There is nothing that beats having enthusisatic youngsters enjoying chess and learning to improve. We had 3 days, the challenge is to create activities that are interesting, enjoyable, challenging, alot of preparation goes into these 3 days.

A big thankyou to Ormeau Park Bowling Hall - provided by the Council and thanks to Damien Cunningham for enabling this. We had 18 young chess players studying chess for 3 days. With worksheets, activities and team matches. Also a big thanks to Geoff Hindley, Chris Kelly and Shannon Mckeown for vounteering and enabling this brilliant event.

The days follow a timetable of activities. Day one and a couple of worksheets. The Knight Pawn mower - a brilliant way of encouraging forward thinking - by challenging players to solve the problems without moving the pieces - these were created by GM Maurice Ashely ( https://schachtraining.de/pawn-mower-minispiele-fuer-das-erlernen-der-figuren/ ). The Bishop is stronger than the Knight? - Training Program for Juniors and 3^rd Category players – Victor Golenischev.

We paired older youngsters with younger ones and encouraged coaching - perhaps a skill more useful than chess .... !

View from the brilliant venue - a secret garden, walled bowling green - a little gem of a location.

Each day ended with a team match. Where our pairs of players played each other. Each pair had to discuss their moves infront of the opposing side. and then agree a move. - lots of chess discussion and shared decision making.

Intertwined between worksheets we have two competitions. A Swiss Chess Tournament and a Swiss BattleChess tournament ( here players played both white and black ). Battlechess is a brilliant way of setting up an endgame of Kings and pawns,

With the worksheets came worked examples on our demo board. Players came up and offered their solutions which were discussed.

We break each day for lunch - with an opportunity to socialise and play some fantastic board games - like Othello, Janga, Fanarona, Mastermind, Mancala, connect 4 among others..

The chess tournament results. Round by round.

BattleShips - Round 1

Results

No Name              Total  Result   Name             Total

 1 Thomas Hempton    [0.0]  1.5:.5   Jonah Boyd       [0.0]
 2 Nathan Johnston   [0.0]  0.0:2.0  Joshua Hempton   [0.0]
 3 Jacob Boyd        [0.0]  2.0:0.0  Rizwan Arshed    [0.0]
 4 Corey Castillo    [0.0]  1.0:1.0  Joshua Boyd      [0.0]
 5 Alex McKeown      [0.0]  2.0:0.0  Senanya De Silva [0.0]
 6 Kriyansh Shukla   [0.0]   .5:1.5  Shubham Saha     [0.0]
 7 Rian Manish Anant [0.0]  1.0:1.0  Killian McKeown  [0.0]
 8 Maximus O'Neill.  [0.0]  0.0:2.0  Razina Arshed    [0.0]

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

BattleShips - Round 2

Results

No Name             Total  Result   Name              Total

 1 Joshua Hempton   [2.0]  2.0:0.0  Alex McKeown      [2.0]
 2 Razina Arshed    [2.0]  0.0:2.0  Thomas Hempton    [1.5]
 3 Shubham Saha     [1.5]  2.0:0.0  Rian Manish Anant [1.0]
 4 Killian McKeown  [1.0]  0.0:2.0  Corey Castillo    [1.0]
 5 Joshua Boyd      [1.0]  2.0:0.0  Kriyansh Shukla   [.5] 
 6 Jonah Boyd       [.5]   2.0:0.0  Jason Hunt        [0.0]
 7 Rizwan Arshed    [0.0]  1.5:.5   Nathan Johnston   [0.0]
 8 Maximus O'Neill. [0.0]  2.0:0.0  BYE                    
 9 Jacob Boyd       [2.0]  0.0:0.0  BYE 

BattleShips - Round 3

Results

No Name              Total  Result   Name             Total

 1 Thomas Hempton    [3.5]   .5:1.5  Joshua Hempton   [4.0]
 2 Corey Castillo    [3.0]  0.0:2.0  Shubham Saha     [3.5]
 3 Jonah Boyd        [2.5]  0.0:2.0  Joshua Boyd      [3.0]
 4 Razina Arshed     [2.0]  0.0:2.0  Jacob Boyd       [2.0]
 5 Alex McKeown      [2.0]  2.0:0.0  Maximus O'Neill. [2.0]
 6 Rian Manish Anant [1.0]  0.0:2.0  Rizwan Arshed    [1.5]
 7 Nathan Johnston   [.5]   2.0:0.0  Killian McKeown  [1.0]
 8 Kriyansh Shukla   [.5]   2.0:0.0  BYE

BattleShips - Standings

Place Name              Feder Score M-Buch. Buch. Progr.

 1-2  Joshua Hempton    17    5.5       4.0  10.5   11.5
      Shubham Saha      13    5.5       1.5   5.5   10.5
  3   Joshua Boyd       14    5         2.5   7.0    9.0
 4-6  Jacob Boyd        13    4         3.0   8.5    8.0
      Thomas Hempton    17    4         2.5  10.0    9.0
      Alex McKeown      10    4         2.0   8.5    8.0
  7   Rizwan Arshed     8     3.5       2.5   8.5    5.0
  8   Corey Castillo    8     3         5.0  11.5    7.0
9-11  Kriyansh Shukla   8     2.5       5.0  13.5    3.5
      Jonah Boyd        11    2.5       4.0  10.0    5.5
      Nathan Johnston   11    2.5       3.5  10.0    3.0
12-13 Razina Arshed     11    2         4.0  10.0    6.0
      Maximus O'Neill.  7     2         3.0   9.0    4.0
14-15 Rian Manish Anant 12    1         3.5  10.0    3.0
      Killian McKeown   7     1         2.5   6.5    3.0
16-18 Jason Hunt        13    0         4.5   4.5    0.0
      Senanya De Silva  9     0         4.0   4.0    0.0

The top 3 players won certifcates that were given at the end of the school.

Champion : Joshua Hampton 2nd : Shubham Saha 3rd : Joshua Boyd

Summer School 2026 - Round 1

Results

No Name              Total  Result   Name             Total

 1 Joshua Hempton    [0]      1:0    Jonah Boyd       [0]  
 2 Nathan Johnston   [0]      0:1    Thomas Hempton   [0]  
 3 Jacob Boyd        [0]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed    [0]  
 4 Corey Castillo    [0]      0:1    Joshua Boyd      [0]  
 5 Alex McKeown      [0]      1:0    Senanya De Silva [0]  
 6 Kriyansh Shukla   [0]      0:1    Shubham Saha     [0]  
 7 Rian Manish Anant [0]      1:0    Killian McKeown  [0]  
 8 Maximus O'Neill.  [0]      1:0    Razina Arshed    [0]  

Summer School 2026 - Round 2

Results

No Name            Total  Result   Name              Total

 1 Shubham Saha    [1]     .5:.5   Joshua Hempton    [1]  
 2 Thomas Hempton  [1]      1:0    Rian Manish Anant [1]  
 3 Joshua Boyd     [1]      1:0    Maximus O'Neill.  [1]  
 4 Rizwan Arshed   [1]      0:1    Alex McKeown      [1]  
 5 Geoff Hindley   [0]      0:1    Jason Hunt        [0]  
 6 Razina Arshed   [0]      0:1    Corey Castillo    [0]  
 7 Jonah Boyd      [0]      1:0    Kriyansh Shukla   [0]  
 8 Killian McKeown [0]      0:1    Nathan Johnston   [0]  
 9 Jacob Boyd      [0]      0:0    BYE      

Summer School 2026 - Round 3

Results

No Name              Total  Result   Name             Total

 1 Alex McKeown      [2]      0:1    Thomas Hempton   [2]  
 2 Joshua Hempton    [1.5]    1:0    Joshua Boyd      [2]  
 3 Jason Hunt        [1]      0:1    Shubham Saha     [1.5]
 4 Rian Manish Anant [1]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed    [1]  
 5 Corey Castillo    [1]      0:1    Jonah Boyd       [1]  
 6 Nathan Johnston   [1]      1:0    Maximus O'Neill. [1]  
 7 Kriyansh Shukla   [0]      1:0    Razina Arshed    [0]  
 8 Killian McKeown   [0]      1:0    BYE                   
 9 Jacob Boyd        [0]      0:0    BYE      

Summer School 2026 - Round 4

Results

No Name             Total  Result   Name              Total

 1 Thomas Hempton   [3]      0:1    Joshua Hempton    [2.5]
 2 Shubham Saha     [2.5]    1:0    Joshua Boyd       [2]  
 3 Jonah Boyd       [2]      0:1    Alex McKeown      [2]  
 4 Rizwan Arshed    [2]      0:1    Nathan Johnston   [2]  
 5 Maximus O'Neill. [1]      0:1    Rian Manish Anant [1]  
 6 Killian McKeown  [1]      0:1    Corey Castillo    [1]  
 7 Kriyansh Shukla  [1]      0:1    Jacob Boyd        [0]  
 8 Razina Arshed    [0]      1:0    BYE  

Summer School 2026 - Round 5

Results

No Name              Total  Result   Name            Total

 1 Joshua Hempton    [3.5]    1:0    Alex McKeown    [3]  
 2 Nathan Johnston   [3]      0:1    Shubham Saha    [3.5]
 3 Corey Castillo    [2]      0:1    Thomas Hempton  [3]  
 4 Jacob Boyd        [1]      1:0    Jonah Boyd      [2]  
 5 Joshua Boyd       [2]      1:0    Killian McKeown [1]  
 6 Rian Manish Anant [2]      1:0    Kriyansh Shukla [1]  
 7 Razina Arshed     [1]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed   [2]  
 8 Maximus O'Neill.  [1]      1:0    BYE       

Summer School 2026 - Standings

Place Name              Feder Score M-Buch. Buch. Progr.

 1-2  Joshua Hempton    17    4.5      10.0  16.5   13.0
      Shubham Saha      13    4.5       8.0  13.5   13.0
  3   Thomas Hempton    17    4         9.0  15.5   13.0
 4-8  Alex McKeown      10    3         9.0  15.5   11.0
      Rizwan Arshed     8     3         9.0  12.5    9.0
      Nathan Johnston   11    3         8.5  13.5    9.0
      Joshua Boyd       14    3         8.0  13.0   10.0
      Rian Manish Anant 12    3         5.5  10.0    8.0
9-12  Maximus O'Neill.  7     2         8.5  12.0    6.0
      Jonah Boyd        11    2         8.0  13.5    7.0
      Jacob Boyd        13    2         7.0  11.0    3.0
      Corey Castillo    8     2         5.5  10.0    6.0
13-16 Killian McKeown   7     1         8.5  13.5    3.0
      Kriyansh Shukla   8     1         8.0  13.0    3.0
      Razina Arshed     11    1         6.0  10.0    2.0
      Jason Hunt        13    1         1.5   7.0    2.0
17-19 Senanya De Silva  9     0         3.0   3.0    0.0
      Geoff Hindley           0         3.0   3.0    0.0

The top 3 players recieved certifcates on the final day.

Champion : Joshua Hampton 2nd : Shubham Saha 3rd : Thomas Hampton

A brilliant event - all attendees recieved a certificate with photos from the event.

The Summer Tournament has been run for years - originally introduced to allow players an opportunity to play slow chess over the Summer months when most clubs close. Previously run by the brilliant Alex Beckett and Sam Moore.

There are 3 rounds remaining  of the tournament and then on the following weds (30 Sept) we have a fun quickplay tournament with times dependent on the difference of players ratings (David Seaby is to be thanked for this format) and an award ceremony. Players are to bring £2 cash to enter the fun tournament.

Players please note the special rule 2. Kicks in for these last 3 rounds: 2. If a player does not play in two of the last three rounds they will be assumed to have played and lost 2 games. If they play only one then they will forfeit one game.

Rules
1. Players must complete 10 games to be considered for prizes.
2. If a player does not play in two of the last three rounds they will be assumed to have played and lost 2 games. If they play only one then they will forfeit one game.
3. However if a player has played 14 or more games then they are exempt from rule 2.
4. Scores will be calculated on a percentage basis.

The full results are on our site : https://www.ulsterchess.org/competitions/competitions/comp-3032/cvt_event/standings/944#tabhead

We are fortunate of have some top players in the tough top section. Currently lead by Ethan Cole on 78.57%  (who is also leading the overall competition) with Gareth Annestley second 71.43% both players are yet to attain the necessary 10 games. Andrew Campbell is chasing on 70%.

A big congratulations to Ethan Cole for becoming the youngest Ulster Champion over the weekend of August 29th to 31st - absolutely fantastic.

Top Section

Current leader of this section is Owen Dumigan on 66.67% followed in second place by Ahish Shambharkar on 62.5%

Middle Section

Stewart McConnaghy leads the lower section on 72.73% (and is 2nd in the overall competition) chased by and fighting for 2nd place Schlok Thoke on 68.75% and Paul O'Connor on 67.86%.

Lower Section

Details of next round : https://www.ulsterchess.org/Members/ucu00450/2025-2026/summer-tournament-2026/the-summer-tournament-weds-9th-sept-at-civil-service

Photos from the weekly rounds:

WIth the start of the Chess season on us. The annual Belfast Qualifier for the UK Open Blitz Championships will happen on Saturday 12th Sept 2026.

More information about this event…

Rank  Seed  Name                         R1    R2    R3    R4    R5    R6    Score

  1.    3  Cole, Ethan                  13w1  20b½   7w½  11b1  10w1   5b½    4.5
        5  Hughes, Padraig              15w1   4b½   8w1   7b½   1b1   3w½    4.5
  3.    8  Roberts, Danny                  +   1w½   5b0  12w1   4b1   2w½    4.0
        1  Allen, Keith                 11w1   8b½  20w½   4b1   5w0  10b1    4.0
        2  Tahmankar, Mandar            12b½  10w½  13b1   9w½   6w1   8b½    4.0
        9  Micheal, Alwin               18b½  16w1   6w½   2b½   7w½  15b1    4.0
       17  Razbadauskas, Modestas          -  13b0  14w1  18b1  20w1   7b1    4.0
  8.    6  Landmark, Sneavar               =  12w½   9b½  16w1   2b0  19b1    3.5
  9.    7  Campbell, Andrew             16b½  18w1   3b½   5w½   9b½  17w0    3.0
       20  Sandrey, Jade                   +   3w½   1b½  10w0  17b0   4w1    3.0
       10  Edens, Jack                  19w1   2b½   4w½  20b1   3b0   1w0    3.0
       16  Corr, David                   7w½   9b0  19w1   6b0  11w1  12w½    3.0
       12  Jeffers, David                2w½   6b½  11w½   8b0  13w1  16b½    3.0
       15  Lavery, Robert                5b0  11b0  18w1  14b1  19w1   9w0    3.0
 15.   11  Logan, Tony                   1b0  15w1  12b½   3w0  16b0  18b1    2.5
 16.    4  Scannell, Stephen P.         14b1   5w½  10b½   1w0   8w0  20b0    2.0
       19  Spackman, Conor              10b0  14w1  16b0  13w1  15b0   6w0    2.0
 18.   14  Wong, James                   4w0  19b0  17b0  15w0  18w½  13b1    1.5
 19.   13  Barbals, Gatis                3b0  17w1   2w0  19b0  12b0  14w0    1.0
       18  Hill, David                   9w½   7b0  15b0  17w0  14b½  11w0    1.0

Ulster Championship 2026 Intermediate

Rank Seed  Name                          R1    R2    R3    R4    R5    R6    Score

  1.   15  Smylie, Sam                   2b0  18w1  10b1  12w1   6b1   8b1    5.0
  2.    8  Brady, John                  20b1   2w1   4b½   6w1  13b1  15w0    4.5
        3  Keers, Shane                 17b1  12w½   5b1   4w0  21b1   1b1    4.5
  4.    6  Davey, Finn Patrick             +  13w1  21b1   8b0  15w0   4w1    4.0
       13  Murphy, Jay                     +   6b0  19w1  16b1   8w0  17b1    4.0
        5  Campbell, Peter              18b½  14w1   3w0   7b1  16w½  12b1    4.0
        1  Leitch, Calum                14b½  10w1  12b½  21w1   4b1   3w0    4.0
  8.    4  King, Daniel                 16w1  11b1   8w½   3b1   1w0   6b0    3.5
        7  Crothers, Toby                  =  21b0  18w1   5w0  14b1  16b1    3.5
 10.   12  Glendinning, Calum              +   3b½   1w½  15b0  19w1   5w0    3.0
       19  Dimitrov, Nicolai               -  22w1  13b0  14w1  12b0  10w1    3.0
 12.   21  Dumigan, Owen                 9b1   7w1   6w0   1b0   3w0  18b½    2.5
       16  Stinson, William              4b0  20w1   2b1  13w0   5b½   7w0    2.5
       18  Hill, Daniel                  5w½  15b0   7b0  10w½  20b1  21w½    2.5
       17  Murphy, Peter                 3w0  24b½   9w0  22b1  11b1  13w0    2.5
 16.   10  Armstrong, Chris                =   1b0  15w0  18b½  22w1  19b0    2.0
        9  Dorrian, Christopher         21w0     -  17b1  11w1     -     -    2.0
       20  Banerjee, Aharshi             8w0  16b0  22w0  24b1  18w0  11b1    2.0
       22  O'Hannaidh, Conn             11w0  19b0  20b1  17w0  10b0  14w1    2.0
 20.   14  Magee, Paddy                  1w½   5b0  24w1  19b0   7w0  22b0    1.5
 21.    2  Todd, Andrew                 15w1   8b0  16w0     -     -     -    1.0
       11  Mayrs, Richard               22b1   4w0     -   9b0  17w0  20w0    1.0
 23.   24  Bradley, Paul                   -  17w½  14b0  20w0     -     -    0.5

We had 39 players gather to play rapidplay chess - with 5 rounds and a time control of 12 minutes each. Players include - Ulster Champion Mandar Tahmankar who played in the recent British Championships 2026 : https://www.chess.com/events/2026-british-chess-championships-championship Young top players, Alwin Michael and Andrew Campbell. An excellent group of players of all ages and skills.

The tournament was FIDE rated and run in one section. With the final standings being split into Top 3, Top 3 under 1700 and Top 3 under 1500.

Pairings round 1 (Thursday, 30 July 2026)

Generated by Swiss Master for Windows 5.7 build 8 on 16-08-2026 at 16:46

The top boards down to board 14 where Shay Donnelly got a good win against David Corr.

Pairings round 2 (Thursday, 30 July 2026)

Shay Donnelly continues with a good draw against Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam.

Pairings round 3 (Thursday, 30 July 2026)

Gatis Barbals upsets on board 2 beating the second cede Alwin Michael. Whilst Shay Donnelly continues to do well winning against David Hill. Also doing well are Chris Neill beating David Jackson and Michael Wilson winning against the young Darragh Marsh.

Pairings round 4 (Thursday, 30 July 2026)

Mandar Tahmankar ( the defending Champion), Gatis Barbals and Andrew Campbell continue winning going into the next round on full points. Shay Donnelly finally meets his match and looses to top player Gatis Barbals, but playing on board 3 on the fourth round is a brilliant result in its self.

Pairings round 5 (Thursday, 30 July 2026)

With 3 players on full points. Its an exciting finish. Mandar wins against Gatis and successfully defends the title - winning with 5 out of 5. Andrew draws against Alwin and gains an unbeaten 4.5 out of five and second place.

Final

Tournament Champion : Mandar Tahmankar

Tournament 2nd : Andrew Campbell

Tournament 3rd : Jack Edens

Under 1700 1st : Sanket Sawant

Under 1700 2nd : Finn Davey

Under 1700 3rd : Peter Campbell

Under 1500 1st : Conor Aspell

Under 1500 2nd : Shay Donnelly

Under 1500 3rd : Michael Wilson

Many thanks to all the players and the organisers - a brilliant evening of chess and £430 raised for USPCA. See you next year.

The timetable for the morning :

Time    Description

10:00    Arrival

10:15    Welcome.

10:30    Tour of Stormont

11:00    Chess Tournament, coffee and tea served.

12:00     Principals alternative arrival time.

12:40    Award Ceremony: Ms Naomi Long MLA

13:15    Farewells

Myself, Geoff Hindley and Karina Campbell arrived early and setup the Long Gallery for the event, with chess sets, the trophies and a large chess set.

Youngsters, parents and school Principals and teachers started to arrive.

At 10:15 Mark Newman Welcomed everyone and explained the timetable for the morning.

We were then taken on a brilliant tour of this historical and beautiful building. The elegent marble work done by Italian experts, the symmetry of the building, the golden chandalier borrowed from Windsor. Then we went to the two debating chambers. An excellent and fascinating tour. Many thanks to our tour guide.

Returning to the Long Gallery. The youngsters were split into their age groups and played in chess tournament. Whilst this was taking place the adults mingled and enjoyed tea, coffee and biscuits.

We had 6 players who had won awards that didnt match our tournaments. So we had as in previous years run an extra tournament - The Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Exceptional Young Player. We played a 5 round all-play-all with a shorter time limit of 8mins each.

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Round 1

Results

No Name                       Result   Name             

 1 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada    0:1    Abhiram Ganja    
 2 Aarin Micheal                1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar
 3 Corey Castillo               0:1    Rizwan Arshed    

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Round 2

Results

No Name               Result   Name                     

 1 Rizwan Arshed        0:1    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada
 2 Sanvi Shambharkar    0:1    Corey Castillo           
 3 Abhiram Ganja        0:1    Aarin Micheal            

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Round 3

Results

No Name            Result   Name                     

 1 Aarin Micheal     1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada
 2 Corey Castillo    1:0    Abhiram Ganja            
 3 Rizwan Arshed     1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar       

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Round 4

Results

No Name                       Result   Name             

 1 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada    1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar
 2 Abhiram Ganja                0:1    Rizwan Arshed    
 3 Aarin Micheal                0:1    Corey Castillo   

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Round 5

Results

No Name               Result   Name                     

 1 Corey Castillo       1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada
 2 Rizwan Arshed        1:0    Aarin Micheal            
 3 Sanvi Shambharkar    1:0    Abhiram Ganja  

Exceptional Elite Stormont - Standings

Place Name                      Score

 1-2  Rizwan Arshed             4    
      Corey Castillo            4    
  3   Aarin Micheal             3    
  4   Shreyas Chandra Marrivada 2    
 5-6  Abhiram Ganja             1    
      Sanvi Shambharkar         1   

As part of the prize giving we had Principals, Teachers, Founder of the Tournament Graham Murphy and Ulster Chess Union President Martin Thompson form a line of honour.. The pupils on recieving their trophies and certificates then went down the line of honour shaking hands with the teachers who congratulated them.

We had representatives from most of the schools of the pupils - its brilliant to see the schools supporting their pupils:

John McCloskey (St Brides PS), Clare Stewart (Moira PS), Sophie Young (Harmony Hill PS), Graham Bennett (Newtownards Model PS), Mr Corbett (Gilnahirk PS),

Michael Johnston (Methodist College) Simon Cardwell (Royal School Armagh), Dermot Madine (St. Mary’s PS Belfast).

Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Primary 2026

4 players all-play-all:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Standings

Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Secondary Lower

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Standings

Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Secondary Upper

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Standings

Once the tournaments had completed the results were recorded and certificates organised.

Naomi Long MLA our host arrived and chatted to the youngsters about their love of the game and wether it was important to them to play or to win! Naomi enjoyed the various answers some liked to play. some to win and some both.

After a full year of monthly chess competitions held at Methodist College we have winners of our Grandprix system. The system works on the top 3 scores over the 5 Childrens Chess tournaments.

Grandprix: points – Players positions in their section are taken. Their best 3 grand-prix scores over the 5 tournaments are added together.

We have 3 age group sections and 2 puzzles sections.

James Fairley Shield: Primary School Championship

William McGrattin Shield: Lower Secondary School Championship ( Form1 to Form 3)

Damien Lavery Shield: Upper Secondary School Championship ( Form 4 and above)

Edward Whiteside Shield: Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Fergus O’Neill Shield: Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

There are also 2 shields one for younger players who havent won a prize but have played exceptionally well during the year. The other for players who do exceptionally well at tournaments outside of our series of tournaments, playing in the league, in other tournaments and if they represent Ireland.

The Belfast Scholastic Henderson and Dawson Shield.Exceptional Young Chess Player

The Belfast Scholastic Top Young Player (League/Other Competitions/Overseas Representation)

The final positions over the year:

The Belfast Scholastic James Fairley Shield. Primary Chess Champion

The Belfast Scholastic William McGrattin Shield. Lower Secondary Chess Champion

The Belfast Scholastic Damien Lavery Shield. Senior Secondary Chess Champion

The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield. Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield. Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

The Belfast Scholastic Top Young Player (League/Other Competitions/Overseas Representation)

The Belfast Scholastic Henderson and Dawson Shield.Exceptional Young Chess Player

Noami Long MLA end of Event Speech Noami recognised the childen for their talent the parents and teachers for their support of the youngsters. The benefits of chess for planning/strategy and allowing people to move away from impulsive behavour. The game was being used in local prisions in a very positive way. Naomi wish players well in their chess and to possibly see them here again next year. A big thankyou to Noami Long MLA for hosting our event.

Some of the history of this form of chess: https://www.fide.com/history-of-chess960/

Extracts from an article by Susan Polgar....

"The concept of random chess, also known as shuffle chess, was first proposed by the Dutch chess enthusiast Philip Julius van Zuylen van Nijevelt (1743-1826). In his renowned treatise on chess, La Supériorité aux Échecs, published in 1792, Van Zuylen van Nijevelt articulated his disdain for the repetitive patterns often found in standard chess openings. He proposed the idea of randomizing the starting positions of the main pieces to create a vast array of unique starting positions, eliminating the possibility of pre-game memorization or extensive opening theory. This early conception of random chess by Van Zuylen van Nijevelt laid the foundation for Chess960.

.....

Bronstein and Benko’s support

Just as the Dutch inventors of Shuffle chess back in the 18th century, World Champion Challenger David Bronstein promoted the same idea in the late 1940s, and then later Pal Benko in the 1970s. .....

They referred to it by various names such as: Placement Chess, Pre-Chess, Shuffle-Chess. In the variant promoted by Bronstein and Benko, the game starts with white and black pawns set as usual, but the initial position of other pieces is selected by the players.

The two players place their pieces alternately, one at a time. White first places one of his pieces on his first rank, and then Black does the same. Players continue to alternate in this manner until all pieces have been placed, with the only restriction being that bishops must be on opposite-color squares. The game then proceeds in the usual way. Strategic chess thinking therefore begins with the first placements of pieces. Yet, the essence of the game remains the same, as the pieces move as usual as in traditional chess, and the game similarly ends with checkmate.

Fischer’s influence and the evolution of Shuffle-Chess to Chess960

The year after Bobby Fischer returned to chess in 1992 for a second match versus Boris Spassky, he moved to Budapest at the suggestion of Susan Polgar. For nearly a year, he was a regular visitor to the Polgar family. He sought the help of Susan Polgar to better the rules of Shuffle-Chess. They spent a lot of time discussing and experimenting with various versions of the rules, which at times was joined by Pal Benko. Fischer’s goal was to eliminate what he considered the complete dominance of opening preparations in classical chess, and replacing it with creativity and talent. Like others before him, Fischer believed that eliminating memorized book moves would level the playing field.

.....

In those days, Fischer and Susan Polgar initially played by the Shuffle-Chess rules promoted by Bronstein and Benko. There were three key points of debates: if the pieces should be required to be positioned symmetrically; if castling should be part of the game, and if so, in which exact form; and if Bishops can start on any square, or with the restriction of starting on opposite-colored squares.

The Final Rules by Fischer and Susan Polgar

Fischer and Susan Polgar concluded the following:

– Castling should be incorporated into the rules (by requiring the King to start somewhere in between the two Rooks), and the King and Rook would end up in their traditional castling positions.

– Bishops must start the game on opposite color squares, as in traditional chess.

– The pieces from both sides should be set up symmetrically.

Back then, it was originally known as “Fischerandom” or “Fischerandom chess”, the name given by Fischer himself.

While in Budapest, Fischer consulted mathematicians to figure out how many such piece arrangements were possible. The answer was 960, which as far as he was concerned, was enough to prevent players from planning their opening moves in advance. Hence, the name Chess960.

Fischer Random Chess was formally introduced to the public on June 19, 1996, in Buenos Aires, Argentina."

Written by Susan Polgar.

We played 7 rounds with time control of 20mins 5sec increments. This gave us plenty of games to play and a reasonably relaxed time control. Below are the results of each round and the starting position for that round. Also I have included some photos - unfortunately as I was also playing I didnt take as many as normal.

The venue Loanends Presbyterian Church Hall was new to the Ulster Chess Union - and proved to be excellent. With parking, a kitchen - so with milk and biscuits provided by Michael Devine we had a good supply of tea and coffee. There was a very large TV screen which we used for showing the draws and the positions. A big thankyou to the Church for providing such an excellent venue - we are also using it for the British Blitz Qualifier in September.

I kept the positions under wraps until the players were paired up and then I placed it on the TV screen and on a large demo board. Before the start of the first round I demonstrated and explained the castling rule - as this is perhaps the most complicated part of the game. Players often castle into the wrong position - Kings side on the Queens side. As you loose track of the Queens side! The boards setup, players shook hands and the silence of focused thought spread through the room.....we were off.

Pairings round 1 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

Generated by Swiss Master for Windows 5.7 build 8 on 13-06-2026 at 21:10

The first round went to rating with an upset when Michael Devine drew against the defending champion Robert Lavery.

Pairings round 2 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

The second round Ahsish Shambharkar gets a good win against Peter Campbell. Mandar Tahmankar wins against previous champion Gerard McIlroy. The battle of the brothers Shane wins against Michael Devine.

Pairings round 3 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

An upset on the 2nd table with Robert Lavery the defending champion beating top player Danny Robert.

Pairings round 4 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

The two top players draw, Danny and Mandar. Shane Devine gets a good win off Andrew Campbell.

Pairings round 5 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

Games go to rating. Apart from Geoff Hindley getting a good win over Jim McLean.

Pairings round 6 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

Pairings round 7 (Saturday, 13 June 2026)

Final

Ulster Champion 2026: Mandar Tahmankar

2nd : Danny Roberts

3rd : Gerard McIlroy

Intermediates : Under 1700.

Ulster Intermediate Champion 2026 : Ashish Shambharkar

2nd : Pat McKillen

3rd : Michael Devine

The end of a brilliant days chess. Thanks go to Michael Devine and Karina Campbell for organising the event and to Loanends Presbyterian Church Hall for hosting the event.

Previous Champion Robert Lavery passing the Trophy to the new Champion Mandar Tahmankar

The winners.

Unfortunately nos were low for todays tournament. We were forced to combine some age groups, ending with 2 sections. An under12 section with 8 players and an under18 with 6 players. With a need to play a full 6 rounds for the Under18 we played 5 rounds of all-play-all followed by a round 6 which was done manually.

As players arrived we registered them and they took a puzzle sheet and pencil - always a top part of the day is the puzzle solving. With trophies for the top solvers and a certificate for all players who hand in a sheet.

Under 12 Puzzle Champion : Kia Jahandizi

Under18 Chess Champion: Ethan Cole

Some of the brilliant puzzles that were considered and hopefully solved!

Have a go - the solutions are at the bottom of this page.

I have included some of the check-mate in 2's these are usually easier than the above puzzles. But when there isnt an obvious check to start the solution and there are less pieces on the board offering lots of choices for the moves these can be very difficult. Try these for fun - again solutions at bottom of the page.

The two sections played in different rooms. I looked after the Under12's and Geoff Hindley looked after the Under18's.

As parents registered their youngsters, I explained that for the Under 12's if a round completed early we would run the next round almost immediately and that this would mean the likelyhood of an early finish. If also lunch was going to just extend the finish time we might skip lunch. This was welcomed and infact we finished the Under 12 section at about 2:00pm much to the delight of both parents and players.

Below are the results of the rounds and photos - most of which are from my room (apologies to the Under18's - I didnt get much opportunity to get photos from their room).

We collected the puzzles at the beginning of Round 5. to give us time to mark them. So no photos for round 6.

Under12: Round 1

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name            Feder Total

 1 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [0]      1:0    Nathan Johnston U12   [0]  
 2 Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]      0:1    Alex McKeown    U10   [0]  
 3 Jatin Jakati              U10   [0]      1:0    Rishi Sharma    U10   [0]  
 4 Rizwan Arshed             U8    [0]      0:1    Kia Jahandizi   U12   [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

Players were given approx ratings. The first round went to rating.

Under12: Round 2

Results

No Name            Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Kia Jahandizi   U12   [1]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [1]  
 2 Alex McKeown    U10   [1]      0:1    Jatin Jakati              U10   [1]  
 3 Nathan Johnston U12   [0]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed             U8    [0]  
 4 Rishi Sharma    U10   [0]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]  

Rizwan gets a good win against Nathan. Kia gets a good win from Shreyas.

Under12: Round 3

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name            Feder Total

 1 Jatin Jakati              U10   [2]      1:0    Kia Jahandizi   U12   [2]  
 2 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [1]      1:0    Rishi Sharma    U10   [1]  
 3 Rizwan Arshed             U8    [1]      0:1    Alex McKeown    U10   [1]  
 4 Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]      0:1    Nathan Johnston U12   [0]  

Jatin Jakati goes into the lead winning against Kia.

Under12: Round 4

Results

No Name            Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Nathan Johnston U12   [1]      0:1    Jatin Jakati              U10   [3]  
 2 Alex McKeown    U10   [2]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [2]  
 3 Kia Jahandizi   U12   [2]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]  
 4 Rishi Sharma    U10   [1]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed             U8    [1]  

Jatin continues to win and qualifies.with over the necessary 3 1/2 points. The Top 3 of each age group also qualify.

Under12: Round 5

Results

No Name          Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Jatin Jakati  U10   [4]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [2]  
 2 Kia Jahandizi U12   [3]     .5:.5   Alex McKeown              U10   [3]  
 3 Rizwan Arshed U8    [2]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]  
 4 Rishi Sharma  U10   [1]      1:0    Nathan Johnston           U12   [1]  

Alex McKeown and Kia qualify with 3 1/2 points. Jatin continues with another victory.

Under12: Round 6

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name          Feder Total

 1 Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   [0]      0:1    Jatin Jakati  U10   [5]  
 2 Alex McKeown              U10   [3.5]    1:0    Rishi Sharma  U10   [2]  
 3 Nathan Johnston           U12   [1]     .5:.5   Kia Jahandizi U12   [3.5]
 4 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   [2]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed U8    [3]  

Jatin wins on full points 6 out of 6. Also doing well with 4 out of 6 is the young Rizwan.

Under12 - Standings

Place Name                      Feder Score M-Buch. Buch. Progr.

  1   Jatin Jakati              U10   6         9.5  14.0   21.0
  2   Alex McKeown              U10   4.5      12.0  18.0   15.0
 3-4  Kia Jahandizi             U12   4        12.0  18.0   15.5
      Rizwan Arshed             U8    4         9.5  14.0   11.0
 5-6  Shreyas Chandra Marrivada U10   2        14.5  22.0   10.0
      Rishi Sharma              U10   2        12.0  18.0    7.0
  7   Nathan Johnston           U12   1.5      12.0  18.0    4.5
  8   Sohan Kesavarapu          U10   0        14.5  22.0    0.0

Qualifiers

We have 7 qualifiers - and are looking forward to seeing them play in the next round - the Gigafinals.

These take place on the dates below : for full details and entry goto the https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/

https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/gigafinals-2026/

"Gigafinals

Once again we are hosting four Gigafinals; three in-person and one online. To compete in a Gigafinal a player must first qualify via a Megafinal. Players may play in as many Gigafinals as they like, regardless of whether they have already qualified for the next stages.

Scottish Gigafinal

One boy and one girl will qualify from each section.

Saturday 21st June – Scottish Gigafinal U8s and U10s (University of Stirling)
Sunday 22nd June – Scottish Gigafinal U12s, U14s and U18s (University of Stirling)

Northern Gigafinal

We are once again holding the Northern Gigafinal at one of favourite and most popular venues, Wright Robinson College in Manchester.

Two boys and one girl will qualify from each section.

Saturday 12th July – Northern Gigafinal U8s and U10s (Wright Robinson College, Manchester)
Sunday 13th July – Northern Gigafinal U12s, U14s and U18s (Wright Robinson College, Manchester)

Southern Gigafinal

Taking place at Sandown Racecourse in Esher.

Two boys and one girl will qualify from each section.

Saturday 19th July – Southern Gigafinal U8s and U10s (Sandown Racecourse, Esher)
Sunday 20th July – Southern Gigafinal U12s, U14s and U18s (Sandown Racecourse, Esher)

Online Gigafinal

One boy and one girl will qualify from each section.

The Online Gigafinal takes part in two stages: Stage 1 is Saturday 6th September at 10am with the top 12 players in each of the 5 age sections then qualifying for Stage 2 on Sunday 7th September."

We will report on players attending to let you know how they do.

Many thanks to volunteer Geoff Hindley for looking after the Under18 section.

Under18: Round 1

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name           Feder Total

11 Logan Moore      U14   [0]      1:0    Nathan Murray  U18   [0]  
12 Matthew McColgan U14   [0]      1:0    Andrew Riddell U14   [0]  
13 Ethan Cole       U14   [0]      1:0    Shubham Saha   U14   [0]  

Under18: Round 2

Results

No Name           Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

11 Nathan Murray  U18   [0]     .5:.5   Shubham Saha     U14   [0]  
12 Andrew Riddell U14   [0]      0:1    Ethan Cole       U14   [1]  
13 Logan Moore    U14   [1]      0:1    Matthew McColgan U14   [1]  

Its a fight to see who qualifies for the Under14s. Nathan Murrary will qualify as the top Under 18.

Under18: Round 3

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name           Feder Total

11 Matthew McColgan U14   [2]      0:1    Nathan Murray  U18   [.5] 
12 Ethan Cole       U14   [2]      1:0    Logan Moore    U14   [1]  
13 Shubham Saha     U14   [.5]     1:0    Andrew Riddell U14   [0]  

Under18: Round 4

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name           Feder Total

11 Nathan Murray    U18   [1.5]    1:0    Andrew Riddell U14   [0]  
12 Logan Moore      U14   [1]      0:1    Shubham Saha   U14   [1.5]
13 Matthew McColgan U14   [2]      0:1    Ethan Cole     U14   [3]  

Ethan Cole leads the tournament on 4 out of 4 and qualifies for the GigaFinals.

Under18: Round 5

Results

No Name           Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

11 Ethan Cole     U14   [4]      1:0    Nathan Murray    U18   [2.5]
12 Shubham Saha   U14   [2.5]    1:0    Matthew McColgan U14   [2]  
13 Andrew Riddell U14   [0]      0:1    Logan Moore      U14   [1]  

Shubham gains 3.5 points and also qualifies.

Under18: Round 6

Results

No Name           Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

11 Matthew McColgan U14   [3]    1:0    Logan Moore      U14   [2] 
12 Shubham Saha   U14   [3.5]    0:1    Ethan Cole       U14   [5] 
13 Nathan Murray   U18  [2.5]    1:0    Andrew Riddell   U14   [0] 
     

Under18: Standings

Place Name             Feder Score

  1   Ethan Cole       U14   6    
  2   Shubham Saha     U14   3.5  
  3   Nathan Murray    U18   3.5  
 4-5  Logan Moore      U14   3    
      Matthew McColgan U14   2    
  6   Andrew Riddell   U14   0    

Qualifiers

End of a brilliant day. With lots of worthy qualifiers for the next round. The Gigafinals. We will track the players and let you know how they do.

The targeted dates for next years monthly tournaments are book them in your diaries - have a brilliant summer:

Chess Events 2026/2027

Puzzle Solutions

Challenging Mates in 2

Held this year at the newly established Carrickfergus Community Chess Club, the event brought together 22 players from across the local chess scene, all of whom had earned their tickets throughout the season via performances in major UCU events including the Ulster Championships, Ulster Masters, Blitz, Rapidplay, and Summer Tournament.

Arkell arrived in Northern Ireland for the first time to glorious sunshine, with UCU organiser Karina Campbell collecting the GM from Belfast International Airport before the pair headed to Dobbins Inn in Carrickfergus to settle in ahead of the evening’s play. Rumour has it that Karina may even have persuaded Keith to enjoy a “cheeky Guinness or two” before battle commenced.

By the time the players arrived, much of the hard work had already been completed thanks to the efforts of Mark Newman, Eddie Khanzharov, and members of the Carrickfergus Community Chess Club, who had every board, clock, scoresheet and seating arrangement perfectly prepared for the Grandmaster’s arrival.

Unlike previous editions of the simul, Arkell offered players the choice of colour. Fourteen participants opted to play White, while Mandar Tahmankar boldly chose Black on board one - a decision that would ultimately pay off in spectacular fashion.

From the outset, Arkell maintained a relentless pace, moving briskly between boards and rarely lingering long at any position. Yet despite his trademark efficiency and immense experience, the Ulster contingent proved exceptionally resilient. After just over four hours of play, Arkell finished with a still-impressive score of 19/22, though the final tally only told part of the story.

Victories for Mandar Tahmankar and Edward Khanzharov, alongside hard-earned draws for Gerard McIlroy and Amol Thoke, ensured the local players could celebrate a memorable evening against one of Britain’s most respected chess figures.

The Grandmaster himself was full of praise afterwards:

“I don’t recall a more difficult simul strength-wise.”

Arkell’s résumé speaks for itself. The 2008 English Champion is also a European Senior Champion, tied for first in the 2014 World Senior Championship, British Online Champion in 2021, and has won the British Senior Championship for each of the last three years. Known internationally as a formidable endgame specialist, Arkell even has an opening variation named after him: the Arkell-Khenkin Variation.

Speaking after the event, Arkell praised both the organisation and the quality of opposition:

“Back from an extremely tough simul in Carrickfergus, wonderfully organised by Karina Campbell, who does so much for the Ulster Chess Union in Northern Ireland.

“The simul, in which I applied my trademarks of offering my opponents choice of colour, two passes each, and a finale of playing out the last four games on the clock with a 10:10 time limit, took me a full four hours - much longer than I normally take - which reflects just how strong and dogged my opponents were.”

The evening was not without its lighter moments. Early in the simul, Arkell accidentally helped himself to a player’s water bottle while his own sat nearby on the table. The Grandmaster was reportedly highly amused when Karina informed him of the mix-up later in the evening - hopefully the unfortunate player wasn’t too attached to the bottle.

Among the many competitive encounters, Arkell singled out Robert Lavery’s game as a particular standout, noting afterwards that Lavery “made him work for it.”

Following the final handshakes, players and organisers returned to Dobbins Inn for a relaxed post-mortem over a few quiet pints, joined by Chris Armstrong and Dominic Gallagher as stories from the evening quickly began to circulate.

Reflecting on the occasion afterwards, representatives from the Carrickfergus Community Chess Club described the event as a landmark moment for the newly formed club:

“Hosting the UCU Grandmaster Simul was a massive milestone for the Carrickfergus Community Chess Club. Welcoming GM Keith Arkell was an absolute privilege, and pushing him to two draws and two losses showed the fantastic calibre of the local players — including our own Aaron and Liam, who did us proud.

“This night truly highlighted the incredible spirit, talent, and community solidarity here in Carrickfergus. Huge thanks to the UCU for the opportunity!”

Karina Campbell extended thanks to everyone who attended and assisted with the event, noting that the evening had been a tremendous success for both the UCU and the newly formed Carrickfergus Community Chess Club. The feeling was clearly mutual, with Arkell stating he would be delighted to return in the future.

Thanks to Mandar Tahmankar and Eddie Khanzharov for sharing their games from the evening, which are included below.

K Arkell v M Tahmankar

E Khanzharov v K Arkell

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 e6 8. Be3 Nge7 9. Bb5 Ng6 10. Bd4 Qc7 11. Qg3 Be7 12. O-O O-O 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. b4 b6 15. cxb6 axb6 16. f4 Nh4 17. Qf2 Rfb8 18. g4 h5 19. f5 hxg4 20. f6 Nf3+ 21. Kh1 Bf8 22. fxg7 Bxg7 23. Nd2 Nxd2 24. Qxd2 Kf8 25. Qf4 Rb7 26. Qxg4 Bh6 27. Qh5 Bg7 28. Rg1 Qc4 29. Qh7 Ke7 30. Qxg7 Rf8 31. Qf6+ Kd7 32. Qf1 Kc6 33. Qxc4+ dxc4 34. a4 Ra8 35. a5 bxa5 36. Rxa5 Rh8 37. Rga1 Rh4 38. Ra6+ Kd5 39. Re1 Rd7 40. b5 Rd8 41. b6 Kc6 42. Rb1 Rdh8 43. b7+ Kc7 44. Rb2 Rb8 45. Bc5 Rxb7 *

Full Simul Results

Upcoming UCU Events

-       Fischer Random

Saturday 13^th June at Loanends Presbyterian Church

-       Annual General Meeting

Monday 15^th June at Fruithill Chess Club

-       Ulster Championships

Saturday 29^th August – Monday 31^st August at Blackmountain Shared Space

-       UK Open Blitz (Belfast Qualifier)

Saturday 12^th September at Loanends Presbyterian Church

Early Rounds: Favourites Hold Firm, First Shocks Appear

The tournament opened in classic Swiss style, with top seeds facing lower rated opponents. As expected, the favourites held their nerve and secured their points.

But Round 2 delivered the first twist: Ethan C, one of the three 2000+ rated players was held to a draw, marking the first surprise among the elite.

By Round 3, the story of the tournament was beginning to take shape. Steve S — described in the report as someone who has “seen it all, won it all, and done it with grace and style” — surged to 3/3, taking the early lead. Mandar drew, while Ethan C kept pace with a crucial win.

Round 4: The Tournament Turns

Round 4 lived up to its reputation as Ulster chess’s “moving round.”

Steve S ground out another tough win, stretching his lead to half a point over the relentless Ethan C heading into Round 5.

In the Henderson Cup section, Nicole W established a full point lead over Robert L and Des M, setting up a tense finish.

Round 5: Pressure Peaks

The top board clash between Steve S and Ethan C ended in a fighting draw — a testament to Ethan’s determination and, as the report puts it, “a will to win the size of Old Trafford.”

Elsewhere, George and Nicole W scored vital victories, tightening the standings heading into the final round.

After five rounds, the leaderboard was razorthin:

Steve S: 4.5

Ethan C, George, Nicole W: 4.0

Everything was still to play for.

Round 6: Final Round Fireworks

The final round delivered maximum drama.

Steve S and Nicole W both drew, while Ethan C secured a crucial win — pulling level with Steve S on 5 points. The Nemtzov Cup would be decided by tiebreaks.

Nicole W’s draw, meanwhile, clinched her the Henderson Cup title. With Conor S winning and Peter C drawing, the remaining podium places also came down to tiebreak calculations.

Final Standings

Nemtzov Cup

1st – Steve Scannell (5 pts)

2nd – Ethan Cole (5 pts) — edged out again on tiebreak

3rd – Andrew Campbell (4.5 pts) — a brilliant late surge onto the podium

Henderson Cup

1st – Nicole White (4.5 pts)

2nd – Conor Spackman (3.5 pts) — 2nd on tiebreak

3rd – Peter Campbell

A Tournament to Remember

The 2026 City of Belfast Tournament delivered everything chess fans could hope for: tension, surprises, heroic saves, and two champions crowned only after the finest of margins.

A huge thank you goes to all players for making the event smooth and enjoyable, and to Lisburn Chess Club for hosting another fantastic weekend of chess.

Report by Chris Dorrian

Venue: Falls Bowling Club, 63 Andersonstown Road Belfast. BT11 9AH

Any member wishing to put forward a motion or nominate a member for the Board, must do so before noon Monday 8^th June 2026.

Submitted motions must be proposed by one member and seconded by another.

Please submit nominations and proposals to Pat McKillen.

Positions on the UCU Executive Board:

Chair

Secretary

Treasurer

Tournament Director (& Vice Tournament Director)

League Controller

Ratings Officer

Youth Development Officer

Child Protection Officer

Women’s Development Officer

Funding Officer

Trophies Officer

Web Editor/Social Media Officer

UCU Historian

ICU Representative

Member without portfolio

Those wishing to stand for any of the above positions must be nominated and seconded by two other members.

The Tom Clarke Grand Prix and League prises will be presented at the AGM; full winner’s list below. We encourage all winners to collect their trophies in person.

TOM CLARKE GRAND PRIX WINNERS

Senior: TBC

Intermediate: TBC

DIVISION 1 WINNERS

The A Team

DIVISION 2 WINNERS

Downpatrick

DIVISION 1 BOARD PRIZES

Division 1 Board 1: Adam Collins

Division 1 Board 2: Robbie Wright

Division 1 Board 3: Ben McIlroy

Division 1 Board 4: Paul McNaughton

Division 1 Board 5: Chris Kelly

DIVISION 2 BOARD PRIZES

Division 2 Board 1: Andrew Todd

Division 2 Board 2: Jack Edens

Division 2 Board 3: Graeme McCormick

Division 2 Board 4: David McCracken

Division 2 Board 5: Gary Johnston

Previous year’s AGM minutes, nominations, and proposals will be published post receipt of any proposals and nominations Monday 8^th June.

For further details on any of the roles, please contact the UCU secretary.

Support will be provided by the current Treasurer during the transition period to help ensure a smooth handover.

If you would like to learn more about the responsibilities involved, please contact Karina Campbell at social@ulsterchess.net.

Please share with anyone who may be interested in supporting chess in Ulster.

Pupils gathered at Methodist Collge. Collecting puzzle sheets to compelete between rounds. - interestingly there were a couple of mate in 2's that were very challenging - see these below.

Geoff Hindley our brilliant volunteer put arrows out directing players to the chess rooms and we setup the two chess playing rooms. With a 3rd room where parents could stay.

With everyone registered. The pairings were made, displayed on the screen and players found their tables and shook hands and the first round began.

Just prior to round 5 the puzzle sheets are collected and with the help of our other brilliant volunteer Amol Thoke they are marked and ordered. Each player recieving a certficiate.

Primary Puzzle Solving Champion: Aarin Michael

Secondary Puzzle Solving Champion: Alwin Michael

Some of the challenging mates in 2 - I think possibly because the first move isnt check. Solutions at the end of the page.

Round 1

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Alwin Micheal               F2    [0]      1:0    Szymon Slebioda  F3    [0]  
 2 Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]      0:1    Peter Murphy     F5    [0]  
 3 Nathan Murray               F4    [0]      1:0    Ryan Hall        F1    [0]  
 4 Nathan Johnston             P7    [0]      0:1    Alex McKeown     P6    [0]  
 5 Darragh Marsh               P7    [0]      1:0    Parker Robinson  F2    [0]  
 6 Alexander Davis             P5    [0]     .5:.5   Shlok Thoke      F2    [0]  
 7 Jatin Jakati                P6    [0]      1:0    Tanish Thoke     P5    [0]  
 8 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [0]      0:1    Shubham Saha     F2    [0]  
 9 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [0]      1:0    Isaac Ryan       P7    [0]  
10 Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [0]     .5:.5   Kia Jahandizi    P7    [0]  
11 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [0]      1:0    Rishi Sharma     P6    [0]  
12 Thomas Walker               P6    [0]      0:1    Advait Tahmankar F1    [0]  
13 Seth McClenahan             F3    [0]      1:0    Abdullah Janjua  P5    [0]  
14 Corey Castillo              P4    [0]      1:0    BYE                         
15 Calum Daly                  P6    [0]      0:1    Killian McKeown  P2    [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

Round one and we look for the usual 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 .... pattern. So following this Alexander Davis with a draw against Shlok Thoke does very well. As goes Soundharya Premkumar with a draw against Kia Jahandizi.

Round 2

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Shubham Saha     F2    [1]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [1]  
 2 Peter Murphy     F5    [1]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [1]  
 3 Advait Tahmankar F1    [1]      0:1    Nathan Murray               F4    [1]  
 4 Alex McKeown     P6    [1]     .5:.5   Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1]  
 5 Corey Castillo   P4    [1]      0:1    Darragh Marsh               P7    [1]  
 6 Killian McKeown  P2    [1]      0:1    Jatin Jakati                P6    [1]  
 7 Shlok Thoke      F2    [.5]    .5:.5   Seth McClenahan             F3    [1]  
 8 Kia Jahandizi    P7    [.5]     1:0    Alexander Davis             P5    [.5] 
 9 Szymon Slebioda  F3    [0]      0:1    Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [.5] 
10 Isaac Ryan       P7    [0]      0:1    Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]  
11 Ryan Hall        F1    [0]      0:1    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [0]  
12 Rishi Sharma     P6    [0]      1:0    Nathan Johnston             P7    [0]  
13 Parker Robinson  F2    [0]      1:0    Thomas Walker               P6    [0]  
14 Tanish Thoke     P5    [0]      1:0    Abdullah Janjua             P5    [0]  
15 Calum Daly       P6    [0]      1:0    BYE       

Alex McKeown gets a very good draw against Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam. Its brilliant to see so many young primary players. P2 and P4 and P5.

Round 3

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                 Feder Total

 1 Alwin Micheal               F2    [2]      1:0    Darragh Marsh        P7    [2]  
 2 Nathan Murray               F4    [2]      1:0    Jatin Jakati         P6    [2]  
 3 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [2]      1:0    Alex McKeown         P6    [1.5]
 4 Seth McClenahan             F3    [1.5]    0:1    Kia Jahandizi        P7    [1.5]
 5 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1.5]    1:0    Soundharya Premkumar P6    [1.5]
 6 Parker Robinson             F2    [1]      0:1    Peter Murphy         F5    [1]  
 7 Tanish Thoke                P5    [1]      0:1    Shlok Thoke          F2    [1]  
 8 Rishi Sharma                P6    [1]      0:1    Shubham Saha         F2    [1]  
 9 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [1]      0:1    Advait Tahmankar     F1    [1]  
10 Aarin Micheal               P4    [1]      1:0    Corey Castillo       P4    [1]  
11 Alexander Davis             P5    [.5]     1:0    Killian McKeown      P2    [1]  
12 Isaac Ryan                  P7    [0]      0:1    Szymon Slebioda      F3    [0]  
13 Abdullah Janjua             P5    [0]      0:1    Ryan Hall            F1    [0]  
14 Nathan Johnston             P7    [0]      1:0    Calum Daly           P6    [1]  

After this round we have only 3 players on full points. Alwin Michael, Nathan Murray and Timothy McClenahan.

Round 4

Results

No Name                 Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Timothy McClenahan   U6    [3]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [3]  
 2 Kia Jahandizi        P7    [2.5]   .5:.5   Nathan Murray               F4    [3]  
 3 Peter Murphy         F5    [2]      1:0    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2.5]
 4 Darragh Marsh        P7    [2]      1:0    Shubham Saha                F2    [2]  
 5 Shlok Thoke          F2    [2]      0:1    Advait Tahmankar            F1    [2]  
 6 Jatin Jakati         P6    [2]      1:0    Aarin Micheal               P4    [2]  
 7 Alex McKeown         P6    [1.5]    1:0    Alexander Davis             P5    [1.5]
 8 Soundharya Premkumar P6    [1.5]    1:0    Seth McClenahan             F3    [1.5]
 9 Szymon Slebioda      F3    [1]      0:1    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [1]  
10 Ryan Hall            F1    [1]      0:1    Rishi Sharma                P6    [1]  
11 Corey Castillo       P4    [1]      0:1    Nathan Johnston             P7    [1]  
12 Calum Daly           P6    [1]      0:1    Parker Robinson             F2    [1]  
13 Killian McKeown      P2    [1]      0:1    Tanish Thoke                P5    [1]  
14 Abdullah Janjua      P5    [0]      0:1    Isaac Ryan                  P7    [0]  

Kia Jahandizi gets a good draw against Nathan Murray. Soundharya Premkumar wins against Seth McClenahan. Rishi Sharma wins against Ryan Hall.

Round 5

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name               Feder Total

 1 Alwin Micheal               F2    [4]     .5:.5   Nathan Murray      F4    [3.5]
 2 Kia Jahandizi               P7    [3]      0:1    Peter Murphy       F5    [3]  
 3 Darragh Marsh               P7    [3]      1:0    Timothy McClenahan U6    [3]  
 4 Advait Tahmankar            F1    [3]      1:0    Jatin Jakati       P6    [3]  
 5 Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [2.5]    1:0    Alex McKeown       P6    [2.5]
 6 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2.5]    1:0    Shlok Thoke        F2    [2]  
 7 Shubham Saha                F2    [2]      1:0    Parker Robinson    F2    [2]  
 8 Aarin Micheal               P4    [2]      1:0    Tanish Thoke       P5    [2]  
 9 Nathan Johnston             P7    [2]      1:0    Abhiram Ganja      P6    [2]  
10 Seth McClenahan             F3    [1.5]    1:0    Rishi Sharma       P6    [2]  
11 Alexander Davis             P5    [1.5]    0:1    Szymon Slebioda    F3    [1]  
12 Ryan Hall                   F1    [1]      1:0    Calum Daly         P6    [1]  
13 Isaac Ryan                  P7    [1]      1:0    Killian McKeown    P2    [1]  
14 Corey Castillo              P4    [1]      1:0    Abdullah Janjua    P5    [0]  

No photos for the last 2 rounds as we are marking the puzzle sheets. Which are collected at the beginning of round 5. Volunteer Amol Thoke gives much valued help with the marking.

Alwin is leading the competition on full marks. Nathan Murray challenges him and gets a draw. Making the competition a little more open. Peter Murphy, P7 Darragh Marsh and Advait Tahmankar are chasing with 4 out of 5.

Round 6

Results

No Name               Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Peter Murphy       F5    [4]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [4.5]
 2 Nathan Murray      F4    [4]     .5:.5   Darragh Marsh               P7    [4]  
 3 Advait Tahmankar   F1    [4]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [3.5]
 4 Jatin Jakati       P6    [3]      1:0    Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [3.5]
 5 Shubham Saha       F2    [3]      1:0    Kia Jahandizi               P7    [3]  
 6 Timothy McClenahan U6    [3]      1:0    Aarin Micheal               P4    [3]  
 7 Seth McClenahan    F3    [2.5]    0:1    Nathan Johnston             P7    [3]  
 8 Alex McKeown       P6    [2.5]    1:0    Ryan Hall                   F1    [2]  
 9 Abhiram Ganja      P6    [2]      0:1    Shlok Thoke                 F2    [2]  
10 Rishi Sharma       P6    [2]      1:0    Szymon Slebioda             F3    [2]  
11 Parker Robinson    F2    [2]      0:1    Isaac Ryan                  P7    [2]  
12 Tanish Thoke       P5    [2]      0:1    Corey Castillo              P4    [2]  
13 Calum Daly         P6    [1]      0:1    Alexander Davis             P5    [1.5]
14 Killian McKeown    P2    [1]     .5:.5   Abdullah Janjua             P5    [0]  

The final round. Michael Alwin wins and is overall leader of the competition. Darragh Marsh continues todo well and draws against Nathan Murray. Its excellent to see a P7 in the top tables and comming joint second. Also doing well in P6 Jatin Jakati who on board 4 wins against another excellent young player Soundharya Premkumar. The youngest player Killian McKeown finishes on a respectable 1.5 points.

Standings

Place Name                        Year  Score M-Buch. Buch. Progr.

  1   Alwin Micheal               F2    5.5      16.5  23.0   20.0
 2-4  Nathan Murray               F4    4.5      15.5  23.0   18.0
      Darragh Marsh               P7    4.5      15.0  22.5   16.5
      Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    4.5      14.0  21.0   15.5
5-10  Timothy McClenahan          U6    4        15.0  23.5   16.0
      Peter Murphy                F5    4        14.5  22.0   15.0
      Advait Tahmankar            F1    4        13.5  20.0   15.0
      Shubham Saha                F2    4        12.5  20.0   13.0
      Jatin Jakati                P6    4        12.5  18.5   15.0
      Nathan Johnston             P7    4        10.0  14.0   10.0
11-12 Alex McKeown                P6    3.5      14.0  20.5   12.5
      Soundharya Premkumar        P6    3.5      13.0  19.5   13.0
13-18 Kia Jahandizi               P7    3        14.0  21.0   13.5
      Aarin Micheal               P4    3        13.5  19.5   11.0
      Rishi Sharma                P6    3        12.5  19.0    9.0
      Corey Castillo              P4    3        12.0  17.0    9.0
      Shlok Thoke                 F2    3        11.0  17.5   10.5
      Isaac Ryan                  P7    3         8.5  13.0    6.0
19-20 Seth McClenahan             F3    2.5      12.5  17.0   10.5
      Alexander Davis             P5    2.5       9.5  13.5    8.0
21-25 Abhiram Ganja               P6    2        13.0  19.0    8.0
      Parker Robinson             F2    2        13.0  18.0    8.0
      Szymon Slebioda             F3    2        12.0  19.5    6.0
      Tanish Thoke                P5    2        10.0  14.5    8.0
      Ryan Hall                   F1    2         9.0  14.0    6.0
 26   Killian McKeown             P2    1.5       8.0  12.5    6.5
 27   Calum Daly                  P6    1         9.5  15.0    5.0
 28   Abdullah Janjua             P5    0.5       9.0  13.5    0.5
29-30 Thomas Walker               P6    0         6.0   6.0    0.0
      Oliver McConkey             P7    0         0.0   0.0    0.0

The end of another brilliant afternoon of chess. Many thanks to the Ulster Chess Union, to the Volunteers Amol Thoke and Geoff Hindley, to Methodist College, all the parents supporting their young chess players and most important to all the chess players who create this brilliant event. Wishing you all the best in all your future games - enjoy.

Primary 5 and Under.

Champion : Aarin Micheal

2nd : Corey Castillo

Primary 6

Champion : Jatin Jakati

Primary 7

Champion : Darragh Marsh

2nd : Nathan Johnston

Form 1

Champion : Advait Tahmankar

2nd : Ryan Hall

Form 2

Champion : Alwin Micheal

2nd : Shubham Saha

Form 3

Champion : Seth McClenahan

2nd : Szymon Slebioda

Form 4 and above

Champion : Nathan Murray

2nd : Kathikeya Karpagavinayagam

Solution to the problems.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qyr0ZZIPhMY&feature=shared

More info on the brilliant Bangor Chess Club on their website : https://bangorchess.com/

In a room filled with tension, The A team got up early on board 1, with Adam Collins ultimately converting the win. The other four games were in the balance through the middle game, and three of them went down to the wire, with the result uncertain till the very end. Ethan Cole and Modestas Razbadauskas won for Strand, but Gareth Annesley and Stephen Wood got the draws required to make the overall score 3-2 to Strand on the night, enough for The A team to defend the title.

Congratulations to The A team, worthy winners again of the Silver King trophy. Adam Collins, Gareth Annesley, Ben McIlroy, Gerard McIlroy, Stephen Wood and Florenz Schwalenberg all contributed significantly to the success.

Overall, it was as you were, with 5 teams finishing in the exact same positions at last season. Strand again ended up 2nd, just ahead of Bangor who were again 3rd. NI Civil Service were mid-table in 4th, as they were last season. Newly promoted Fruithill were 5th ahead of QUB, who again finished 6th despite recording their first win in the final match of the season. Remarkably, the final table is almost indistinguishable from 2024/25, where the points for each team in order were 71.5, 70.0, 68.0, 54.0, 32.0 (for Lisburn) and 17.5.

Above: Gareth Annesley from The A team with the Silver King trophy

Division 2 also came down to a final-day decider on Thursday 23rd April. First place Downpatrick hosted Kelly's Heroes from Belfast South; second place Bangor 2 hosted NI Civil Service 2; and third placed Lisburn travelled to play Citi Knights. All the games kicked off at the same time at different locations, meaning Bangor 2 and Lisburn had to aim for as many points as possible and hope Downpatrick slipped up. Both did all they could, with Bangor 2 winning 4-1 and Lisburn winning 3.5-1.5. However, Downpatrick were not to be denied, a 4-1 win securing them the John Strawbridge Cup in just their second season.

Congratulations to Downpatrick for a fantastic achievement for a new club against established league teams. Paul Reaney, Jonathan Boyd, Finn Davey, Owen Dumigan, Dermot Maguire and Martin Lannon all contributed massively in a remarkably consistent team selection. Good luck to the team as they are promoted to Division 1 for next season.

Bangor 2 ended the season 2nd, just ahead of Lisburn in 3rd. Draw specialists Kelly's Heroes finished 4th, 0.5 points ahead of Bangor 3. It is a real testament to the Bangor club that they could have three competitive teams in the two divisions. Citi Knights scored at least 1.5 in every match (a feat only matched by Bangor 1 across both divisions) as they finished 6th. Fruithill 2 won the basement battle, winning on the final day of the season to finish 7th, with NI Civil Service 2 finishing 8th after losing their match.