STEPHEN PULLINGER The British Chess Championships in Yarmouth have been hailed as a massive success - attracting the highest entry for a number of years. Roy Hughes, finance director at Yarmouth College, which brought the event to the town for the first time since 1935, said: “We believe the final entry for all the tournaments is 876, which is 10pc up on last year's event in Swansea, considerably higher than the Isle of Man, the year before that, and 5pc up on Scarborough in 2004.

STEPHEN PULLINGER

The British Chess Championships in Yarmouth have been hailed as a massive success - attracting the highest entry for a number of years.

Roy Hughes, finance director at Yarmouth College, which brought the event to the town for the first time since 1935, said: “We believe the final entry for all the tournaments is 876, which is 10pc up on last year's event in Swansea, considerably higher than the Isle of Man, the year before that, and 5pc up on Scarborough in 2004. We have also had a lot of spectators throughout the event.”

He said players and spectators had both made a lot of positive comments about the facilities provided by the Suffolk Road college and the helpful attitude of staff and, more generally, people in the town.

Mr Hughes said: “The college has been laying on other services for players and spectators, including the Eating House and coffee shop, and hairdressing students have made a spectacular success of running their own micro-business for the fortnight. One student has even been offered a job at a salon on the strength of their performance.”

Some visitors accompanying chess players to the event, which finishes at the weekend, had even signed up for college day courses, such as cookery instruction.

“It has been an outstanding success and shows what the college can do during the lengthy periods between terms,” said Mr Hughes.

English Chess Federation spokesman Rob Jones said: “The college has proved an excellent venue and the response from players has been good. I am sure we will be coming back to Yarmouth a lot quicker next time.”

In the top event, the British Championship, top Norfolk players Paul Talsma, from Norwich Dons club, and Ken McEwan, from Broadland, were both on three out of eight yesterday, behind leaders Jacob Aagaard and Stewart Haslinger, both on six and a half points.