— from Chess.com
GM Michael Adams said it was probably his best-ever result to win the London Chess Classic 2023 at the age of 52. He clinched the title with a draw against the future of English chess, 14-year-old IM Shreyas Royal, who described himself as ‘really happy and really excited’ to make a second grandmaster norm. The 13th edition of the London Chess Classic finally saw an Englishman atop the table. Further quotes can be found here on the EC Forum — https://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=13752&start=120
The other big story in the final round is that 14-year-old IM Royal, who came into the event rated around 200 points lower than any other player, made a draw to finish on 4/9, post a 2600+ performance, and earn his second grandmaster norm. Royal said, ‘No, not really, actually,’ when asked if he’d felt pressure before the final round, later explaining that it made all the difference that he needed just a draw, ‘If you have the white pieces against Mickey and you need a draw, I think he’s probably actually the best guy to face. If you need to beat him, then I think he’s the worst to face!’
Photograph courtesy of Agnieszka Milewska/London Chess Classic