Shreyas Royal Wins the 2026 British Chess Championship

GM Shreyas Royal won the 2026 British Chess Championship with 7.5/9 after beating Harry Grieve in the final round, ahead of Luke McShane and Michael Adams.

GM Shreyas Royal is the 2026 British Chess Champion. The young English grandmaster won the title at the University of Warwick with 7.5 points from 9 games, finishing half a point ahead of GM Luke McShane and GM Michael Adams.

Royal's final two rounds were nerve-racking. In round 8 he had the black pieces against Michael Adams, and the game ended in a quick draw. In the final round he faced IM Harry Grieve, who was also in contention. Royal won in 54 moves of the Queen's Gambit Declined, finishing the game with checkmate, to take the title outright.

Luke McShane recovered well from his round 7 loss to Royal. He beat GM Simon Williams in the final round to finish on 7 points. Michael Adams also won his final game, against FM Supratit Banerjee, to share second place.

Royal finished the tournament with six wins and three draws and did not lose a single game. His victory over McShane in round 7, followed by the last-round win against Grieve, showed both quality and nerve.

There was also a playoff at the end of the event between two of the leading women in the field, FM Bodhana Sivanandan and WGM Trisha Kanyamarala. After a draw in the first playoff game, Bodhana won the second.

Royal's title is an inspiring story for young players. He has risen through the junior ranks to become one of the strongest players in his country, and winning a national championship ahead of experienced grandmasters is a major milestone.

There is a clear lesson in how he finished. Going into the last round, a draw might not have been enough to win the title. Royal kept playing positive chess, created chances and converted them. Whether you need a win or a draw, play the position in front of you with confidence, and do not let the importance of the game freeze your thinking.

Congratulations to the new British Champion.