King’s Gambit Themed Tournament: Romantic Chess at Its Best
Derby Chess Club’s October “Friendly Shield” event (Tuesday 7/10/25) celebrated the daring spirit of the King’s Gambit, with every game starting from one of eight famous variations of this classic opening. Across four rounds, players faced new positions each time — from the sharp Kieseritsky Gambit to the elegant Bishop’s Gambit, the combative Nimzowitsch Counter-Gambit, and the solid Fischer’s Defence.
Play gets underway in the first round.
The result was a festival of attacking chess. Sacrifices flew, kings marched, and games were decided in flurries of tactics — a true tribute to the romantic era of the game.
After the smoke cleared, John emerged victorious with a perfect 4/4 score demonstrating remarkable consistency and composure through a series of wild positions.
A special mention goes to Leonid, who impressed everyone in his first Friendly Shield tournament finishing second on 3 points.
John and Leonid face off in the final round - the Cunningham defence on the board.
The final table was:
| -Rank- | -Name- | -Pts- |
| 1 | Tompson John C | 4 |
| 2 | Siedielnikov Leonid | 3 |
| Hussain Shah | 3 | |
| Williams David | 3 | |
| 5 | Rowbottom Jake | 2 |
| Sharp Chris | 2 | |
| Burdell G | 2 | |
| Cockburn Andre | 2 | |
| Shendidy Sherif | 2 | |
| 10 | Kennedy Alan | 1½ |
| Wastie Asher | 1½ | |
| 12 | Gahonia Josh | 1 |
| Morrel Curtis | 1 | |
| 14 | Longworth David | 0 |
Detailed results are available here.
The positions used were:
The event was not only a competition but a celebration of bold, creative chess — the kind that reminds us why the King’s Gambit has fascinated players for over four centuries.
Kevin 10/10/25