Jules Moussard Wins Pall Mall Masters 2026 Super Rapid in London

France's GM Jules Moussard won the Pall Mall Masters 2026 Super Rapid at London's Army and Navy Club with 7.5/10, a point ahead of Gawain Jones.

French GM Jules Moussard has won the Super Rapid at the 2026 Army and Navy Club Pall Mall Masters in London. Moussard scored 7.5 points from 10 games and finished a full point ahead of English GM Gawain Jones.

The Super Rapid was a 6-player double round-robin, which means every player met every other player twice, once with each colour. The time control was 15 minutes per player plus 5 seconds per move, and all ten rounds were played over a single weekend.

The field included six grandmasters: Moussard, Gawain Jones, Benjamin Bok of the Netherlands, Sergei Tiviakov of the Netherlands, Maxime Lagarde of France and Luke McShane of England. Bok finished third with 6 points and Tiviakov fourth with 5.5.

Moussard's result is especially impressive given the strength of the field. Scoring 7.5 out of 10 against five grandmasters in rapid chess requires consistent, accurate play under time pressure.

For McShane, the highest-rated player in the field and a strong classical player, it was a difficult weekend, and he finished at the bottom of the table. This is a good reminder that form can change from event to event. Even the best players have weekends when nothing goes right, especially at faster time controls where small mistakes are punished quickly.

The event took place in the historic Army and Navy Club on Pall Mall, a famous street in central London, adding a special atmosphere to the games.

Double round-robins have an interesting feature for students. Because you play every opponent twice, you get a chance to learn from your first game and try something different the second time. Strong players use the first game to understand an opponent's style and then adjust their approach. In your own club, try playing the same friend twice in a row with opposite colours and notice what you learn.

Congratulations to Jules Moussard on his victory.