The top 4 players, parents and Principals (or assigned teacher) for Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Puzzle solving will be invited to Stormont for an Award Ceremony on

Friday June 5th  10:00 to 13:00

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

Grand Prix Style Tournament

1. place gets 10 points
2. place gets 8 points
3. place gets 6 points
4. place gets 5 points
5. place gets 4 points
6. place gets 3 points
7. place gets 2 points
8. place gets 1 points

We have been lucky to have as our Sponsor and host at Stormant the brilliant MLA Naomi Long.

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026 James Fairley Shield.

Primary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic William McGrattin Shield 2026

Lower Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Damien Lavery Shield 2026

Upper Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:

Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:

Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Players are given puzzle sheets with 22 puzzles to be solved during the afternoon. One side has mate in 1/2/3 the other has find the best combinations (slightly more challenging). Players are allowed to discuss puzzles but parents are asked to refrain from giving answers - we do give hints - but it is key that the youngsters find their own solutions. Some of these puzzles are elegent works of art.  and the satisfaction of solving them is brilliant.

The puzzles are marked after round 4. The sheets are handed back to players at the award ceremony with a certificate and a trophy for the top puzzle solvers.

Primary Puzzle Solver Champion: Kia Jahandizi

Secondary Puzzle Solver Champion: Ethan Cole

I am pleased to point out Ethan got 22 out of 22 - a rare full score - and the answers were well annotated. Fantastic.

This is the back sheet - the harder puzzles. Here they are for you to try - the solutions are at the end of this page.

Players all arrived. Additional players added to the system. The draw was made. We have one section for everyone as the Primary youngsters often do well and gain great experience from playing the older players.

The second room was looked after by volunteers Goeff Hindley and Ashish Shambharkar, whilst room 1 was taken care of by Amol Thoke and myself.

Players were seated and shook hands and the round began in a hush silence of concentrated thought. We were off.....

Round 1

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole                F2    [0]      1:0    Joshua Farina Bhuruth       F1    [0]  
 2 Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [0]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [0]  
 3 Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [0]      1:0    Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]  
 4 Jensen Gass               P7    [0]      0:1    Peter Murphy                F5    [0]  
 5 Nathan Murray             F4    [0]      1:0    Finn Halsall                F2    [0]  
 6 Nathan Johnston           P7    [0]      0:1    Jonah Corr                  L6    [0]  
 7 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [0]      1:0    Alexander Davis             P5    [0]  
 8 Tanish Thoke              P5    [0]      0:1    Alex McKeown                P6    [0]  
 9 Shlok Thoke               F2    [0]      0:1    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [0]  
10 Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [0]      0:1    Jatin Jakati                P6    [0]  
11 Shubham Saha              F2    [0]      1:0    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [0]  
12 Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [0]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [0]  
13 Kia Jahandizi             P7    [0]      1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [0]  
14 Daniel Simpson            P4    [0]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [0]  
15 Darragh Marsh             P7    [0]      1:0    Alexander Tannahill         P5    [0]  
16 Corey Castillo            P4    [0]      0:1    Simon Murphy                F4    [0]  
17 Varvara Osmarska          F3    [0]      1:0    Kethana Yerrathi            P4    [0]  
18 Vanshikha Ozha            P4    [0]      0:1    Conal Caughey               P7    [0]  
19 Oliver McConkey           P7    [0]      1:0    Killian McKeown             P2    [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

The players are allocated an approx rating. Round 1 is perhaps the most challenging for the lower rated players and also an opportunity for them to play a top player. If games go to rating we would see down the scores of the White boards 1,0,1,0,1,0........ So looking for games that dont match this pattern. We spot that there was an upset on board 9 where Abhiram Ganja got a good win against Shlock Thoke. Also its brilliant we have a young P2 playing Killian McKeown.

Round 2

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [1]      0:1    Ethan Cole                F2    [1]  
 2 Alwin Micheal               F2    [1]      1:0    Shubham Saha              F2    [1]  
 3 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1]      0:1    Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [1]  
 4 Peter Murphy                F5    [1]      1:0    Kia Jahandizi             P7    [1]  
 5 Simon Murphy                F4    [1]     .5:.5   Nathan Murray             F4    [1]  
 6 Jonah Corr                  L6    [1]      0:1    Darragh Marsh             P7    [1]  
 7 Conal Caughey               P7    [1]     .5:.5   Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1]  
 8 Alex McKeown                P6    [1]      1:0    Varvara Osmarska          F3    [1]  
 9 Jatin Jakati                P6    [1]      1:0    Oliver McConkey           P7    [1]  
10 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [1]      1:0    Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [0]  
11 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [0]      0:1    Shlok Thoke               F2    [0]  
12 Joshua Farina Bhuruth       F1    [0]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [0]  
13 Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]      0:1    Daniel Simpson            P4    [0]  
14 Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [0]      0:1    Jensen Gass               P7    [0]  
15 Finn Halsall                F2    [0]      0:1    Corey Castillo            P4    [0]  
16 Alexander Tannahill         P5    [0]      0:1    Nathan Johnston           P7    [0]  
17 Alexander Davis             P5    [0]      1:0    Vanshikha Ozha            P4    [0]  
18 Kethana Yerrathi            P4    [0]      0:1    Tanish Thoke              P5    [0]  
19 Killian McKeown             P2    [0]      0:1    Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [0]  

Darragh Marsh gets a good win against Jonah Corr. Alex McKeown wins against Varvara Osmarska a new player to our tournaments, The main top players win and continue on two points to the next round.

Round 3

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole                F2    [2]      1:0    Alex McKeown                P6    [2]  
 2 Jatin Jakati              P6    [2]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [2]  
 3 Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [2]      1:0    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [2]  
 4 Darragh Marsh             P7    [2]      1:0    Peter Murphy                F5    [2]  
 5 Nathan Murray             F4    [1.5]   .5:.5   Conal Caughey               P7    [1.5]
 6 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1.5]    0:1    Simon Murphy                F4    [1.5]
 7 Jensen Gass               P7    [1]      1:0    Jonah Corr                  L6    [1]  
 8 Shlok Thoke               F2    [1]      1:0    Joshua Farina Bhuruth       F1    [1]  
 9 Shubham Saha              F2    [1]      1:0    Nathan Johnston             P7    [1]  
10 Tanish Thoke              P5    [1]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [1]  
11 Kia Jahandizi             P7    [1]      1:0    Alexander Davis             P5    [1]  
12 Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [1]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1]  
13 Varvara Osmarska          F3    [1]      1:0    Daniel Simpson              P4    [1]  
14 Oliver McConkey           P7    [1]     .5:.5   Corey Castillo              P4    [1]  
15 Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [0]      1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [0]  
16 Alexander Tannahill       P5    [0]      0:1    Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]  
17 Kethana Yerrathi          P4    [0]      0:1    Finn Halsall                F2    [0]  
18 Vanshikha Ozha            P4    [0]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [0]  
19 Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [0]      1:0    Killian McKeown             P2    [0]  

Three players on full points and on the top tables are P4 - brilliant.

Round 4

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Aharshi Banerjee            F4    [3]      0:1    Ethan Cole                F2    [3]  
 2 Alwin Micheal               F2    [3]      0:1    Darragh Marsh             P7    [3]  
 3 Simon Murphy                F4    [2.5]   .5:.5   Shlok Thoke               F2    [2]  
 4 Peter Murphy                F5    [2]      1:0    Varvara Osmarska          F3    [2]  
 5 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2]      0:1    Nathan Murray             F4    [2]  
 6 Alex McKeown                P6    [2]     .5:.5   Kia Jahandizi             P7    [2]  
 7 Conal Caughey               P7    [2]     .5:.5   Jatin Jakati              P6    [2]  
 8 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [2]      0:1    Shubham Saha              F2    [2]  
 9 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [2]      1:0    Jensen Gass               P7    [2]  
10 Corey Castillo              P4    [1.5]    0:1    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1.5]
11 Jonah Corr                  L6    [1]      1:0    Oliver McConkey           P7    [1.5]
12 Joshua Farina Bhuruth       F1    [1]      0:1    Alexander Davis           P5    [1]  
13 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [1]      1:0    Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [1]  
14 Aarin Micheal               P4    [1]     .5:.5   Tanish Thoke              P5    [1]  
15 Finn Halsall                F2    [1]      0:1    Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [1]  
16 Nathan Johnston             P7    [1]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [1]  
17 Daniel Simpson              P4    [1]      1:0    Alexander Tannahill       P5    [0]  
18 Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [0]      1:0    Vanshikha Ozha            P4    [0]  
19 Killian McKeown             P2    [0]      1:0    Kethana Yerrathi          P4    [0]  

Darragh Marsh gets a brilliant win against Alwin Micheal one of the top cedes and upsets the top standings. The very young Killian McKeown gets his first point winning against Kethana.

Round 5

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole                F2    [4]      1:0    Darragh Marsh               P7    [4]  
 2 Nathan Murray             F4    [3]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [3]  
 3 Shubham Saha              F2    [3]     .5:.5   Aharshi Banerjee            F4    [3]  
 4 Simon Murphy              F4    [3]      1:0    Peter Murphy                F5    [3]  
 5 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [2.5]    0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [3]  
 6 Jatin Jakati              P6    [2.5]    1:0    Alex McKeown                P6    [2.5]
 7 Shlok Thoke               F2    [2.5]    1:0    Conal Caughey               P7    [2.5]
 8 Kia Jahandizi             P7    [2.5]   .5:.5   Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2]  
 9 Alexander Davis           P5    [2]      0:1    Jonah Corr                  L6    [2]  
10 Varvara Osmarska          F3    [2]      1:0    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [2]  
11 Jensen Gass               P7    [2]      1:0    Daniel Simpson              P4    [2]  
12 Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [2]      0:1    Nathan Johnston             P7    [2]  
13 Oliver McConkey           P7    [1.5]    0:1    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [2]  
14 Tanish Thoke              P5    [1.5]    1:0    Corey Castillo              P4    [1.5]
15 Joshua Farina Bhuruth     F1    [1]      0:1    Aarin Micheal               P4    [1.5]
16 Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [1]      1:0    Killian McKeown             P2    [1]  
17 Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [1]      1:0    Finn Halsall                F2    [1]  
18 Kethana Yerrathi          P4    [0]      0:1    Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [1]  
19 Vanshikha Ozha            P4    [0]      0:1    Alexander Tannahill         P5    [0]  

Second to last round and the top board has P7 player Darragh Marsh challenge the leader Ethan Cole. Brilliant. Ethan continues to win and goes ahead with 5 out of 5 - now the sole leader of the tourmament. Players chasing are Timothy McClenahan, Simon Murphy and Alwin Micheal. The games for the whole tournament included exciting positions of play and counter-play of endgames requiring accuracy. Of pieces left undefended of mistakes missed and mistakes found. The hugh variety of the brilliant game of chess. The Brain creating, solving and posing problems, battling another brilliant mind. An afternoon of concentrated thought and fun.

No photos as myself and Amol Thoke have collected all the puzzle sheets and start marking them - this takes the full time of the final rounds and were sometimes under pressure to complete the marking of these. Many thanks to Amol for his assitance.

Round 6

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Alwin Micheal               F2    [4]      1:0    Ethan Cole                F2    [5]  
 2 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [4]     .5:.5   Simon Murphy              F4    [4]  
 3 Darragh Marsh               P7    [4]      0:1    Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [3.5]
 4 Shlok Thoke                 F2    [3.5]    1:0    Jatin Jakati              P6    [3.5]
 5 Peter Murphy                F5    [3]      0:1    Shubham Saha              F2    [3.5]
 6 Nathan Johnston             P7    [3]      0:1    Nathan Murray             F4    [3]  
 7 Jonah Corr                  L6    [3]      1:0    Varvara Osmarska          F3    [3]  
 8 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [3]      0:1    Kia Jahandizi             P7    [3]  
 9 Alex McKeown                P6    [2.5]    1:0    Jensen Gass               P7    [3]  
10 Aarin Micheal               P4    [2.5]    1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [2.5]
11 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2.5]    1:0    Tanish Thoke              P5    [2.5]
12 Conal Caughey               P7    [2.5]    0:1    Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [2]  
13 Alexander Davis             P5    [2]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarpa           P6    [2]  
14 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [2]      1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar         P4    [2]  
15 Daniel Simpson              P4    [2]      1:0    Ayush Shambharkar         F2    [2]  
16 Finn Halsall                F2    [1]      0:1    Oliver McConkey           P7    [1.5]
17 Corey Castillo              P4    [1.5]    1:0    Killian McKeown           P2    [1]  
18 Alexander Tannahill         P5    [1]      1:0    Joshua Farina Bhuruth     F1    [1]  
19 Vanshikha Ozha              P4    [0]      1:0    Kethana Yerrathi          P4    [0]  

The final round and the two top players finally meet. Alwin wins against Ethan and challenges his lead. The winner will now be determined by tie-break. Very exciting final round with a gang to players capable of gaining 5 points.

Childrens Chess March 2026 - Round 6

Standings

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

 1-2  Ethan Cole                  F2    5        16.5  22.5   20.0
      Alwin Micheal               F2    5        16.0  24.0   18.0
 3-7  Aharshi Banerjee            F4    4.5      15.5  23.5   17.0
      Simon Murphy                F4    4.5      14.0  21.0   16.5
      Shubham Saha                F2    4.5      13.5  21.5   15.0
      Timothy McClenahan          U6    4.5      12.5  19.5   15.5
      Shlok Thoke                 F2    4.5      12.0  17.5   13.5
8-11  Darragh Marsh               P7    4        16.5  23.5   18.0
      Nathan Murray               F4    4        13.5  19.5   14.5
      Kia Jahandizi               P7    4        12.5  18.0   13.5
      Jonah Corr                  L6    4        12.0  18.5   12.0
12-15 Alex McKeown                P6    3.5      13.5  21.0   13.5
      Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    3.5      13.5  20.0   12.0
      Jatin Jakati                P6    3.5      13.0  20.0   14.5
      Aarin Micheal               P4    3.5      10.0  15.5    8.5
16-24 Peter Murphy                F5    3        15.5  23.0   14.0
      Abhiram Ganja               P6    3        15.0  21.5   12.0
      Rizwan Arshed               P4    3        14.0  19.5    9.0
      Jensen Gass                 P7    3        13.5  20.0   11.0
      Varvara Osmarska            F3    3        12.5  16.5   12.0
      Nathan Johnston             P7    3        12.0  18.5   10.0
      Daniel Simpson              P4    3        11.5  17.0    9.0
      Soundharya Premkumar        P6    3        10.5  16.5    7.0
      Alexander Davis             P5    3         9.5  14.5    9.0
25-29 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada   P6    2.5      13.5  20.5   11.5
      Conal Caughey               P7    2.5      13.0  18.5   12.0
      Tanish Thoke                P5    2.5      13.0  17.5    8.5
      Oliver McConkey             P7    2.5      10.0  15.0    9.0
      Corey Castillo              P4    2.5       8.5  14.0    8.0
30-33 Alexander Tannahill         P5    2        10.5  15.5    3.0
      Ayush Shambharkar           F2    2        10.5  15.0    8.0
      Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    2        10.0  14.0    5.0
      Sohan Kesavarpa             P6    2         8.0  13.5    6.0
34-37 Joshua Farina Bhuruth       F1    1        13.0  20.0    5.0
      Vanshikha Ozha              P4    1         9.5  12.5    1.0
      Finn Halsall                F2    1         9.0  13.0    4.0
      Killian McKeown             P2    1         9.0  12.0    3.0
 38   Kethana Yerrathi            P4    0         6.5  10.5    0.0

The final standings.

Champion: Ethan Cole leads on tie break.

Second is Alwin Michael

Third is Aharshi Banerjee

Fourth is Simon Murphy

We give out certificates to age groups. Players on the same points get the same cert. With Trophies being awarded by tie break.

Primary P5 and under

Champion Aarin Micheal (P4)

2nd: Rizwan Arshed

Primary 6

Champion: Alex McKeown

2nd: Jatin Jakati

Primary 7

Champion: Darragh Marsh

2nd: Kia Jahandizi

Form 1

Champion Joshua Farina Bhuruth

Form 2

Champion: Ethan Cole

2nd: Alwin Michael

Form 3

Champion: Varvara Osmarska

Form 4 and above

Champion: Aharshi Banerjee

2nd: Simon Murphy

A big thankyou to Geoff Hindley, Amol Thoke and Ashish Shambharkar for assisting with running the competition. Also to Methodist College for providing the venue. To the Ulster Chess Union for enabling these brilliant opportunities for young players. To the young players for a brilliant half-days chess.

See you at our next event on April 11st : https://www.ulsterchess.org/Members/ucu00450/2025-2026/childrens-chess-2025-26/april-11th-childrens-chess-12-30-2013-5-00

The top 4 players, parents and Principals (or assigned teacher) for Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Puzzle solving will be invited to Stormont for an Award Ceremony on

Friday June 5th  10:00 to 13:00

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

Grand Prix Style Tournament

1. place gets 10 points
2. place gets 8 points
3. place gets 6 points
4. place gets 5 points
5. place gets 4 points
6. place gets 3 points
7. place gets 2 points
8. place gets 1 points

We have been lucky to have as our Sponsor and host at Stormant the brilliant MLA Naomi Long.

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026 James Fairley Shield.

Primary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic William McGrattin Shield 2026

Lower Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Damien Lavery Shield 2026

Upper Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:

Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:

Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Generated by Swiss Master for Windows 5.7 build 8 on 07-03-2026 at 13:34

The results matched the ratings predictions. Quite often the results dont always represent the closeness of the games. Gerry McCartney was leading but short of time he made some mistakes and Steve Scannell won the game. The class of players is shown with Steve Scannell, Mandar Tahmankar both Ulster Champions several times over. Top youngsters Alwin Micheal and Ethan Cole ( who has played regularly for Ireland ).

A slight upset with Gatis Barbals getting a good draw against Ethan Cole. Tony Logan gets a good win against Jack Edens.

The spread of the players begins to increase. The last round before lunch. We have 5 players on 2 full points. With Alwin Micheal getting a good draw against Steve Scannell - in a brilliant battle of attacks and counter attacks. We have Mandar Tahmankar gaining first place with the only player on full 3 points.

The sad news of Damien Lavery's passing spread through the room. Damien loved to play fast games and excelled at the fastest - Bullet ( 1 minute each ). He played at several clubs in their teams including Bangor, Ballynafeigh ( where he was part of the Winning team gaining the Silver King), Lisburn, Fruithill. He will be missed.

Ethan Cole wins against the leader Mandar Tahmankar. Steve Scannell, Alwin Micheal continue to chase. Now only being 1/2 point behind - its going to be a battle.

Its brilliant to see players from Fruithill. Anthony Parker, Neil Fisher, Gerry McCartney, John Monaghan and Gatis Barlals ( apologies if I have missed anyone).

The second to last round and Ethan Cole continues his winning streak with a win against Alwin - a very tightly fought game. Gabrial Landmark continues to do well and beats Modestas Razbadauskas. Mandar Tahmankar wins against Steve Scannell. Ethan now leads by 1/2 point the players Mandar and Gabrial.

Its all to play for. On the two top boards to see who will be crowned Ulster Champion.

Ethan wins against Steve Scannell and secures the lead. Mandar beats Gabrial and Gatis gets a brilliant result against Alwin.

With all games over. The players helped put away the sets and clocks.

Gerry McCartney as representative of Fruithill was our honoured award presenter. Presenting the awards.

The bands for the sections are :

Seniors  > 1800

Intermediate > 1600

Junior <= 1600

Ulster Champion : Ethan Cole

2nd : Mandar Tahmankar

3rd : Gatis Barbals

Ulster Intermediate Champion : Toby Crothers

2nd : Anthony Parker

Ulster Junior Champion : Pat McKillen

2nd : Shlok Thoke

As part of the prize each player recieved a Simultaneous Ticket for this years UCU Simultaneous - Saturday 23rd May. We are delighted to welcome Grandmaster Keith Arkell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Arkell

Many thanks to Fruithill Bowling Club for a brilliant venue and for Fruithill Chess Club for facilitating the event. Thanks also to our volunteer Arbiters : Mark Newman and Sergio Esteve Sanchez. Many thanks to Karina Campbell for organising this years UCU tournaments as UCU tournament director. Also to the UCU for providing these tournaments year after year. Most of all thanks to all the players. See you at our next tournament....

Damien was a familiar and respected figure in Ulster chess for more than two decades. He first came to prominence playing for the revived Queen's University Belfast team that reached the final of the UCU Plate in 2000, and he quickly established himself as a strong and competitive player. In 2001 he shared first place in the Henderson Shield, and in 2002 he again finished equal first in the pre-Christmas UCU Handicap Blitz.

Typically rated in the 1700s, Damien achieved peak ratings of 1918 (Blitz), 1782 (Rapid), and 1774 (Classical), reflecting his particular strength in faster time controls. He competed in several Ulster Championships and was among the leaders in 2006, later providing an entertaining tournament report for the UCU website. His contribution to the chess record continued in 2007 when he produced a detailed pamphlet documenting the Ulster Championship held at the Europa Hotel.

Damien enjoyed further successes in rapid and blitz formats, including a shared first place in the 2011 UCU Spring Rapidplay and a series of strong finishes in the UCU Blitz Championship between 2011 and 2014. His competitive spirit, combined with his sportsmanship and good humour, made him a popular opponent and teammate.

Beyond his results over the board, Damien made lasting contributions as a photographer, a FIDE National Arbiter, and a thoughtful advocate for transparency and good governance in UCU affairs. He cared deeply about chess in Ulster and worked to support and document the community he valued.

We are grateful to UCU historian David McAlister for preserving the record of Damien’s achievements and contributions.

Damien Lavery will be remembered with respect and affection by all who played alongside him, organised events with him, or simply shared in his love of the game. His presence will be greatly missed.

Updated Funeral Arrangements

Removal from his home on Friday 6th March at 12.00 noon to Antrim & Newtownabbey Crematorium for 1.00pm service.

Family home open to callers Tuesday–Thursday, 1.00pm–9.00pm.

Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Macmillan Cancer Support c/o Eastwood Funeral Directors.

Thanks go to our volunteers - Geoff Hindley and Amol Thoke for enabling this day. Also to Methodist College for providing an excellent venue.

Today the Rooms were changed as our usual rooms were in part of the School where the roof was being worked on. So slightly concerned that players wouldnt find us - Geoff placed arrows with Chess pointing to our new location. Also Ethan and Advait having arrived early offered to redirect players.

Everyone found the Chess. I registered players and as usual gave out sheets of 22 challenging puzzles. Students almost immediately sat down and looked at solving them - brilliant. I think the puzzles are one of the highlights of the day. Although to confess the marking of them is quite challenging in itself. We collect them at the beginning of round 5 giving us - thats me and fellow volunteer Amol Thoke 2 rounds to mark them. All the players get their marked sheets returned with an Certificate award and for the top solvers a puzzle trophy for Secondary and Primary Puzzle Champions.

Secondary Puzzle Champion : Alwin Michael.

Primary Puzzle Champion : Aarin Micheal

These are one side of the puzzle sheets - and are the most challenging of them. Its play the best combination. I mark these against the solutions in the books :

1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations – Fred Reinfeld

1000 Checkmate Combinations – Victor Henkin

So apologies to players who did good combinations that didnt match the solutions. We also gave 1/2 point if a correct move or two was given but not sufficient to determine the ploy of the combination. Try these - solutions given at the end of the page.

Part of the preparation for the tournament is to print off fliers with information of future tournaments.

Here are some up and comming events:

The Irish Junior Championships 2026 Venue Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, Cork, P31NY77   2026-04-10 to 2026-04-12                                  Sections               u8,u10,u12,u14,u16,u19        Contact  Andrew Kelly, 0879247241 corkchess@gmail.com : more details on ICU website : https://www.icu.ie/events/1186

Mick Germaine Cup 2026 – Junior teams competition

Location   Artane Beaumont Family Recreation Centre, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5

Date Sunday 24^rd May 10:30am to 4:30pm Teams should be comprised of 4 players who are under 16 years of age on 24th May 2026.

6 rounds   time: 15mins. More details : Pat Fitzsimons at mastergame100@hotmail.com, or phone at 087 4195253.  ICU website : https://www.icu.ie/events/2135

FIDE rated Ulster Rapidplay Championship 2026 Location     Fruithill Chess Club, Falls Bowling Club, 63 Andersonstown Rd, Belfast, BT11 9AH

Format: swiss, 6 rounds of 25mins. Date: 28^th February 2026, Time: 9:30 to 16:30

Entry fee: £15  karinakruk37@gmail.com more details UCU website : https://www.ulsterchess.org/

FIDE RATED Coalisland Blitz Championship 2026

Tuesday 10 March 2026. Check-in at 19:50 The 10 rounds will be played back-to-back from 20:00 to 22:30 Time-control 3-2. Venue: Washingbay Centre. Register at : fidechessni@gmail.com

Plenty of other activities at Bangor and Lisburn Chess Clubs.

Ballymena Bishops : 3rd Saturday every month from Sept. to May. 13:00 to 15:00 Ballymena Central Library   - 028 2563 3950 - ballymena.library@librariesni.org.uk and if interested Computer Club 10::00 to 12:00 same days.

Roaming Knights : Sundays Afternoons 2 Royal Ave Cultural Centre, Belfast.- Contact Paul O’Conner : scenario.sg@gmail.com. Paul also runs Library sessions at Central Library.

We had a brilliant no of 30 players - some players turned up without registering. We had all ages from P4 to Upper Sixth.

With the first draw done players found their boards and opponents shook hands wishing their opponent luck and the rooms fell into a hush of concentration as the games begin....

Round 1

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Alwin Micheal             F2    [0]      1:0    Nathanael Robinson          L6    [0]  
 2 Ryan Hall                 F1    [0]      0:1    Ethan Cole                  F2    [0]  
 3 Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [0]      1:0    Darragh Marsh               P7    [0]  
 4 Szymon Slebioda           F3    [0]      0:1    Nathan Murray               F4    [0]  
 5 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [0]      1:0    Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]  
 6 Parker Robinson           F2    [0]      0:1    Alex McKeown                P6    [0]  
 7 Shlok Thoke               F2    [0]      1:0    Tanish Thoke                P5    [0]  
 8 Abhiram Ganja             P6    [0]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [0]  
 9 Kia Jahandizi             P7    [0]      1:0    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [0]  
10 Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [0]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [0]  
11 Jakub Slebioda            U6    [0]      1:0    Daniel Simpson              P4    [0]  
12 Jatin Jakati              P6    [0]     .5:.5   Shubham Saha                F2    [0]  
13 Advait Tahmankar          F1    [0]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu            P6    [0]  
14 Calum Daly                P6    [0]      0:1    Conal Caughey               P7    [0]  
15 Oliver McConkey           P7    [0]      1:0    Jacques Jeschke             P6    [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

We give everyone an approx rating. First round and games went to rating apart from Jatin Jakati who drew against new comer Shibham Saha.

Round 2

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [1]     .5:.5   Alwin Micheal             F2    [1]  
 2 Ethan Cole                  F2    [1]      1:0    Kia Jahandizi             P7    [1]  
 3 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1]      0:1    Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [1]  
 4 Nathan Murray               F4    [1]      1:0    Jakub Slebioda            U6    [1]  
 5 Advait Tahmankar            F1    [1]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1]  
 6 Alex McKeown                P6    [1]      1:0    Oliver McConkey           P7    [1]  
 7 Conal Caughey               P7    [1]      0:1    Shlok Thoke               F2    [1]  
 8 Shubham Saha                F2    [.5]     1:0    Nathanael Robinson        L6    [0]  
 9 Darragh Marsh               P7    [0]      1:0    Jatin Jakati              P6    [.5] 
10 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [0]      1:0    Ryan Hall                 F1    [0]  
11 Daniel Simpson              P4    [0]      0:1    Szymon Slebioda           F3    [0]  
12 Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]      0:1    Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [0]  
13 Sohan Kesavarapu            P6    [0]      0:1    Parker Robinson           F2    [0]  
14 Tanish Thoke                P5    [0]      1:0    Calum Daly                P6    [0]  
15 Jacques Jeschke             P6    [0]      0:1    Abhiram Ganja             P6    [0]  

On board one Timothy McCelanahan causes an upset with a draw against top cede Alwin Michaeal. Whilst Aharshi Banerjee turns a loosing game into a win with a back row mate against Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam.

Round 3

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Alex McKeown              P6    [2]      0:1    Ethan Cole                  F2    [2]  
 2 Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [2]      1:0    Advait Tahmankar            F1    [2]  
 3 Shlok Thoke               F2    [2]      0:1    Nathan Murray               F4    [2]  
 4 Alwin Micheal             F2    [1.5]   .5:.5   Shubham Saha                F2    [1.5]
 5 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan          U6    [1.5]
 6 Kia Jahandizi             P7    [1]      1:0    Szymon Slebioda             F3    [1]  
 7 Parker Robinson           F2    [1]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [1]  
 8 Jakub Slebioda            U6    [1]      1:0    Tanish Thoke                P5    [1]  
 9 Abhiram Ganja             P6    [1]      0:1    Conal Caughey               P7    [1]  
10 Oliver McConkey           P7    [1]      0:1    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [1]  
11 Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [1]      0:1    Darragh Marsh               P7    [1]  
12 Jatin Jakati              P6    [.5]     1:0    Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]  
13 Nathanael Robinson        L6    [0]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu            P6    [0]  
14 Ryan Hall                 F1    [0]      1:0    Jacques Jeschke             P6    [0]  
15 Calum Daly                P6    [0]      0:1    Daniel Simpson              P4    [0]  

We have the young Alex McKeown on board 1 against top player Ethan Cole. Ethan wins. Whilst a new player Shubham Saha draws against Alwin Michael causing another upset to one of our top ceded players.

Round 4

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole                  F2    [3]      1:0    Aharshi Banerjee          F4    [3]  
 2 Nathan Murray               F4    [3]      0:1    Timothy McClenahan        U6    [2.5]
 3 Conal Caughey               P7    [2]      0:1    Alwin Micheal             F2    [2]  
 4 Shubham Saha                F2    [2]      1:0    Alex McKeown              P6    [2]  
 5 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [2]      0:1    Shlok Thoke               F2    [2]  
 6 Darragh Marsh               P7    [2]     .5:.5   Kia Jahandizi             P7    [2]  
 7 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2]      0:1    Jakub Slebioda            U6    [2]  
 8 Advait Tahmankar            F1    [2]      0:1    Jatin Jakati              P6    [1.5]
 9 Parker Robinson             F2    [1]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [1]  
10 Tanish Thoke                P5    [1]      0:1    Oliver McConkey           P7    [1]  
11 Nathanael Robinson          L6    [1]      1:0    Abhiram Ganja             P6    [1]  
12 Daniel Simpson              P4    [1]      1:0    Ryan Hall                 F1    [1]  
13 Szymon Slebioda             F3    [1]      0:1    Soundharya Premkumar      P6    [1]  
14 Aarin Micheal               P4    [0]      1:0    Calum Daly                P6    [0]  
15 Sohan Kesavarapu            P6    [0]      1:0    Jacques Jeschke           P6    [0]  

Round 4 and the field is spreading. We have 3 players on full points. Ethan Cole wins against Aharshi Banerjee and takes the lead being the only player on full points. Timothy McClenahan is doing well and wins against Nathan Murray. Shubhan Saha continues to win with a victory over Alex McKeown. Its good to see Primary players well represented on the top 6 boards.

Round 5

Results

No Name                        Feder Total  Result   Name               Feder Total

 1 Timothy McClenahan          U6    [3.5]    0:1    Ethan Cole         F2    [4]  
 2 Alwin Micheal               F2    [3]      1:0    Nathan Murray      F4    [3]  
 3 Aharshi Banerjee            F4    [3]      1:0    Jakub Slebioda     U6    [3]  
 4 Shlok Thoke                 F2    [3]      0:1    Shubham Saha       F2    [3]  
 5 Kia Jahandizi               P7    [2.5]    0:1    Jatin Jakati       P6    [2.5]
 6 Alex McKeown                P6    [2]      0:1    Darragh Marsh      P7    [2.5]
 7 Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [2]      1:0    Nathanael Robinson L6    [2]  
 8 Rizwan Arshed               P4    [2]      0:1    Advait Tahmankar   F1    [2]  
 9 Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [2]      0:1    Conal Caughey      P7    [2]  
10 Oliver McConkey             P7    [2]      0:1    Parker Robinson    F2    [2]  
11 Tanish Thoke                P5    [1]      1:0    Daniel Simpson     P4    [2]  
12 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada   P6    [1]      1:0    Sohan Kesavarapu   P6    [1]  
13 Ryan Hall                   F1    [1]      0:1    Aarin Micheal      P4    [1]  
14 Abhiram Ganja               P6    [1]      0:1    Szymon Slebioda    F3    [1]  
15 Jacques Jeschke             P6    [0]      1:0    Calum Daly         P6    [0]  

We collected the puzzles at the beginning of round 4. So didnt get any photos from round 5 and 6. Below are room shots from previous rounds.

The battle for first place. Timothy v Ethan and Ethan wins extending his lead. Shubham is having en excellent tournament and wins against Shlok Thoke. Whilst Darragh Marsh who played some tough games and was unlucky not to have a higher score wins against Alex McKeown.

Round 6

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole                F2    [5]      1:0    Alwin Micheal               F2    [4]  
 2 Shubham Saha              F2    [4]     .5:.5   Aharshi Banerjee            F4    [4]  
 3 Darragh Marsh             P7    [3.5]   .5:.5   Timothy McClenahan          U6    [3.5]
 4 Jatin Jakati              P6    [3.5]    1:0    Shlok Thoke                 F2    [3]  
 5 Nathan Murray             F4    [3]      1:0    Advait Tahmankar            F1    [3]  
 6 Conal Caughey             P7    [3]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [3]  
 7 Jakub Slebioda            U6    [3]      1:0    Parker Robinson             F2    [3]  
 8 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada P6    [2]      0:1    Kia Jahandizi               P7    [2.5]
 9 Aarin Micheal             P4    [2]      0:1    Alex McKeown                P6    [2]  
10 Daniel Simpson            P4    [2]      1:0    Oliver McConkey             P7    [2]  
11 Nathanael Robinson        L6    [2]      1:0    Tanish Thoke                P5    [2]  
12 Szymon Slebioda           F3    [2]      1:0    Rizwan Arshed               P4    [2]  
13 Jacques Jeschke           P6    [1]      0:1    Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [2]  
14 Sohan Kesavarapu          P6    [1]      1:0    Ryan Hall                   F1    [1]  
15 Calum Daly                P6    [0]      0:1    Abhiram Ganja               P6    [1]  

The final round and the two top players meet Ethan plays Alwin. Ethan wins and finishes on 6 full points. Darragh Marsh gets an excellent draw against Timothy McClenahan and Jatin Jakati wins against Shlok Thoke. On Boards 9 and 10 we have two P4 players. Daniel Simpson wins against Oliver McConkey. Aarin Micheal looses against Alex McKeown.

Standings

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

  1   Ethan Cole                  F2    6        14.5  20.0   21.0
 2-4  Aharshi Banerjee            F4    4.5      16.5  25.5   17.5
      Shubham Saha                F2    4.5      14.5  22.0   15.5
      Jatin Jakati                P6    4.5      13.5  20.0   13.0
5-10  Alwin Micheal               F2    4        15.5  24.5   15.5
      Darragh Marsh               P7    4        15.0  22.5   13.0
      Timothy McClenahan          U6    4        14.0  22.0   16.0
      Nathan Murray               F4    4        14.0  21.0   16.0
      Jakub Slebioda              U6    4        14.0  20.5   14.0
      Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    4        13.0  20.5   13.0
 11   Kia Jahandizi               P7    3.5      13.5  21.5   12.5
12-20 Alex McKeown                P6    3        13.5  21.5   12.0
      Shlok Thoke                 F2    3        13.5  20.0   14.0
      Advait Tahmankar            F1    3        12.5  19.0   13.0
      Nathanael Robinson          L6    3        12.0  18.5    8.0
      Soundharya Premkumar        P6    3        12.0  17.0    9.0
      Conal Caughey               P7    3        12.0  16.0   12.0
      Szymon Slebioda             F3    3        11.5  17.5    8.0
      Parker Robinson             F2    3        11.0  17.0   10.0
      Daniel Simpson              P4    3         8.0  12.0    8.0
21-27 Shreyas Chandra Marrivada   P6    2        11.5  17.5    8.0
      Rizwan Arshed               P4    2        11.0  15.5    9.0
      Tanish Thoke                P5    2        11.0  15.0    7.0
      Oliver McConkey             P7    2        10.0  14.0    9.0
      Abhiram Ganja               P6    2        10.0  14.0    6.0
      Aarin Micheal               P4    2         9.0  13.5    5.0
      Sohan Kesavarapu            P6    2         9.0  13.0    4.0
28-29 Ryan Hall                   F1    1         9.0  16.0    4.0
      Jacques Jeschke             P6    1         7.0  10.0    2.0
 30   Calum Daly                  P6    0         9.0  13.0    0.0

The final standings. Ethan Cole is overall winner on full points 6 out of 6.

Second is Aharshi Banerjee

Third is Shubham Saha

Fourth is Jatin Jakati

We give out certificates to age groups. Players on the same points get the same cert. With Trophies being awarded by tie break.

Primary P5 and under

Champion Daniel Simpson (P4)

2nd: Rizwan Arshed

Primary 6

Champion: Jatin Jakati

2nd: Alex McKeown

Primary 7

Champion: Darragh Marsh

2nd: Kia Jahandizi

Form 1

Champion Advait Tahmankar

2nd: Ryan Hall

Form 2

Champion: Ethan Cole

2nd: Shbham Saha

Form 3

Champion: Szymon Slebioda

Form 4 and above

Champion: Aharshi Banerjee

2nd: Timothy McClenahan

Thanks to everyone for a brilliant afternoon of chess. See you at our next tournament next month on 14th March at Methodist College.

This tournament counts to the Grandprix for our end of year Elite award ceremony and tournament at Stormont. Watch this website for an update of the standings....

Puzzle Solutions

The top 4 players, parents and Principals (or assigned teacher) for Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Puzzle solving will be invited to Stormont (to be confirmed) for an Award Ceremony on

Friday June 5th  10:00 to 13:00

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

Grand Prix Style Tournament

1. place gets 10 points
2. place gets 8 points
3. place gets 6 points
4. place gets 5 points
5. place gets 4 points
6. place gets 3 points
7. place gets 2 points
8. place gets 1 points

We have been lucky to have as our Sponsor and host at Stormant the brilliant MLA Naomi Long.

The standing so far:

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:

Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:

Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026 James Fairley Shield.

Primary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic William McGrattin Shield 2026

Lower Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2026

Upper Secondary School Championship

Newman, Mark v Jamison, Brendan  7th January 2026. Belfast. 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Bf5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bf4 Bd6 6. Qd2 Nf6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Qg5 Bg6 10. Qe3+ Be4 11. Ng5 O-O 12. Qd2 Bf5 13. e3 Nbd7 14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Qxd3 Rfe8 16. O-O h6 17. Nf3 Ne4 18. Ne2 Ndf6 19. Ne5 Rad8 20. f3 Nc5 21. Qf5 Ncd7 22. f4 c5 23. Ng3 Qb6 24. dxc5 Qxc5 25. Rf3 d4 26. Ne4 Nxe4 27. Qxf7+ Kh8 28. Nxd7 Qe7 29. Ne5 Rd6 30. exd4 Qd8 31. Qf5 Rxe5 32. dxe5 Rd1+ 33. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 34. Rf1 Qd4+ 35. Kh1 Nf2+ 36. Kg1 Nh3+ 37. Kh1 Qg1+ 38. Rxg1 Nf2# 0-1 Link to the pgn player: https://www.ulsterchess.org/Members/ucu00450/2025-2026/league2026/a-couple-of-interesting-league-games/mark-newman-v-brendan-Jamison

The position after Whites move 26. Ne4 - such alot going on here - love these types of positions ...

Position after Whites move 32. dxe5? and now Black wins in an incredibly elegent way! With Rd1+ .....

Photos from our first evening this year. 7th January Civil Service Pavilion. Civil Service 2 v Bangor 2 and Strand v Queens University

The current League Standings.

Division One

Division Two

Photos from the Civil Service Pavilion, January 14th. Civil Service 1 v Strand and Civil Service 2 v Bangor 3.

Belfast, January 2026 — As winds howled across the Stormont Estate on a wild January evening, thirty-five determined competitors stepped into the Pavilion, ready to contest one of Ulster’s oldest and most prestigious chess trophies: the Williamson Shield, first awarded in 1912 and proudly hosted by the Civil Service Chess Club.

The 2026 edition featured a single, fiercely competitive section with a 60+30 time control, a setting that produced drama, endurance, and masterful play across all five rounds.

Round 1: Friday Night Fireworks

The opening round paired the top half against the bottom, offering early upset potential. While the favourites held firm, one encounter stole the spotlight:
James Wong vs. Ethan Cole, two former Strand teammates, battled through a thrilling 75-move encounter blending sharp attacks and deep resilience. Cole eventually secured the point, but not without significant challenges along the way.

Round 2: The First Major Upset

Saturday morning delivered a shockwave when Lisburn rising star Anayraj Tripathy defeated multiple-time Williamson Shield champion Steve Scannell, whose first Williamson Shield win dates back to 1998. Tripathy’s victory, a beautifully constructed attacking masterpiece, is already available for study on UlsterChess.net.

Meanwhile, another marathon unfolded:
Jack Bradshaw vs. Ethan Cole, a 124-move struggle lasting over four hours. Bradshaw’s steadfast defence and Cole’s relentless determination provided a model display of sporting spirit.

Round 3: A Sicilian Showdown

The standout match of Round 3 saw Gareth Annesley and Danny Roberts clash in a razor-sharp Sicilian Defence. Punch met counterpunch in a tactical duel that showcased both players’ attacking flair. Ultimately, Annesley, a seasoned multi-time Williamson Shield winner, navigated the battle and secured the win.

Round 4: The Summit Meeting

Only two players remained perfect entering Round 4:
Mandar Tahmankar (Civil Service) and Andrew Campbell (Bangor).

Their board-one encounter became a 60-move strategic epic, full of subtle planning and deep calculation. In the end, Tahmankar’s experience and consistency earned him the full point, placing him in commanding position heading into the final round.

Special recognition also goes to David Garvin, whose confident and effective handling of the Pirc Defence helped secure multiple wins with the Black pieces.

Round 5: Closing the Deal

With draws on the top boards in the final round, Mandar Tahmankar sealed the championship title, completing a composed and disciplined campaign.

Final Standings

Overall

• 1st Place: Mandar Tahmankar

• 2nd Place: Gabriel Landmark

• 3rd Place: Andrew Campbell

• 4th Place: Jack Edens

1650–1800 Section

• 1st Place: James Wong

• 2nd Place: David Jeffers

• 3rd Place: David Garvin

1400–1649 Section

• 1st Place: Chris Armstrong

• 2nd Place: David Blair

• 3rd Place: Aharshi Banerjee

NEXT EVENT: Ulster Rapid Championship 2026

Date: Saturday 28th February 2026

Venue: Fruithill Chess Club

Other 2025/2026 events awaiting final confirmations: City of Belfast, Ulster Fischer Random, GM Simul

We will meet every Tuesday evening at the Open Door Centre, 32 Bridewell Drive, Carrickfergus. Our IGM is on Tuesday, February 3rd, with the first night of play on Tuesday, February 17th.

Come along and help us make the first move!

Contact Information:

Lead Contact: William Welsh

Email: carrickferguschessclub@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/carrickferguschessclub

We give out puzzle sheets with 22 problems - mates in 2, 3 and best moves (always slightly harder) - these puzzles are challenging, good for your chess and sometimes elegent, works of art. I give the back of the sheet below and the solutions at the bottom of this article.

Primary Puzzle Champion : Kia Jahandizi

Secondary Puzzle Champion: Ethan Cole

The positions - have a go.

All the childrens chess tournaments. Of which we run 5. contribute to the Grandprix. The sections are Form 4 and above, Form 1 to Form 3, Primary. There are also puzzle Grandprix for the sections Secondary and Primary. The points are calculated:

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

Grand Prix Style Tournament

1. place gets 10 points
2. place gets 8 points
3. place gets 6 points
4. place gets 5 points
5. place gets 4 points
6. place gets 3 points
7. place gets 2 points
8. place gets 1 points

The top 4 players for Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Puzzle solving will be invited to Stormont (to be confirmed) for an Award Ceremony on Friday June TBC  10:00 to 13:00.

I will place an article with the current standings and points in the Grandprix in an article - please watch out for it.

With everyone registered and those players arriving without being registered being added to the computer. We did the draw and displayed it on the large screen. Boards 1 - 8 being in one room looked after by me and those on boards 9 to 18 in the second room looked after by our brilliant volunteers: Amol Thoke, Geoff Hindley and Ashish Shambharkar. The rooms fell into silent concentration.

Round 1

Results

No Name              Feder Total  Result   Name                        Feder Total

 1 Ethan Cole        F2    [0]      1:0    Charlie Murphy              F2    [0]  
 2 Jackson Coakley   F1    [0]      0:1    Alwin Micheal               F2    [0]  
 3 Peter Murphy      F5    [0]      1:0    Ryan Hall                   F1    [0]  
 4 George McClelland F3    [0]      0:1    Nathan Murray               F4    [0]  
 5 Kyan Muradali     F3    [0]      1:0    Soundharya Premkumar        P6    [0]  
 6 Daniel Simpson    P4    [0]      1:0    Shreyas Chandra Marrivada   P6    [0]  
 7 Alex McKeown      P6    [0]      1:0    Szymon Slebioda             F3    [0]  
 8 Aarin Micheal     P4    [0]      0:1    Darragh Marsh               P7    [0]  
 9 Shlok Thoke       F2    [0]      1:0    Parker Robinson             F2    [0]  
10 Alexander Davis   P5    [0]      0:1    Jatin Jakati                P6    [0]  
11 BYE                              0:1    Tanish Thoke                P5    [0]  
12 Ayush Shambharkar F2    [0]     .5:.5   Jason Hunt                  F2    [0]  
13 Kia Jahandizi     P7    [0]      1:0    Sanvi Shambharkar           P4    [0]  
14 Anay Bhide        P5    [0]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinayagam F5    [0]  
15 Shubham Saha      F2    [0]      1:0    Corey Castillo              P4    [0]  
16 Calum Daly        P6    [0]      0:1    Advait Tahmankar            F1    [0]  
17 Conal Caughey     P7    [0]      1:0    Madi Nurbol                 P2    [0]  
18 Aimina Nurbol     P5    [0]      0:1    Oliver McConkey             P7    [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

The first round and with the allocation of approx ratings we have strongest players on 1 white / 2 black / 3 white / 4 black ..... so if results go to grade we should have see results like 1-0 / 0-1 / 1-0 / 0-1 ...... So its quite easy to see upsets. Of course unless I have wrongly estimated a rating - easily done for new players.  Daniel Simpson wins against Shreyas Chandra Marrivada  and Jason Hunt gets a draw against Ayush Shambharker. Its brilliant to watch the games. Endings, stuggles, blunders all the challenging and excitement that makes chess such a brilliant game.