Yet another Eastern European carve-up marked the end of the 16th Monarch Assurance chess tournament at Port Erin on the Isle of Man. Although this chess event is to be the last one supported by the original sponsor there will be a different form of chess event on the island next year. British chess is indebted to Patrick Taylor of Monarch Assurance and Dennis Hemsley the original organiser of the tournament. Final scores: Yuri Yakovich, Mikhail Kobalia (Russia), Vitali Golod, Michael Roiz (Israel), Zahar Efimenko (Ukraine), Mateusz Bartel (Poland) 6½/9 British chess players have done badly at the Isle of Man but I cannot remember a Monarch chess tournament where there was no Briton in the top 25 finishers as happened ...

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