1950 Report

The 1949/50 season commenced badly owing to the decision of the Belfast Club to withdraw from the inter-club competition. This meant that there were no matches played in the Senior section but in the 2nd Division there was a satisfactory turn-out of 4 teams: Fisherwick, Queens, CPA, CIYMS; Lisburn having been unable to field a team. Queens walked away with the competition winning all their matches, CPA and Fisherwick tying for 2nd place.

The Junior Championship commenced on 28th Feb and finished 7th March, J. Keenan being the winner out of 8 competitors, E. Hall being runner-up. This was run on the knock-out system.

The Intermediate Championship commenced 14th March and ended 20th March resulting in a win for F. E. Wallace from B. McRoberts. There were 8 competitors in this competition which was also run on the knock-out system.

The Ulster Chess Championship only having 6 entries it was decided to play two rounds on the American system each player having white and black alternately. The first round commenced on 28th March but unfortunately before the competition finished the Ard Feis intervened.

As some of the competitors in the Ulster Chess championship wished to take part in the Feis it was agreed to suspend play until the Feis was over. This resulted in the final of the Championship being arranged for 9th May but in actual fact the last game was played on 3rd June, when G. A. Kearney beat R. A. Heaney to become Ulster Champion.

Care should be taken in future to arrange the date of the Championship so as not to clash with the Feis.

The Ulster Chess Union was responsible also for running the Ulster Schoolboys Championship for which there were 11 entries from the various grammar schools. Commencing Monday 17th April this was a knock-out in four sessions resulting in a win on 27th April for S. Ferris of Grosvenor High School from H. Martin of Belfast High School.

In passing, we should mention that G. A. Kearney won the Feis Major from A. Torney on 30th May and E. Courtney won the Minor from S. Ferris thus obtaining his revenge for defeat in the Schoolboys Championship.

On 22nd April there was the usual Inter-provincial match which this year was held in the Presbyterian Hostel, the result being a draw (5-5) between Ulster and Leinster and a win for Belfast against Dublin of 5½ to 4½: The aggregate score in our favour being 10½ to 9½.

On 21st June a lightning tournament was held in the Ard Sgoil (by kind permission of the management committee) at which the opportunity was taken of presenting the prizes won during the past season. These were presented by Mr. A. S. Roper and consisted of silver medals of the various championships. The lightning tournament was very ably run by Messrs Shanks & Chase and resulted in an enjoyable 2 hours play.

The Irish Championship started in Belfast High School on 17th July under the firm control of Mr. A. S. Roper. There were 22 entries for the Championship and 8 in the Premier.

Our hope ran high that an Ulster name would figure at the top but were dashed when we noted the gradually mounting score of Vincent Maher. Indeed the only check was when J. A. Flood managed to halve a game on the final day. Maher finished with a score of 7½ out of a possible 8, whilst Flood had 6.  D. Peebles was certainly not at his best with 4½, and Kearney, Heaney and Boyd, we feel sure, could perhaps have done better.

The bright spot for Ulster was E. Courtney’s determined stand against C. Conboy’s disturbing mannerisms which resulted in our man securing the Premier Medal.

We wish at this point to convey to Dr. Harte, our esteemed President, our best thanks for his extraordinary kindness in obtaining for us the use of the Belfast High School for the Championship. The commodious premises were in every way suitable and the competitors were all perfectly comfortable. An added attraction was the fact that that it was all entirely free. A dinner at Thompson’s Restaurant concluded the proceedings.

E. Courtney, fresh from his Premier Tournament victory, went on to Dublin where he carried off the Irish Boys Championship, following this up by taking his place along with S. Ferris in the Irish Boys team at the International in Cardiff where they both put up a good show.