26/11/98, editorial - I try to restrict to a minimum reports from or reference to the poisoned pond of Irish chess politics. The more personal animosities frankly are of more interest to those concerned than to the general Irish chess-player. Today, I make an exception. I understand that Kilkenny CC have returned Colm Daly's entry fee for the weekend's big event and advised him that the club will not be accepting his entry. No explanation given.

In former years, as I understand, the current Irish champion was given conditions and treated in much the same way as the invited foreign grandmasters. This year, he is not even allowed play! Whatever the background, I find it frankly quite shocking that the same Irish tournament organizers - who have displayed admirable energy in turning this event into one of the most successful and well-regarded weekend tournaments in the British Isles - should actively seek to bar one of our strongest players, a player who also happens to be current Irish champion.

What positive purpose can this possibly serve? It is a matter of great personal embarrassment to the player involved, it degrades the status of the national title, it deprives local players of seeing the Irish champion and the British champion competing together, and it perpetuates divisions in Irish chess which need to be bridged if the local scene is to emerge from the relative stagnation of the last few years.

In my years playing chess in Ireland, this is the very first instance of tournament organizers refusing entry to a player. Certainly the first case of organizers refusing an entry without explanation. I will be writing in due course to Kilkenny CC to express my feelings about their decision. Due to illness, I will be missing Kilkenny for the first time in six or seven years. I hope that those intending to participate in the weekend's tournament, if they are of a like mind, make known their objections to the decision of the organizers. Have a good weekend!