Halloween Chess Winner: Brit Champ Harold Plaskett Dominates Benidorm Blitz
Britain’s very own chess wizard, Harold James Plaskett, has conjured up a Halloween triumph at Benidorm’s notorious “Halloween Chess Superblitz” tournament, leaving a trail of defeated opponents in his wake. The Grandmaster, a long-time resident of Cartagena, Spain, achieved a flawless eight-point sweep in the high-speed 3+2 blitz format, storming to victory as he bagged the top prize of €300 out of a total €1,000 pot.
Plaskett’s perfect score saw him crowned the undisputed king of the board, leaving Venezuelan challenger Félix José Ynojosa Aponte to settle for second with a close 7.5 points. Spanish star Andrés Merario Alarcón took the third spot, narrowly missing out on second with seven points, tying with yet another Venezuelan, José Manuel Díaz Velandia, who followed in fourth place.
The Halloween Chess Superblitz, which took place on the eerie evening of November 1, attracted a total of 69 players, who battled it out in the dead of night at Benidorm’s Meliá Hotel. This ‘midnight madness’ event capped off the side tournaments ahead of the grand Benidorm Chess Open showdown, which wrapped up on Sunday, November 3.
As the final rounds of the main events, Open A and Open B, crept closer, tension reached fever pitch. In the Open A, the race narrowed to two contenders. Venezuela’s Félix José Ynojosa Aponte and Russia’s Polina Shuvalova were locked in a dramatic draw with six points each. Romanian Julián Sofronie lingered just half a point behind, ready to pounce like a chess-leopard should the leaders slip up.
Meanwhile, in Open B, Venezuela’s unstoppable Sebastián Martínez is mowing down the competition, boasting a perfect seven out of seven score. Hot on his heels was Alexander Nazarov, who trails by a single point, with a six-player pack fighting it out with 5.5 points each.
Benidorm’s beloved chess bash concluded on Sunday, November 3, with the final round and a lavish prize-giving ceremony at the Meliá Benidorm. Organisers from the Club de Ajedrez Caballo Blanco Benidorm, supported by chess heavyweights like FIDE, the Spanish Chess Federation, and the Federation of the Valencia Chess Community, promised a showdown to remember. Backed by the Benidorm City Council and the Alicante Provincial Council, the event has truly become a staple in the international chess calendar.