The new year and the chess league continues....
One winter evening, weds January 2026. Civil Service B team played Bangor B team. David Blair on board one drew against Brendan Jamison, the game lasted about an hour. Brendan noticed I wasnt playing and with time to spare, offered my a rated game of 60mins each on the clock. I took this up as I rarely get to play Brendan and its always fun when I do. This game was an exciting match with attacks and counter-attacks. But thinking I was winning - Brendan played a brilliant forced smothered mate with the Queen and Knight. I saw it a couple of moves prior to it being completed and let out a sigh and smiled at Brendan. I couldnt stop it. I played on to allow the mate to happen and took a photo of one happy Brendan - two players celebrating a clever ending - a brilliant end of the game and a brilliant game - many thanks to Brendan. I list the game below.
|
Newman, Mark v Jamison, Brendan 7th January 2026. Belfast.
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Bf5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bf4 Bd6 6. Qd2 Nf6 7. cxd5
exd5 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Qg5 Bg6 10. Qe3+ Be4 11. Ng5 O-O 12. Qd2 Bf5 13. e3 Nbd7
14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Rfe8 16. O-O h6 17. Nf3 Ne4 18. Ne2 Ndf6 19. Ne5 Rad8 20.
f3 Nc5 21. Qf5 Ncd7 22. f4 c5 23. Ng3 Qb6 24. dxc5 Qxc5 25. Rf3 d4 26. Ne4 Nxe4
27. Qxf7+ Kh8 28. Nxd7 Qe7 29. Ne5 Rd6 30. exd4 Qd8 31. Qf5 Rxe5 32. dxe5 Rd1+
33. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 34. Rf1 Qd4+ 35. Kh1 Nf2+ 36. Kg1 Nh3+ 37. Kh1 Qg1+ 38. Rxg1
Nf2# 0-1
Link to the pgn player:
|
The position after Whites move 26. Ne4 - such alot going on here - love these types of positions ... |
|---|---|
 |
Position after Whites move 32. dxe5? and now Black wins in an incredibly elegent way! With Rd1+ ..... |
Photos from our first evening this year. 7th January Civil Service Pavilion. Civil Service 2 v Bangor 2 and Strand v Queens University
 |  |
|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Cole, Ethan v May, Peter 14th January 2026. Civil Service Pavilion - League game division 1 Civil Service v Strand board 3 1. d4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. Bf4 Ng6 5. Bg3 Bb4 6. e3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Nf6 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bd3 d6 10. Rb1 b6 11. h3 Bb7 12. O-O Ne4 13. Bxe4 Bxe4 14. Nd2 Bb7 15. c4 Qg5 16. Nf3 Qe7 17. Re1 Rad8 18. Nd4 Ne5 19. Qe2 Rd7 20. f4 Ng6 21. Qg4 Qe4 22. Re2 f5 23. Qh5 c5 24. Nf3 Qxc4 25. Ng5 h6 26. Qxg6 hxg5 27. Rbe1 gxf4 28. Bxf4 Qf7 29. Qg3 d5 30. h4 Re8 31. Qg5 Re6 32. h5 Rde7 33. c3 Rh6 34. Qg3 Rxh5 35. Rf2 d4 36. cxd4 cxd4 37. e4 Bxe4 38. Be5 d3 39. Rxe4 Qd5 40. Re1 d2 41. Red1 Qxe5 42. Qb3 Kh7 43. Rfxd2 Qc5+ 44. Rd4 Re1+ 45. Rxe1 Qxd4 46. Qe3 Qxe3 47. Rxe3 a5 48. Kf2 Rh6 49. Kf3 Rf6 50. Kf4 Kg6 51. Ke5 Kf7 52. Kd4 f4 53. Re5 f3 54. gxf3 Rxf3 55. Kc4 Rf2 56. a4 Rf4 57. Kb5 Rb4+ 58. Ka6 Rxa4 59. Kxb6 Ra1 60. Rxa5 Rxa5 61. Kxa5 g5 62. Kb4 g4 63. Kc3 g3 64. Kd3 g2 0-1 Link to the pgn player: |
25. Ng5 h6
32. h5 |
|---|---|
|
39. Rxe4 44. Rd4 Re1+ |
50. Kf4 Kg6 |
The current League Standings.
Division One
| rank | Team | Played | wins | draws | losses | adjust | points | % |
| 1 | Bangor 1 (Bangor) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 36.5 | 74 | |
| 2 | The A team (Belfast South) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 71 | |
| 3 | Strand Frist Team (Strand) | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 63 | |
| 4 | NICS Stormont (NICS) | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 51 | |
| 5 | Fruithill 1 (Fruithill) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 27 | |
| 6 | QUB 1 (QUB) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6.5 | 13 |
Division Two
| rank | Team | Played | wins | draws | losses | adjust | points | % |
| 1 | Lisburn (Lisburn) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 38.5 | 79 | |
| 2 | Bangor 2 (Bangor) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 33.5 | 68 | |
| 3 | View player (Downpatrick) | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 65 | |
| 4 | Kellys Heroes (Belfast South) | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 55 | |
| 5 | Citi Knights (Citi) | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 24.5 | 50 | |
| 6 | Bangor 3 (Bangor) | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 45 | |
| 7 | NICS 2 Pavilion (NICS) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 22 | |
| 8 | Fruithill 2 (Fruithill) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7.5 | 15 |
Photos from the Civil Service Pavilion, January 14th. Civil Service 1 v Strand and Civil Service 2 v Bangor 3.
 |  |
|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
