Interest in English one-day blitz tournaments is growing rapidly. They offer the chance to compete in officially ranked events with many rounds without the financial pressures of overnight accommodation, and give amateurs and juniors a rare chance to take on established masters, with a chance of an upset result.
This year the English Chess Federation has doubled the number of qualifying events for the UK Blitz Championship, whose final is at Leamington in November, from eight to 16, and organised three qualifiers in Greater London rather than just one. All three tournaments, in Hampton, Harrow and Golders Green, were well attended, especially the last, staged last Saturday.
