to write about it. I speculate it worked for the English grandmaster Danny Gormally, whose forthcoming book Tournament Battle Plan (Thinkers Publishing) perhaps inspired him to victory at the British Rapidplay Championships held in Peterborough earlier this month.
It must be said that Gormally was also the top seed. He won the title in a blitz playoff, after his winning score of 9/11 in the main event was matched by the Irish teenager Trisha Kanyamarala, who was awarded the title of British Women’s Rapidplay champion. (The event was open to Irish citizens.) Her patient and tactically alert play allowed her to far outshine her tournament seeding. The diagram position is from her final round game, where she has just played 24 Rd2-b2, chasing the black queen.
Trisha Kanyamarala-Tom Eckersley-Waites
British Rapidplay Championships, March 2024 (See above left)
24…Qxa3? Taking the bait, likely anticipating 25 Rxa3 Rc1+ 26 Qf1 Rxf1+ 27 Kxf1 Rxa3 with an equal endgame.
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