What a day at the far end of Wales.

The 1st Fishguard Rapidplay turned out to be the largest Rapidplay tournament in Wales: 60 players, 20 clubs, 4 FIDE Masters and entries from four federations, all packed into Fishguard for seven rounds of quick chess. An incredible occasion that showed exactly what chess in Pembrokeshire is capable of producing.

Eight members of Haverfordwest Chess Club made the trip. We are all immensely proud of how they performed and how they represented the club.

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Photos: Fishguard Chess Club

Top Performances

Shailendra was the standout performer from the club, finishing 17th out of 60 with 4 points from 7 rounds. A genuinely impressive result in a field of this quality. Against a draw of 60 players including four FIDE Masters and strong club players from across Wales and England.

Close behind, Huw (34th) and Rhys (38th) both scored 3 points from 7, performing well in a tough field and finishing inside the top two-thirds of the draw.

Well done also to Ryan, John and James, who all scored points and picked up some great wins along the way.

Juniors Flying the Flag

A special mention for Huw and Joseph, who represented the club as its junior members. Huw finished 34th in the field with 3 points from 7, a brilliant result at this level. Joseph picked up 2 points against rated opposition in what was a serious competitive test. Both stepped up to the plate and scored. Thanks to both Huw and Joseph for taking part.

The Bigger Picture

The growth of chess in Pembrokeshire over the last year has been remarkable. Twelve months ago there was a single club in the whole county (Pembrokeshire Chess Club in Steynton). In the space of one year, four more have opened: Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Narberth and Tenby, with three more planned for later in 2026.

Events like this show there is real demand for chess in the region, and Haverfordwest Chess Club is right at the heart of it. We're looking forward to giving our members more opportunities to play competitive chess, and days like Saturday are only the start!

Full results are available at chess-results.com.

A huge thank you to Kevin and Fishguard Chess Club for organising an outstanding event. Putting together a 60-player, 7-round tournament of this standard is no small feat, and they pulled it off brilliantly. For many of our members, Saturday was their first taste of serious competitive chess, and it won't be their last.