The Preliminary Round of the Knockout 2025 tournament saw the field of players reduced to 16. The remaining players have now been paired for Round 1. The Knockout 2025 is organised by Steve Dunleavy.

Round 1 player pairings

1. Chris Button vs Theo Horne
2. Rose Saunders vs Sam Murphy
3. Stephen Lineker Miller vs Isaac Yip
4. Eric Jones vs John Davis
5. Rob Sims vs Mathew Staniforth
6. Patrick Pavey vs Dick Meredith
7. Keven Lamb vs Bill Purkiss
8. David Culliford vs Rob Strachan

In addition to the above please take note of the following;

1. The player drawn first plays with white in the event of a draw colours are reversed
2. All games to be played by 10^th June(club nights 20/5, 27/5,3/6/10/6) please let me know if you need an extension after  the deadline date
3. All results to be emailed to me straight after the game has been played can you also email me the date the game has been arranged to be played(to enable me to monitor the progress of this round)
4. In the event of a draw can you please try to rearrange the game before the deadline date 10^th June
5. Both clocks to be set at 80+ 10
6. Good luck and enjoy thanks for entering this competition

Kind Regards

Steve

Tournament organiser Steve Dunleavy announces the start of the new Knockout 2025 Tournament . He has run the Knockout since the first one in 2017. This year 30 players have entered. Through a series of knock-out rounds, one will emerge the winner.

Knockout 2025 main features

The Knockout 2025 competition comprises a Preliminary Round, with 4 byes, which will reduce the original 30 entrants to 16 players, then successive Rounds halve that to 8, 4, and 2 players, until the winner is revealed.

The first-named player of each pairing plays with white.

The rate of play is 80 minutes each plus 10 seconds increment per move.

The Preliminary Round Pairings

• Steve Saunders v David Culliford
• Stephen Kirby vs Matt Staniforth                                                       
• James Gray v William Purkiss
• Theo Horne v Geoff Parish
• Rob Strachan v Andrew Mills
• Sam Spencer v John Davis
• Ian Parker v Richard Meredith
• Steve Dunleavy v Hin Long Isaac Yip
• Peter Przybycin v Robert Sims
• John Kooner v Rose Saunders
• Eric Jones v Graham Stuart
• Alan Weaver v Keven Lamb                                  

Preliminary Round Byes

• Patrick Pavey
• Stephen Lineker Miller
• Chris Button
• Sam Murphy                                                                                                     

LMS for the Preliminary Round

Knockout 2025 Rules

• The player named first plays with white.
• Games to be played at a rate of play of 80+10.
• All preliminary games to be played by the 21st April (3 weeks time) and the results to be reported to me Steve Dunleavy by email asap thereafter.
• In the event of a draw colours are to be reversed and the game still to be played by the 21st April.
• The draw was made today by myself Steve Dunleavy and Suzan to get the ball rolling as soon as possible  after the closure date for entries of  the 31st March.
• There were 30 entries, 4 byes, and 13 preliminary games will take us to 16 and then 8,4,2 thereafter.
• Enjoy the competition!