We are pleased to announce that this year’s British Chess Championships will be held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool and the Liverpool Holiday Inn, with events running from 31st July to 10th August 2025.
St George’s Hall is a landmark building on St George’s Place, opposite Lime Street railway station in the centre of Liverpool, England. The Liverpool Holiday Inn is located in Lime Street and is a four minute walk from St George’s Hall. All Championship and supporting tournaments will take place in St George’s Hall, apart from the Weekend Congress from 1st – 3rd August and the final Saturday Rapidplay on the 9th August which will both take place in the Holiday Inn.
This will be the 111th British Chess Championship in a series which has run almost unbroken since 1904. The last time we were in Liverpool was for the 95th British in 2008 which was also held at St George’s Hall with details as per the ChessMoves report here – https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/95th-british-chess-championship-in-liverpool-2008/
The ECF would like to thank Liverpool City Council, St George’s Hall, Visit Liverpool, the Chess Trust, and the John Robinson Youth Chess Trust for their support for the 2025 Liverpool British, which we look forward to being one of the strongest ever.
Key
A = am; P = pm; E = evening. Numbers denote round numbers. PO = playoff (if required)
Session Times
A = 09.15 start (except for the morning Rapidplay which will start at 10.30 am, and the final round of the main Championship, Major Open and Senior Championships which will all start at 10.00)
P = 14.30 start
E = 19.00 start (except for the Junior Blitz which will start at 18.00)
Time Controls
Blue = Standard – 40 moves in 90 mins, remaining moves in 30 mins, with 30s increment per move from move 1
Yellow = Standard – All moves in 90 mins with 30s increment per move from move 1
Orange = Rapid – All moves in 15 mins with 10s increment per move from move 1
Pink = Blitz – All moves in 3 mins with 2s increment per move from move 1
Tournament Rules
Click here – 2025 British Chess Championship Tournament Rules
Eligibility and Qualifying
The British Championship, British Junior Championships and British Senior Championships are restricted to citizens of the UK, British Overseas Territories, or the Republic of Ireland or players who have been resident for the last 12 months as at 30th June 2025 in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man.
In addition players wanting to take part in the main British championship will need to qualify based on their title, rating or other qualification criteria as set out in –
a) the 2025 British Championships Eligibility and Qualification Regulations – Qualification Regulations 2025
and
b) the supporting British Grand Prix Rules – BGP Rules 2024-25
The final list of qualifying players for the British Championships will be published in June 2025.
The British Junior and British Seniors Championships are open to all eligible players based on citizenship or residency as above with no specific qualification requirements.
All other events outside of the British Championship, British Junior Championships and British Senior Championships are open events with no specific eligibility or qualification requirements.
| English players MUST be members of the English Chess Federation at Gold level or above for all events. Players from other home nations should be members of their respective federations. Entrants are encouraged to ensure that they have the correct level of membership before the event begins. If you are unsure the office can advise on 01424775222 between 0900 and 1700 weekdays. |
Tournament Details
Follow the links below for tournament details and online entry form —
https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/standardplay-championships-and-major-open/
https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/weekend-and-weekday-events-2025/
https://www.britishchesschampionships.co.uk/quickplay-events-2025/
| ENTER ONLINE |
Liveboards and Commentary
As in previous years, the main championship games will be played on liveboards and broadcast to the internet. There will also be an on-site commentary team at St George’s Hall to provide analysis of the games in progress.
Enquiries
Enquires about the event should be sent by email to the British Championships Manager or made by phone to the ECF Office.
Email: manager.british@englishchess.org.uk
Tel: 01424 775222 (between 0900 and 1700 weekdays)
Chess Festival
The Chess Festival and Social Programme will run alongside the Championship and Tournament events and will include Outdoor Social Chess, Simultaneous Displays, Team events, Chess masterclasses, and a programme of social and cultural activities centred around the game.
