Annual Winton British Soliview Championship Puzzle
This week’s puzzle offers Guardian readers the opportunity to engage in the annual national contest, which typically includes a variety of performances. The diagram shows the white pieces making their usual moves on the board, with a checkmate in two against the black defense.
The puzzle marks the beginning of the Winton British Soliview Championship, organized by the British Chess Problems Association. This event is exclusively for UK residents, and entering is free of charge. To take part, send White’s first move to Nigel Dennis, Boundary House, 230 Glaze Road, Henry Onthames, Oxon RG9 1QY, or email winton@theproblemist.org.
All entries need to be submitted or emailed by July 31, 2025, and participants should include their name and home address. Those under 18 must also provide their date of birth by August 31, 2024. Remember to label your entry as “Guardian.”
After the deadline, solutions for the first stage problem will be reviewed, and competitors will receive feedback. Correct submissions will move on to a mail round featuring eight challenging puzzles, allowing ample time for resolution. The top 15 to 20 competitors, along with the best juniors, will earn invites to the finals at Hello School on Saturday, February 21, 2026, with expected prizes totaling £1,500.
The eventual winner will be crowned the 2025 World Solving Championship, where Great Britain often performs well, and it will also qualify for the UK team. In July 2024, John Nun, a silver medalist, alongside the British team, which just recently secured the gold medal for the first time since 2007 in Jurmala, Latvia, will be competing.
This initial puzzle is tricky, with both white and black pieces seemingly scattered across the board. There are some close calls to be wary of. The obvious first move often doesn’t yield the expected results. It’s easy to make a mistake, so I’d advise double-checking your answer before you submit it. Good luck to everyone from the Guardian participating in this challenge!
Chess history may experience a significant moment this weekend.
In Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, an 11-year-old Argentine named “Cess Messi,” Fautino Oro, is set to pursue the record held by Abhimanumishra, who became the youngest grandmaster in history at just 12 years and four months.
Oro already has two out of the three required GM standards and could break Mishra’s record by enhancing his rating from the current 2454 if he scores 1.5/3 in the remaining Sharjah games.
With three out of nine rounds left, Oro has performed well, achieving an undefeated 3.5/6 with a tournament performance rating of 2560. All of his opponents have ratings above 2550.
Meanwhile, 10-year-old Roman Shoziev from Rome, Russia, seeks to challenge Oro’s world record, having been a GM in Blitz since age seven. With two months until his 11th birthday, he’s making strides.
Shoziev has shown promise in Belgrade, competing in a low-tier event where he aimed for a 7.5/9 IM norm, but was also invited to play in the Blitz tournament against top Russian GMs like Andrey Esipenko and Alexey Dreev, managing to secure victories against both.
So far in Belgrade, Shoziev has a solid 4.5/5, needing just a few more rating points. Within reach is Oro’s record of 10 years and 8 months for the IM World Age Record. Signs suggest that this young talent might be on the path to reinvigorating the illustrious legacy of Russian chess.
