Grandmaster accolade for Mersey chess star

Sep 8 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

THE first chess Grandmaster to come out of Merseyside for 100 years was thrilled last night with his achievement at the UK-China Summit Match in St George’s Hall.

During the contest, which ends tomorrow, 25-year-old Stewart Haslinger, from Ainsdale, near Southport, has scored enough points to give him the coveted title, which he will formally receive later this year.

Stewart set time aside to concentrate on honing his chess skills after finishing his masters in maths at Liverpool University last year, and has achieved the title much earlier than he expected.

“According to my brother and sister, I started playing when I was about four, but I don’t remember,” he said.

“I pestered my dad to teach me and that’s how it started.

“I became a member of Formby Chess Club and still carried on to play at university in the holidays.

“I decided to take a couple of years off to try and gain a Grandmaster title but did not expect to get there this quickly. I will just see what happens with the chess now.

“I am so pleased, it has always been my ambition.”

Only 1% of top chess players achieve the accolade, which is awarded for life. Players must score a certain amount of points in one event and, in addition, at least two favourable results in other tournaments, called norms, are needed.

The tournaments have to be of a very high standard and include other Grandmasters.

The summit yesterday, in its fourth day, also saw the youngest ever female Grandmaster, 13-year-old Hou Yifan, of the Chinese team, play against British Supremo Nigel Short, often regarded as the UK’s strongest ever player.

Twin sisters Angela and Maria Eagle, MPs for Wallasey and Garston, paid a visit to the event, where an international tournament is also taking place to complement the summit. The pair are former international chess players and competed from the age of eight to 18.

Tournament organiser Professor David Robertson, Head of the Public Policy Institute at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “This week of chess has been incredible. China were comfortably leading until Thursday afternoon when the UK team put up a great fight, which has now made the contest very close as we enter the last three rounds.

“Again, just like last year's contest in Liverpool, we have been truly staggered by the phenomenal worldwide interest on the internet.

“It really does just reinforce the enormous interest in chess and highlights Liverpool as a city which is playing a leading role in the chess world.”

The tournament, sponsored by the Liverpool Culture Company and the Mersey Partnership, is another step in the run-up to Liverpool hosting the biggest Chess tournament in Britain for 100 years in 2008.

The winners of the tournament will be announced at a prize giving ceremony on Sunday at 5pm in the Holiday Inn Hotel, Lime Street.

lizawilliams