2012-2013 season
This was an "interesting" year!
Schools Ulster Championships 2012
The most presitigous event on the schools Chess Calender was held at Methodist College. Some 31 students battled to become the Ulster Champion. The youngest player was 5 years Admira Kecskemeti who was awarded Ulster Under 7's Champion. We also had the international junior player Karina Kruk who won the overall Championship. With players coming from schools as far a field as St Columbs College. Run by the Ulster Schools Chess Council who together with the UCU run a calender of events - approx one per month.
2012 Ulster Masters
On the weekend of 17th/18th November at the Civil Service Social Club some exciting Chess was played. Two players led their sections and gained victory with out dropping a game. Thomas Donaldson beat a tough section of seasoned club players to win with 5 points out of 6 - a fantastic score. Winning the intermediate section. Alan Delaney winning the Senior section with 5 1/2 out of 6.
Karina Kruk returns from World Youth Chess Championships
Karina Kruk returns from Maribor, Slovenia having represented Ireland at the World Youth Chess Championships. Scoring an excellent 5 out of 11.
Karina Kruk crowned Irish Womans Champion 2012 at Kilkenny 23rd-25th November
For the first time since 1982, Ireland held a seperate championship for the title of Womens Champion of Ireland, mainly thanks to the work and talents of Una O’Boyle. There were 12 partipants and it was run smoothly by Ted Jennings alongside the Kilkenny Congress.
Murphy joint second in Kilkenny
A Round-up of the exploits from all Ulster players in the recent Kilkenny Congress
December starts the run of top Childrens Chess Tournaments
On December 8th at Methodist College some of the top children in Ulster played the first Monthly Childrens Chess Tournament. Numbers werent high but the quality of chess was excellent. Players included in the secondary section: Karina Kruk recently crowned Irish Womans Champion, Thomas Donaldson the winner of the Belfast Masters Challengers, Matthew Chapman Ulster Junior Champion, Kiran and Kevin Robbin regular Belfast Scholastic Chess Winners. In the smaller Primary School section we had Honor Parissis the Ulster Under 10 Champion.
Ulster 2012 Blitz Championship
On December 29th 21 chess players gathered to fight for the title of Ulster Blitz Champion. Players included last years winner Calum Leitch, current Ulster Champion Michael Waters, previous Champion Steven Scannell and top players Gareth Annesley, Stephen Morgan, Eamon Walls. This is chess at its rawest, intuition and fast thinking over the usual careful slow moving game....
January Childrens Chess: a primary one comes second
Calvin Patterson one of the youngest players we have had at our events came second in the Primary Section with an excellent score of 4 out of 7.
Success at The London Junior Chess Championships
Update with photos. Having qualified to compete at the Belfast LJCC Qualifier Honor Parissis travelled to London to play in this presitigious event. This is where the top juniors in the UK meet and battle over the board.
Williamson Shield 2013 Day 1
The 2013 Williamson Shield is taking place over the 9-10 February weekend.
Waters retains Williamson Shield
At the end of Day 2 of the 2013 Williamson Shield, Ulster champion Michael Waters finished unbeaten to win his second successive Williamson and fourth overall.
Childrens Chess February 16th
Matthew Chapman won the Secondary Section unbeaten with 5.5 out of 6 games. Honor Parissis won the Primary Section scoring an excellent full 7 points not dropping a game. Second came Lucia Corrigan with 6 points only loosing to Honor. Also exciting was that the next position was held by P2 student Dayna Furguson and then in joint fourth place we had P2 Admira Kecskameti, P1 Daniel Furguson, P3 Pheobe Patterson, P1 Calvin Patterson - a wealth of young good players.
Fantastic Simultaneous: Nigel Short wins all games....
This will be the highlight of the chess season. Playing one of the Legends of Chess - Nigel Short GM MBE. The event covered by the BBC news. 29 players of all skills pitted their wits against the Grand-Master.
Sad news - Eddie Whiteside passed away
After a short illness, Eddie Whiteside has passed away. Funeral arrangements have now been announced.
Ulster Players do well at Bunratty
Ashley McWhinney (Bangor Club) came joint 5th out of a field of 108 players in the Minor. Thomas Donaldson (Ballynafeigh), Ian Kilpatrick (Ballynafeigh) and Robert Lavery (Ballynafeigh) came joint 9th out of a field of 76 players in the Major with 4 points. Calum Leitch (Ballynafeigh) and Alan Delaney (Fruit Hill) came joint 8th in the Challengers. Gareth Annesley (Mallusk) came 30th out of a very tough Masters.
P3 player wins March's Childrens Chess
A young P3 player Dayna Ferguson wins the Primary Section unbeaten with 6 points. Kevin Robbin wins the Secondary Section with 5.5 points. Eibhia Ni Mhureagain wins the Lower Secondary Section.
Ulster Rapidplay Championship 2013 - Easter Monday
The next two tournaments on the UCU timetable: The Ulster Rapidplay Championship 2013 - Easter Monday 1st April and The City of Belfast Championships 18th/19th May.
Flanagan wins Belfast South tournament
Sam Flanagan defeated Pat Coleman in his final game to pip CJ Murphy to the post in the inaugural Belfast South Tournament at the Agape Centre, Lisburn Road.
John Masterson Ulster Rapidplay 2013 Champion
A fun 6 games of 25min chess on a beautiful but cold Easter Monday. Decided the Ulster Rapidplay Champion. With 31 players from the ages of 6 to a bit older! all had a brilliant day.
Youngsters do well at top Ireland tournament
A huge tournament was held at Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin on 23rd March. Some 380 primary school players. At the Tournament of Champions 2013, Dayna Ferguson was placed joint 4th, whilst brother Daniel Ferguson came joint 29th out of a section of 120 children.
