CHESS IRELAND - NEWS, Jan-Mar 1999

• Leinster Leagues, Armstrong Cup round 11: Division One title was won by Bray CC for the first time in the club's history. Bray held their three point advantage over reigning champions Crumlin when the two sides drew 4-4 in their final round match. Phibsboro finished third, UCD fourth. Celbridge and Public Service were relegated. Results should appear on the Leinster Chess Union site over the coming weeks.

• Ulster Bank tournament, Belfast, Mar 26-28: lst C.Daly, S.Gillen 5/6, 3rd S.Scannell 4.5.

• Cork Congress, March 19-21: 1st Colm Daly 5.5/6, 2nd-6th Ola Winfridsson, Ray O'Rourke, Martin Crichton, Kieran O'Driscoll, Seamus Duffy 4.5/6. lst Grading section 1st Thomas O'Flynn 4.5/6, 2nd-4th Cathal Walsh, Simon Lawrence, David Smith 4/6. 2nd Grading sect. 1st Sean Nolan 4.5/6, 2nd Michael Banim 3.5/6, 3rd Grading Section 1st-4th Pat Meskell, David O'Mahony, Karl Walsh, Anne Coughlan 3/6. Best U-18 John P.A. Kennedy.
  Daly was by some margin the strongest player participating, duly won the £250 first prize but despite conceding only one draw - to Bray's Seamus Duffy - lost rating points ... one of the perils of a 2350+ rating.
  Cork City Chess Club meet every Wednesday, 7.45pm on at 36 St Patricks Quay. Visitors, new members welcome.

• At the recent Varsity match in London, Brian Kelly played top board for the victorious Cambridge side. A draw by the young Irish IM against Oxford's grandmaster Dharshan Kumaran contributed to an overall 5.5-2.5 victory. It was Cambridge's 51st victory in the event first contested in 1873. Oxford have won 49 with 17 matches drawn.

• 216 players turned up for this year's Bunratty Chess Festival, splendidly hosted as always by the Fitzpatrick Bunratty Shamrock Hotel and with impeccable organisation by Limerick Chess Club's Gerry Graham, Paul Carey and Ted Jennings. Sergei Tiviakov won the Masters on 5/6 (conceding draws against GM Baburin and IM Gormally).
  Download of Master's games. Courtesy Herbert Scarry.
  Download organizer's report. Doc file, courtesy of Ted Jennings. RESULTS: Bunratty Chess Festival 1999, 19-21 Feb. Masters lst GM S.Tiviakov 5/6, Jt 2nd GM A.Baburin, GM K.Arkell, FM M.Quinn, U.Rochev, IM D.Gormally 4.5/6. Best U-2200 J.Joyce 3.5/6. Challengers Jt lst C.Egan, J.McDonnell 5/6, Jt 3rd W.Lambie, P.Walsh 4.5. Grading prizes: E.Spring, R.Quinn, D.Path (all 4). Major lst P.Hayes 5.5/6, Jt 2nd J.Curtis, G.Behan 5. GPs: A.Daly, M.Burniston, L.Hackett, M.Banim, C.Jackson (all 4.5). Minor lst A.McMenamin 5.5/6, 2nd A.Scharr 5, Jt 3rd S.Stokes, J.Thompson jnr, J.Bourke, J.White, P.Lynch, D.Lynch, E.McNena 4.5. GPs F.Flynn, K.Wicks, P.O'Brien (all 4). Veterans: lst J.Strawbridge 5/5.

• Leinster Junior Championships; U-19 Championship 1st J.Kennedy (St.Benildus) 6/6, 2nd David Murray (Gonzaga) 5/6, 3rd Eoghan Casey (Gonzaga) 4.5/6 Grading Prizes: Richard McKinney (Blackrock), Tony Naughton (Gonzaga)
  U-14 Championship 1st Mark McGovern (Gonzaga) 6.5/7, 2nd Edward Tobin (St.Benildus) 5/7, 3rd Steven Dixon (St.Benildus) 5/7
  Grading Prizes: Sebastine Pertl (Aer Lingus), Anuerin Moorthy (Carysfort)
  Leinster Schools U-16: 1st Michael Devlin (Straffan)(tiebreak), 2nd David Murray (Gonzaga), 3rd Seán Tracey (Rathfarnham)
  All three finished on 4.5/6
  U-12 Boys: 1st Eamonn Keane (Straffan) 7.5/8, 2nd Barry O'Donovan (Guardian Angels) 7/8, 3rd Robbie Lunn 6/8
  U-12: Girls 1st Isabel O'Brien (St.Catherine's) 4.5/8, 2nd Karen Vejsberg (St.Catherine's) 3.5/8, 3rd Hannah Coen (St.Olaf's) 3/8

• Ulster Chess Union news Last updated 10/7/1998 with July UCU newsletter. If any Ulster based player is interested in continuing the work that Geoffrey Collins has done for the last two years, I'd be more than welcome to mount any information sent my way. Email me if interested.

• Report on the Irish Chs. 98 All events; courtesy J.Loughran.
  LCU 97/98 season info
  LCU 98/99 Secretary's list first version.