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Ulster Chronicles

Contemporaneous reports on tournaments and events from past few decades; web content since 2004 with additional archival material dating back to the 80's

Welcome to the UCU Chronicles.

Here we offer archival reports of activity in local chess clubs and the UCU itself. This part of the archive is composed of contemporaneous reports, that is reports which were created at the time or very soon after an event had finished. This gives the reports a unique flavour.

At the end of each season, usually soon after the Union's AGM, all reports for the season published on this site, are gathered together and moved to this location - the Ulster Chronicles. This gives members a clean slate for the incoming season while keeping the analysis, discussion, lists, games and photos available in a convenient location for browsing, chronologically if you want. At the moment, this local material dates back to 2004 when the UCU Website started to expand with its own content.

We have also been able to acquire archival material from a variety of sources to supplement this content. Checkout our Contributors Page which credits the sources for this additional material and includes indexes for these specific catalogues. Generally though, all reports are gathered together by season so it is possible to follow events as they unfolded.

Many of these historical reports included local games; these are collectively available in our Games Archive which we hope to collate into a more convenient form for downloading. These games, in particular, offer a unique perspective on local chess over the years.

Table of Contents

Listed below are the seasonal catalogues making up the Chronicles

Additional Material

Retrospective reports and other specific archival material is also available

Player Biographies: personal notes on players and personalities who have made an impact on Ulster Chess over the years. Active players are listed in our Membership List showing their game and rating histories

The Time Traveller: retrospective reports looking back over the UCU's history since its formation in 1932 and even beyond to the 19th Century when local chess were being formed and loosely organised amongst themselves. Some our trophies, such as the Williamson Shield, were first competed for in these early days

Trophy winners, donors and dedications: listing the trophies offered by the Union and providing lists of their winners, profiles of those who donated them or after whom they were named. Since 2004, complete details of all UCU events are available in our Results Service showing fixtures/rounds and final standings

News
The Childrens Chess April Tournament took place on Sat 11th April hosted at Methodist College. An afternoon of fun chess. A tournament and puzzle solving competition. Almost 30 young players gathered to enjoy our mo... May 09, 2026
Bangor club celebrates its 60th anniversary 60 years in 60 minutes. A fun and playful documentary capturing the magic of Bangor Chess Club. Short interviews and eve... May 09, 2026
UCU League 2025/26 final tables and board prizes Report on the UCU Belfast & District League 2025/26 May 04, 2026
Standings of the Childrens Chess Grandprix after March 2026. The Ulster Chess Union runs monthly tournaments at Methodist College. All pupils are welcome to play. Five of these tour... Mar 22, 2026
Amost 40 young players gather at our Monthly Childrens Chess tournaments Saturday March 14th. Methodist College. We continue our monthly events. An afternoon of Chess games and puzzles. With al... Mar 22, 2026
More news…
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Upcoming Events
Fourth Executive Board Meeting May 12, 2026 08:00 PM - 09:30 PM — Lisburn Chess Club
The Summer Tournament Weds 13th May at Civil Service The Summer Tournament is at Civil Service Social Club starting Wednesday 6th May 2026 at the Maynard Sinclair Pavilion a... May 13, 2026 07:15 PM - 10:30 PM — NICS,Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Stormont, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3TA
UCU Annual GM Simul with GM Keith Arkell Full details will be updated once ticket holders have confirmed their availability. May 23, 2026 06:00 PM - 11:00 PM — Carrickfergus Community Chess Club, Open Door Centre, Bridewell Drive
Mick Germaine Cup 2026 – Junior teams competition A team event for 4 under 16 players. 6 rounds 15mins time control. May 24, 2026 10:30 AM - 04:30 PM — Artane Beaumont Family Recreation Centre, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5
No Summer Tournament - Weds 27th May Due to International Cricket at the Pavilion - there will be no chess on Weds 27th May May 27, 2026 07:15 PM — NICS,Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Stormont, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3TA
Upcoming events…