1983-1984 season

British Championships (again)

Drew Ferguson — 2002-09-03T00:00:00Z

Grandmaster Jonathan Mestel became British Chess Champion at Southport recently.

While Mestel was put on the pedestal, our local players put up a good show. More than a dozen made the journey from the North, with Roger Beckett finishing joint third in the under-11's and Niall Carton joint seventh in the under-14's.

Below is an earlier win from Roger, which helped him clinch the Newcastle Minor Tournament. Though a one-day event, it took "Four Knights"

British Championship

M. Smyth (Bangor) 4 pts from 11

First Class Tournament

A Pinkerton (Fisherwick) 6 pts from 11

5-day Tournament

T. Broome (Fisherwick) 4pts from 10

Under 21s

K Allen (Belfast) 5 pts from 11

Under 18s

N Greer (Fisherwick) 6½pts from 11

Under 16s

K Greer (Fisherwick) 6½ pts from 11

Under 14s

N Carton (Newcastle) 7 pts from 11
D Simpson (Antrim) 5½ pts
P Carton (Newcastle) 4½ pts
G McIlroy (Fisherwick) 4 pts

Under 11s

R Beckett (Fisherwick) 6 pts from 8
H Ball (Fisherwick) 3½ pts
D Carton (Newcastle) 2½ pts

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New Season

Drew Ferguson — 2002-09-08T00:00:00Z

Autumn is here, so both club and school chess-players will soon be starting a new season. I would encourage any chess beginners to join a school chess club or ordinary club now, if they want to improve their game.

Downpatrick Chess Club, like other provincial clubs, meets in he Public Library every Wednesday. Most schools have chess clubs, and there are so many school leagues that even newcomers should soon find a place on their school team. Also, chess tournaments abound and there is still time to phone Mrs. Murphy (Dublin 481724) to enter City of Dublin Congress, Mansion House, Dawson Street, September 9-11 this coming weekend.

Continuing our occasional look at young, improving players, Gerard Kelly was third in the Ulster Senior Schoolboys and his St. Mary's Grammar School team were also third in Division 1. His style is aggressive and sacrificial, as shown by the three sacrifices, not always sound, below. His opponent found this game a stiff "trial" and was force finally to "court" disaster.

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City of Dublin Congress

Drew Ferguson — 2002-09-15T00:00:00Z

Last weekend 234 players, 33 from the North, took part in one of the biggest ever chess congresses in Ireland, the "City of Dublin". Northern successes were:

joint second in the Premier event for D. Houston and K. Allen
D. Blair co-winner of the Senior in which G. McCormick and D. McGill were joint third
joint second in the Intermediate for D. Truesdale and P. McKeown, while M. Kelly took the grading prize

Today's game has an "agreeable" finish

For details of the Bangor Chess Congress on 24th September, phone Jim Montgomery (Bangor 63554).

Other Northern scores in Dublin were (out of 6 points):

Premier

T. Clarke, N. Carton 2½,
D. Artt 1½

Senior

A. Pinkerton 4,
R. Devenney, K. McCann 3½,
A. Cootes, K. Greer 3,
E. Webb, R. Henderson 2½,
A. Waterman 2

Intermediate

P. Hendrick 4,
A. Burns, P. McGarry, R. Beckett 3½,
P. Moclair, J. McLean (both Sen & Jun), P. Carton jnr., G. Jennings 3,
J. Strawbridge, M. Stone, S. Lynn 2½

Junior

B. Thompson 3
D. Carton 2½

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City of Dublin Congress Results

Drew Ferguson — 2002-09-21T00:00:00Z

It was remiss of me to have left out of last week's report of the City of Dublin Congress the actual winners of the four tournaments.

P. Whitehead may have "left his heart in San Francisco" but not the art of winning, in this case, his seventh title in a row. The Senior title was shared by North and South in the shape of D. Blair and C. Quinn. C. Bracken was not even "bracken" into a sweat to win the Intermediate while Dublin's B. Lyons "roared" to success in the Junior.

Today's game from the Senior event shows the strength of a pair of bishops, even though a pawn down.

The next two tournaments are:

the one-day Bangor Congress on Saturday, 24th September at the Winston Hotel (phone Jim Montgomery at Bangor 63554);
and the four-day Williamson Shield at Queen's University Studentś Union (phone David Houston at Belfast 660620). Its six rounds will be held on Friday, 30th September at 7:30 pm, Saturday, 1st October at 10:00 am and 2:30pm and at the same times the following weekend.

Finally, entries for teams to the three Belfast and District Leagues should be sent to John Orchin, 9 Killeaton Park, Dunmurry. The new Civil Service Chess Club meets on Wednesdays at Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Stormont.

Any civil servant keen to join this first new club for many years should ring George Nelis at Belfast 798993.

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Bangor Chess Congress

Drew Ferguson — 2002-09-28T00:00:00Z

No stone was left unturned by way of reduced fees and schoolboys prizes in attracting young players to the Bangor Chess Congress at the Winston Hotel. As a result, 14 or the 17 prizes went to under-21ś , while in the Intermediate, six families made up a quarter of the entrants and half of the prize-winners. At the prize-giving, Sam Lynn joked that he was the under-80's winner!

In the family game below, the "son" was always shining in Bangor, proving the best can be contained in "small cartons".

There are three alterations to last week's column:

First, the Williamson Shield at Queen's University Student's Union is cut to three days (30th September, 1st and 8th October - £5 for adults, £3 for juniors. Ring D. Houston at Belfast 660620 for details
Secondly, clubs entering the Belfast and District leagues should send £18 entry fees by 1st October to John Orchin, 9 Killeaton Park, Dunmurry, naming their six chief players and their club night
Finally, George Bigley (Newtownards) deserves mention as the highest-placed Northerner, on 3½ points in the recent City of Dublin, junior.

Bangor Senior

K. Allen 5pts
N. Carton, J. Galloway, J. Kennedy 4½pts

Grading prizes for T. Brown, W. Ginn and M. McDowell 3½

Bangor Intermediate

H. Beckett 5½ pts
T. Beckett, S. Lynn, F. McDonald, P. Moclair 5pts

Grading prize A. Thompson 4½ pts
Under-16 Prizes for N. Tweedie, N. Todd 4pts
Under-13 Prizes for P. Carton jnr., R. Beckett 4pts

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New Chess Season

Drew Ferguson — 2002-10-05T00:00:00Z

The new chess season is now under way, heralded by the first three rounds of the Williamson Shield last weekend at Queen's University Students Union. The final three rounds take place this Saturday, Also the three Belfast and District Leagues are just swinging into action and regular reports will be featuring the league tables in this column.

Welcome to our new Southern readers, especially around Dublin, who now find it easier to obtain this newspaper. I hope you find the "Chess Corner" different from rival chess columns in two ways:

First, it attempts not only to inform but also interest the reader

Secondly, each week it features an up-to-the-minute local game, often between fairly average players, as opposed to foreign, top-level games featured elsewhere. As Leinster has far more players than Ulster, I hope you eager band of Southern players read this column regularly - your game might be published next.

Grandmaster draws are usually dull, but not so this week's exciting tussle between two ordinary players in the recent Bangor one day Senior event. Incidentally we are used to King's and Queen's in chess but despite his name and club, the Dublin player is not Lord Lucan.

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Williamson Shield

Drew Ferguson — 2002-10-12T00:00:00Z

The "Williamson Shield" ended last weekend and a full report will feature in next week's column. The next tournament, which will certainly also interest out Southern readers, is the Seventh Waterford Congress to be held at the Grand Hotel, Tramore on October 29-31 with IR£900 prize money. The three tournaments are:

the Open (unrestricted)
the Major (1450-1799)
and the Junior (under 1450)

with entry fee IR£9 (IR£7 for children). Enquiries can be made to Dick Rellis (Waterford 72661).

Those who admire combinations will like today's game from last monthś City of Dublin Senior, especially the trappy ending, and the threatened Bishop sacrifice in the note to move 20. Improve your technical play by reading "Chess Sacrifices" by L. Shamkovich (Batsford, 1976). Decide if the last 8 moves in the game below comprise a well-laid trap or if White could have escaped defeat. Was it a combination of errors, or did the Eire player simply not see the combination?

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Williamson Shield Results

Drew Ferguson — 2002-10-19T00:00:00Z

Below are the names of the top scorers in the recent Williamson Shield as promised last week. After a three-way tie for first place, D Artt "hit the bulls-eye" by winning the shield on best cumulative score.

Continuing last week's theme of chess sacrifices, today's game is notable for a pretty Bishop sacrifice at the end which leads to the rare situation of mate by that most humble of pieces, a pawn. Incidentally, the result of this game (from the recent City of Dublin Tournament) was reversal of the result of the previous encounter of these two players in the Dundalk open, 1983, shown in an earlier "Chess Corner".

Williamson Shield

Damien Artt 5pts
N. Carton, Arthur Pinkerton 5pts
George Heathwood & Thomas Brown 4½pts

grading prizes to John Strawbridge, Harry Ball and John Harvey

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New Clubs

Drew Ferguson — 2002-10-26T00:00:00Z

Chess is going from strength to strength, as proved by the formation of new clubs this year. Portaferry Chess Club meets in the local library every week, while the Holywood Social and Recreation Club would welcome friendly chess matches with other clubs to prepare for league chess next year. Interested club secretaries should ring Kevin Durston at Holywood 6055.

Belfast has two new clubs - the Civil Service Chess Club and the Andersonstown Chess Club. The former is in the Belfast & District 'C' League and meets every Wednesday night at the Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Stormont. The latter meets on Sundays at 3 p.m. in St. Agnes' Parish Centre, Andersonstown Road.

If you are still at school, don't miss the Third Co. Down School Championships, held at the Teachers' Centre, Mount Crescent, Downpatrick on November 12th and 19th. There are four sections: Senior Boys and Girls, Junior Boys and Girls (for under 15s on 1/7/83), Minor Boys for under 13's and Minor Girls for under 14's. Phone M. Stone at Downpatrick 2870 for details.

Like last week, we feature below a pawn mate from the Williamson Shield, proving Lambe is outstanding in his field.

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Half-term Holidays

Drew Ferguson — 2002-11-02T00:00:00Z

Half-term holiday has been all too brief for our school children, but Hallowe'en did not mean a break from chess. Not only have some young players had their first match in the Belfast and District leagues, but many spent last weekend trying to qualify for the Ulster Schools' Championship.

The finals are around Christmas and two likely contenders for honours are featured in today's game:

Howard Beckett has already won two quick-play intermediate titles at Derry and Bangor.
while Gerald Kelly was third in last year's Ulster Schoolboy's Championship.

How hard Howard hangs on, but Gerard's great gusto makes me feel "gerry-atric" in comparison.

As I mentioned last week, the next School's Championship is, in fact, the Third Co.Down at the Teachers' Centre, Downpatrick on November 12 and 19 (ring M. Stone at Downpatrick 2870 for information).

Finally, a special mention of my "Alma mater", St. Malachy's College, is called for on its 150th anniversary. "Old boy" Paul Henry is an Irish national Master and former Irish Champion. But the college's chess club needs more pupils to join, if it is to recapture its former glory.

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Keeping up-to-date

Drew Ferguson — 2002-11-09T00:00:00Z

Are you keen on keeping up to date on the latest chess news and games? Books become outdated, and chess columns such as this one provide local chess news. But what chess magazines and periodicals can you order from your newsagent?

International Chess, a glossy, monthly magazine, features tournament results, chess problems, Game of the Month and opening studies.

The latest chess opening theory is contained in the New Chess Player, which is better laid-out than its rival Chess Informant.

In Britain, the two main contenders for providing the best international, as well as British chess games and news are Chess and British Chess Magazine - Chess is a brash in style, but British Chess Magazine is more authoritative.

Ireland's longest-running chess periodical is Fiacla Fichille, a lively survey of Irish chess, available through Mr. Tom O'Sullivan, 282, Seapark, Malahide, Co. Dublin with annual subscription IR£3.60. Also I would encourage other local chess clubs to follow the Newtownards example of setting up a club magazine, hand-written, photocopied and featuring local members own articles and games. Its fifth edition included the game below: after an 'ard struggle, "Ross can weigh" his chances of victory and wins.

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No easy wins

Drew Ferguson — 2002-11-16T00:00:00Z

The 3 Belfast and District Leagues are now well underway, but already the pre-season favourites are not having things all their own way. For example, the B Division with only five teams due to play each other four times, was thought by most pundits to lie between CIYMS and Fisherwick, Belfast's two largest clubs. However, CIYMS lost 4-2 at home to Bangor, while Fisherwick lost their first two home games: 1½-4½ to Shorts and 2½-3½ to CIYMS. Future developments in the ever-shifting scene of league chess will be reported in this column. Meanwhile, in today's game, Montgomery may not have won a war but he certainly outflanked and out-manoeuvred his opponent.

On Friday 25th November to Sunday 27th November, Queen's University Students' Union hosts the Ulster Intermediate and Junior Championships.

The Intermediate is for those graded 1800 and under (fee £6)
While the Junior is for 1450 and under (fee £5)

If you are under 16 or over 65 years old, the entry fee for either tournament is only £3. So any budding Ulster champion should send entry and fee to David Houston, 53 Osborne Gardens, Belfast BT9 6LF (Tele, 660620).

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Co. Down Schools' Championship

Drew Ferguson — 2002-11-24T00:00:00Z

At last, the World Championship semi-finals have begun in London this week between Gary Kasparov (USSR) and defector Victor Korchnoi (Switzerland) and between Vassily Smyslov (USSR) and Zoltan Ribli (Hungary). Appropriately, today's game feature another Gary playing Korchnoi in an interesting rook end-game in a 1981 simultaneous display. Guess who the "victor" is!

To enter this weekend's Junior or Intermediate Championship at Queen's University Students' Union, ring D. Houston, (Belfast 660620)

Last weekend saw the climax of the Co. Down Schools' Championships at the Teachers Centre, Downpatrick, sponsored by the Youth Dept. of the S.E. Education and Library Board. It saw "Warren piece" together five points to share the senior boys' title, while the Tweedies found it easy as pie" to win the Junior and Minor Boys'.

Why not join Downpatrick Chess Club, which meets at 7:45pm on Wednesdays in the Library, Market Street?

Championship Results

Senior Boys: all on 5 pts

Warren Dennison (Bangor G.S.)
A. Davison (Grosvenor)
L. Galloway (Regent House)

Senior Girls:

K. Hewitt (Dominican College) 2½ pts
C. Mulvenna (Dominican College) 2 pts

Junior Boys: both on 5 pts

N. Tweedie (Downpatrick)
P. Carton (Newcastle)

Minor Boys:

G.Tweedie 9½ pts
H. Ball (C.B. Sec., Belfast) 8½ pts
G. Thompson (Wallace) 8 pts

Minor Girls:

S. Crossin (Dominican College) 10 pts
C. Jennings (St. Mary's, Downpatrick) 9 pts

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Let Rookie Caw

Drew Ferguson — 2002-11-30T00:00:00Z

Many chess lovers in Newtownards get your paper every Wednesday to read all the nice things that Rookie writes about us, so would you please let Rookie have his caw on Wednesday. For a horrible 24 hours last week there were rumours of a redundant Rookie having disconsolately gone to roost.

Dr. George Bigley

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#31 Irish News 30th November 1983

Fisherwick Club Championship

Drew Ferguson — 2002-12-06T00:00:00Z

Fisherwick Club Championship, which ended last week, showed that the club has some strong young players. Joint champions are Roger Beckett and Kieran Greer on 6 points, with Diarmuid Simpson third on 5 points, while grading prize went to John McKenna and David Coulter, both on 4 points. However, Roger was jolly unlucky to end a 13-game run without defeat by losing to Martin Kelly in a rare smothered mate, following a Rook and Queen sacrifice, at Queen's University last weekend during the Ulster Intermediate.

Tom Brown's schooldays will certainly be happier after winning the Intermediate title as expected, as will bottom seed Fred MacDonald's, after finishing joint second. Samuel Campbell's 'superior' play won him the Junior title despite having no official ranking.

Competition Results

Ulster Intermediate: Albert Long Cup

T. Brown 5 pts
F. MacDonald, A. Cootes, H. Beckett 4 pts
E. McMullan 3½ pts

grading prize: M. Kelly 3½ pts

Ulster Junior: Arthur Pinkerton Cup

S. Campbell 5½ pts
N. Tweedie, J. Harvey, A. Beckett 4½ pts
P. Lambe, D. Robb 4 pts

Grading prizes: B. Thompson 4 pts, G. Tiernan 3 pts

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This week's game illustrates a rare smothered mate with a Rook and Queen sacrifice from this position!