Ryde Town Council is proud to support the Wightlink Isle of Wight Chess Tournament, which brought over 400 visitors to Ryde in February and filled many local hotels. Throughout the week, players could be seen enjoying the town’s bars and restaurants, with fantastic feedback from all involved.

We hope this becomes a regular fixture in Ryde and a must-visit event on the European chess calendar.

Ryde Town Council Mayor, Richard May, had the honour of making the ceremonial final move on Board 1 for GM Bobby Cheng in a fiercely contested match against English International Master Matthew Wadsworth.

Wadsworth needed a win to secure the trophy and potentially achieve his GM title. After a thrilling back-and-forth battle, the game ended in a draw, with both players tying for first place. Cheng lifted the trophy as the overall winner after ranking tie-breaks