The second Under One Sky (UOS) charity blitz chess tournament fundraiser took place in the David Lloyd George Room at the National Liberal Club on Friday the 7th August. UOS is a UK charity that aims to tackle the worst and most obvious form of homelessness, street homelessness. Miss Birrane is herself a regular team-leading ‘Skywalker’, helping to serve food, refreshments and other necessities but often – more importantly – making genuine human connection with homeless people in Central London.
Our inaugural event was held in 2024; see Birrane’s blitz brainchild but this year was an opportunity to make it bigger and better. The event did not disappoint. Over £3,500 was raised on the night with further donations and Gift Aid taking the total past £4,000.
Thank you to all who donated so generously to UOS. Many of you donated even though were unable to play in the tournament. A good proportion of you donated more than the requested minimum to take part in the tournament.
From left, Mister Mikkel Juel Iversen (UOS Founder and Co-Lead), Ms Julia Lalla-Maharajh OBE (UOS Co-Lead), Miss Emma Birrane (NLC Member and Chess UOS Charity Chess Tournament Supremo) and Doctor Richard Saldanha (NLC Chess Captain). Photo courtesy of Mister Nick Cornwall, Nick Cornwall Photography.
Introducing Under One Sky
The evening kicked off with Mister Mikkel Juel Iversen telling us about Under One Sky. He handed over to Mister Andrew Mtizwa-Mubayiwa who spoke movingly and powerfully about the plight of homeless people in the UK. Mister Mtizwa-Mubayiwa was a teacher with a stable, middle-class life before becoming homeless himself. He lived on the streets for 20 years but thanks to UOS and his own efforts he is homeless no more. Mr Mtizwa-Mubayiwa ended by reciting one of his published poems for the audience present; see https://www.instagram.com/homelessinpoetry.
Mister Andrew Mtizwa-Mubayiwa (UOS Advisor and Poet) speaks powerfully about the plight of the homeless in the UK. (Mr Mikkel Juel Iversen in the background.) Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
A tour of the Club
Mister Charles Gillett, the NLC’s very own Archivist generously gave interested attendees a tour of the Club.
A total of 51 people attended our event, many as spectators. A number of people were treated to an expert guided tour of the Club by Mister Charles Gillett (NLC Archivist). Roughly 14 different clubs or other affliations were represented at the event. In true Liberal fashion, these ranged from UK Parliament and the Bank of England to Yas Queen! (an LGBTQ+ women-led chess club).
Mister Gillett joined the NLC specifically to contribute to the preservation of Club and, in particular, the building it occupies. Appointed as the NLC’s Archivist in 2020, he is now responsible for conserving the Club’s archives (which stretch back to its formation in 1882), adding to the collection and making these archives available to legitimate researchers and – through occasional articles in the Club’s magazine – to the membership as well.
To the chess!
This year saw a total of 32 players arranged across five groups named after UOS walks (Soho, King’s Cross, Waterloo, Vicoria and Embankment) based on chess playing strength. The format of the Tournament was that each group would play a double round-robin with each player playing every other in the group with both colours. That is, with the exception of King’s Cross which had 10 players and so played a single round-robin over nine rounds. Games were fast and furious, five minutes on each clock with no increment.
Soho
Mister Simon Randall (one of the NLC’s strongest chess players) drops just a single game to runner up Mister João Santos in the penultimate round to win the top group with nine points.
Incredibly complex games were played in this top group. Remember, the format is Blitz 5|0 so no thinking fast and slow – just fast or lose. Well done Mister Randall, very much a regular on the winner’s podium at the NLC in recent times. We’ll never forget his opening words to us – ‘I play a bit of chess’, which we subsequently learnt is very much an understatement; see https://nlcchess.net/2025/07/20/mrs-randall-sweeps-all-before-her/.
Winner Mister Simon Randall (middle) flanked by Miss Emma Birrane and Mister Gavin Paterson (Chessboxing Nation). Mister Randall collected a goodly haul including a meal voucher at the Punjab Restaurant from its proprietor Mister Amrit Maan (instrumental in getting UOS launched and also a longstanding NLC Member), a bouquet of flowers to be delivered from Freddie’s Flowers, a Pink Penguin Club bottle of Rosé and a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
King’s Cross
King’s Cross was a closer run affair with Mister Cameron Little (Chessboxing Nation) topping the group. (‘DE’ stands for Direct Encounter, a player equal on points with another will be placed higher if they won their encounter with that player. If not, the Berger ‘Ber’ or more correctly Sonneborn-Berger score is used to separate players. This second tie-break score is calculated by adding the final score of each defeated opponent plus half the score of each opponent drawn. For example, Ms Eve Bourached is placed sixth in the table despite tying on points with Mssrs Nikhil D-Souza and Adam Pearson. Similary, Mssrs D’Souza and Pearson are separated into seventh and eighth places, respectively using their accrued Sonneborn-Berger scores.Well done Mister Cameron Little (middle) from Chessboxing Nation flanked by Miss Emma Birrane and Mister Gavin Paterson (Chessboxing Nation) who won the King’s Cross Group. His winning haul included a GM Samy Shoker signed silicon roll up chessboard, a bouquet of flowers to be delivered from Freddie’s Flowers, a Pink Penguin Club bottle of Rosé a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
Waterloo
The Waterloo Group was won by Mister Tamal Matilal (Oxford City Chess) on eight points out of a possible 10. Mister Zachary Barnett (NLC) proved to be Mister Matilal’s Achiles heel but with eight wins under his belt elsewhere there was clear blue water between our Oxford City competitor and the rest of the group. (DE and Ber scores are explained in the King’s Cross section above.)Well done Mister Matilal (Oxford City Chess far left) who took home a superb DGT 2500 Chess Clock courtesy of the London Chess Centre, a bouquet of flowers to be delivered from Freddie’s Flowers, a Pink Penguin Club bottle of Rosé and a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher. Immediately next to our winner is Mister João Santos (London Chess Centre), Mister Gavin Patterson (Chessboxing Nation) and Miss Emma Birrane. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
Victoria
Mssrs Ergun and Mistry were exactly tied in first place in this group. This led to a three-minute play-off with Mister Mistry sportingly taking the Black pieces. (Direct Encounter ‘DE’ and Sonneborn-Berger ‘Ber’ tie-break scores are explained in the King’s Cross section above.)Well done Mister Mistry (left) who took home a signed copy of two time US Women’s Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade’s fascinating chess book, a bouquet of flowers to be delivered from Freddie’s Flowers, a Pink Penguin Club bottle of Rosé and a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher. Miss Emma Birrane (in the middle this time) with Mister Gavin Patterson (Chessboxing Nation) on the outside right. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
Embankment
Last but not least we have Embankment.
Mister Julian Burton (UOS) takes the spoils dropping just one game to runner-up Mister Sahir Zubair.Mister Julian Barton (UOS) bags a fine looking Rubens – the prizes really are good this year – together a bouquet of flowers to be delivered from Freddie’s Flowers, a Pink Penguin Club bottle of Rosé and a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
UOS prize raffle
Our prize raffle was run online this year, UOS having obtained a local council small lottery licence. It could be the shape of things to come, perhaps even a silent auction in the future. The main advantage was that people not in the room on the night could participate. There were some cracking prizes. (No more than two prizes could be won by any single entrant.)
First and fourteenth prizes went to Ms Natalia Trzcinska (Yas Queen! Chess Club on the right) this included a three-course meal for up to four people at Corrigan’s Mayfair with cocktails on arrival and paired wines with each course chosen by Corrighan’s Head Sommelier – a fabulous top prize; plus three bottles of Pink Penguin Club Rosé.Mister Nicolas Hauck (Oxford City Chess, whom you may also recognise as our donation link poster boy) won second and seventh prizes, a £250 discount voucher from Ælfred (the home of mid-century Nordic style in the UK) and two chessboxing tickets from Chessboxing Nation. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
Third prize was a very fine bottle of Don Melchor 2020 from our friends at VCT Europe. This was won by Mister Danny Rosenbaum (NLC), who was unable attend the event in person this year.
Various other prize winners
Mister Ömer Kaya (NLC) receiving a lovely bottle of Amelia Pinot Noir 2022 from Nicolas Hauck (courtesy of VCT Europe). Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.Mister Sebastian Paes taking delivery of two bottles of Pink Penguin Club Rosé from Miss Emma Birrane.
Ms Merle Nazareth (right) landing a mini replica of the classic 1982 Commodore 64 (kindly donated by Mister Carl Brooks) from Miss Emma Birrane.
Doctor Rhydian Windsor (Oxofrd City Chess) bagging a Braun beard trimmer (pretty apt, there’s perhaps something in those randomly drawn numbers). Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.Mister Carl Brooks winning himself a Chessboxing Nation discount voucher (our seventeenth and final prize of the night).
That’s it for 2026
People wishing to learn more about Under One Sky and/or who might wish to support or sponsor a future event can contact Miss Emma Birrane via emma.birrane@underoneskytogether.com.
Please feel free to leave any comments about the event below.
Particular thanks to the National Liberal Club and all its staff who generously donated the David Lloyd George Room to us for free, which made the event possible.
In the foreground on the left, Mister Andy Dugdale (Oriental Club) and on the right, Mister Edward Ko (East India Club). A good time was certainly had by all. Photo: Nick Cornwall Photography.
