In round one, Billy was paired against a favourite to win, International Master (IM) Matthew Wadsworth, who is playing on a Grand Master level. He has three Grand Master (GM) norms and only needs to reach 2500 to obtain his GM title. 

Matthew Wadsworth could not, however, have expected the valiant resistance which Billy, rated over 400 points lower, would put up. Despite being under severe pressure, position-wise and on the clock, Billy withstood everything that his opponent could throw at him and Wadsworth was left with no choice than to concede the draw.

With confidence gained from such a fantastic result (Wadsworth finished as the joint-winner of the whole tournament), Billy played brilliantly in round two to upset a 2348-rated FIDE Master (FM) from Poland. In round three he faced another FM, this time from Canada, and lost but still gave an excellent account of himself in defeat, pushing his opponent all the way.

In round four, he comfortably drew quickly with veteran IM Maki-Uuro of Finland and then defeated fellow member of the England National Junior Team, Harry Zheng, who is both older and higher rated. In round 6 he faced another Canadian, experienced IM Raymond Kaufman. It was another very competitive game which could have gone either way. Although a relieved IM prevailed, Billy won his next two games against a 2200+ rated Latvian opponent and FM Moritz Collin of Switzerland.

The reward was a final round showdown against International Master, Jovanka Houska and, moreover, Billy had the Black pieces. Once again, Billy rose to the occasion and achieved a very creditable draw.

It meant that Billy finished with a final score of 5.5/9, making him the highest-rated, untitled player in the tournament. But he will not be untitled for long! His performance earned him a whopping 137 rating points. This means he has officially crossed 2200 FIDE, overtaking a certain Mr Lam! Billy has now become eligible for the title of Candidate Master awarded by the International Chess Federation - all just months after turning 13 years old! Not even FIDE Master Richard Weaving, the strongest chess-playing alumnus to come out of Warwick School, had achieved such an achievement at this age. A young chess player's dream is becoming a Master one day, but the overwhelming majority of prospects will never join this exclusive club, let alone when they are still 13 years old!

Mr Lam says: "I have known Billy and taught him chess since he was five years old. It is fair to say that it was clear early on that he had extraordinary potential, in which he has more than lived up to the early promise he had shown. His chess talent has always been undeniable, but he has also shown that he has an unbeatable work ethic, fighting spirit, resilience and powers of recovery. The road to get to this point has been full of highs and so many memorable moments, but it has not been without obstacles and adversity. Billy has responded brilliantly to these. Just last Saturday, he suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the British National League. The majority of chess players would not have been able to get over this quickly, but for him to turn things around in such an otherworldly manner speaks for itself. I was confident that he could perform well in the tournament and gain points, as well as valuable playing experience, but gaining another chess master surpassed all expectations! I'm so proud of him and I know that school is too."

Congratulations to Billy for all of his achievements. We are excited to see what the future holds!