Children enjoying chess in Belfast
With Spring and the weather changing we had a glorious sunny day for the April Childrens Chess on Saturday 18th April at Methodist College. With such good weather you wonder if people would be put off playing chess inside. But no we had new and familiar faces. The students know each other and there is always a buzz of conversation a brilliantly friendly environment with discussions over chess puzzles as well as the usual topics. This was the last in this years series of tournaments, culminating in the award ceremony at Stormont where the top 4 of the Grand-prix are invited to play in an elite competition and receive awards for their play during the year.
The puzzles are always fun. With some elegant solutions. I would recommend all chess players to obtain a book of chess puzzles and enjoy going through it as part of their training or even for the fun the challenge of working out problems. The logic of thinking 1 move, 2 moves even 3 or more moves ahead is a very enjoyable experience. If they do that and I do that, then they may do this....
The large book by Laszlo Polgar "Chess 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games" is recommended and full of beautiful problems a good way to improve your chess.
The primary winner of the Puzzle solving with a score of 15 points. Pheobe Patterson who has over the course of the year won all 7 puzzle solving competitions a brilliant result.
| Patterson, Pheobe | P6 | 15 |
| Geraghty, Leon | P7 | 11 |
| Monahan, Daithi | P6 | 10 |
| Graham, Andrew | P2 | 8 |
| Dawson, Heidi | P7 | 7 |
| Lloyd, Andrews | P7 | 6 |
Eoin McCorkindale won the Secondary puzzle solving competition with a brilliant 18, followed closely by Andrew Todd with 17.
| McCorkindale, Eoin | F5 | 18 |
| Todd, Andrew | L6 | 17 |
| Gray, Matthew | F5 | 15 |
| Gupta, Raghav | F3 | 12 |
| Hanzharov, Edward | F4 | 10 |
| Murray, Scott | F5 | 8 |
| Trimble, Samuel | L6 | 7 |
| Brown, Cameron | F2 | 5 |
| Duffy, Matt | F2 | 4 |
Just to give you a taste of the problems here two for you to solve (solutions at the bottom of this page):
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1. Black to move and Win |
2. White to move and Win |
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Results and photos from the event.
Primary - Round 1
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Heidi Dawson P7 [0] 1:0 Luca Kerloc'h P7 [0] 2 Andrews Lloyd P7 [0] 0:1 Eoghan Duffy P5 [0] 3 Johnny Duffy P7 [0] 0:1 Daithi Monahan P6 [0] 4 Pheobe Patterson P6 [0] 1:0 Leon Geraghty P7 [0] 5 Calum Glendinning P6 [0] 1:0 Calvin Patterson P3 [0] 6 Ewan Williams P6 [0] 1:0 Andrew Graham P2 [0]
by Swiss Perfect (TM) www.swissperfect.com
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Round 2
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Daithi Monahan P6 [1] 0:1 Heidi Dawson P7 [1] 2 Eoghan Duffy P5 [1] 0:1 Pheobe Patterson P6 [1] 3 Ewan Williams P6 [1] 0:1 Calum Glendinning P6 [1] 4 Luca Kerloc'h P7 [0] 1:0 Johnny Duffy P7 [0] 5 Leon Geraghty P7 [0] 1:0 Andrews Lloyd P7 [0] 6 Andrew Graham P2 [0] 0:1 Calvin Patterson P3 [0]
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Round 3
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Heidi Dawson P7 [2] 0:1 Calum Glendinning P6 [2] 2 Pheobe Patterson P6 [2] 1:0 Luca Kerloc'h P7 [1] 3 Daithi Monahan P6 [1] 0:1 Eoghan Duffy P5 [1] 4 Calvin Patterson P3 [1] 1:0 Leon Geraghty P7 [1] 5 Johnny Duffy P7 [0] .5:.5 Ewan Williams P6 [1] 6 Andrews Lloyd P7 [0] 0:1 Andrew Graham P2 [0]
Between rounds the youngsters were coached by top Ulster Player Gareth Annesley.
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Round 4
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Calum Glendinning P6 [3] 0:1 Pheobe Patterson P6 [3] 2 Eoghan Duffy P5 [2] .5:.5 Heidi Dawson P7 [2] 3 Calvin Patterson P3 [2] 1:0 Ewan Williams P6 [1.5] 4 Leon Geraghty P7 [1] 1:0 Luca Kerloc'h P7 [1] 5 Andrew Graham P2 [1] 1:0 Daithi Monahan P6 [1] 6 Andrews Lloyd P7 [0] 0:1 Johnny Duffy P7 [.5]
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Round 5
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Pheobe Patterson P6 [4] 0:1 Calvin Patterson P3 [3] 2 Calum Glendinning P6 [3] 1:0 Eoghan Duffy P5 [2.5] 3 Heidi Dawson P7 [2.5] 1:0 Leon Geraghty P7 [2] 4 Johnny Duffy P7 [1.5] 0:1 Andrew Graham P2 [2] 5 Ewan Williams P6 [1.5] .5:.5 Daithi Monahan P6 [1] 6 Luca Kerloc'h P7 [1] 1:0 Andrews Lloyd P7 [0]
Primary
Standings
Place Name Feder Score
1-3 Calum Glendinning P6 4
Calvin Patterson P3 4
Pheobe Patterson P6 4
4 Heidi Dawson P7 3.5
5 Andrew Graham P2 3
6 Eoghan Duffy P5 2.5
7-9 Leon Geraghty P7 2
Ewan Williams P6 2
Luca Kerloc'h P7 2
10-11 Daithi Monahan P6 1.5
Johnny Duffy P7 1.5
12 Andrews Lloyd P7 0
So good to see new faces and also challengers to the top players. Calum Glendinning joint first with two players who usually head the group Calvin and Pheobe Patterson.
Andrew Graham played brilliantly for one so young - P2 - he gained 3 out of 5 and came 5th in a strong field. The youngest player we have had this year.
Secondary - Round
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Cameron Brown F2 [0] .5:.5 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [0] 2 Scott Murray F5 [0] 0:1 Harvey Coster F2 [0] 3 John Dawson L6 [0] 1:0 Hannah Patterson F3 [0] 4 Jake Patterson F5 [0] 1:0 Matt Duffy F2 [0] 5 Matthew Gray F5 [0] 0:1 Andrew Todd L6 [0] 6 Samuel Todd F3 [0] 0:1 Raghav Gupta F3 [0] 7 Edward Hanzharov F4 [0] 1:0 Peter Todd F1 [0] 8 Samuel Trimble L6 [0] 1:0 Darcy McBrinn F2 [0]
Round 2
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Harvey Coster F2 [1] 0:1 Edward Hanzharov F4 [1] 2 Andrew Todd L6 [1] .5:.5 John Dawson L6 [1] 3 Raghav Gupta F3 [1] 0:1 Jake Patterson F5 [1] 4 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [.5] 1:0 Samuel Trimble L6 [1] 5 Matt Duffy F2 [0] 1:0 Cameron Brown F2 [.5] 6 Hannah Patterson F3 [0] .5:.5 Matthew Gray F5 [0] 7 Darcy McBrinn F2 [0] 1:0 Samuel Todd F3 [0] 8 Peter Todd F1 [0] 1:0 Scott Murray F5 [0]
Round 3
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Edward Hanzharov F4 [2] .5:.5 Jake Patterson F5 [2] 2 John Dawson L6 [1.5] 0:1 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [1.5] 3 Harvey Coster F2 [1] 0:1 Andrew Todd L6 [1.5] 4 Darcy McBrinn F2 [1] 1:0 Matt Duffy F2 [1] 5 Samuel Trimble L6 [1] .5:.5 Raghav Gupta F3 [1] 6 Matthew Gray F5 [.5] 0:1 Peter Todd F1 [1] 7 Cameron Brown F2 [.5] 0:1 Hannah Patterson F3 [.5] 8 Scott Murray F5 [0] 0:1 Samuel Todd F3 [0]
Round 4
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Andrew Todd L6 [2.5] 1:0 Edward Hanzharov F4 [2.5] 2 Jake Patterson F5 [2.5] 1:0 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [2.5] 3 Peter Todd F1 [2] 1:0 Darcy McBrinn F2 [2] 4 Raghav Gupta F3 [1.5] 0:1 John Dawson L6 [1.5] 5 Hannah Patterson F3 [1.5] 1:0 Samuel Trimble L6 [1.5] 6 Matt Duffy F2 [1] 0:1 Harvey Coster F2 [1] 7 Samuel Todd F3 [1] .5:.5 Cameron Brown F2 [.5] 8 Scott Murray F5 [0] 0:1 Matthew Gray F5 [.5]
Round 5
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Jake Patterson F5 [3.5] 0:1 Andrew Todd L6 [3.5] 2 John Dawson L6 [2.5] 1:0 Peter Todd F1 [3] 3 Edward Hanzharov F4 [2.5] .5:.5 Hannah Patterson F3 [2.5] 4 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [2.5] 1:0 Darcy McBrinn F2 [2] 5 Harvey Coster F2 [2] 0:1 Raghav Gupta F3 [1.5] 6 Matthew Gray F5 [1.5] .5:.5 Samuel Todd F3 [1.5] 7 Samuel Trimble L6 [1.5] 1:0 Matt Duffy F2 [1] 8 Cameron Brown F2 [1] .5:.5 Scott Murray F5 [0]
Round 6
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Andrew Todd L6 [4.5] 0:1 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [3.5] 2 John Dawson L6 [3.5] 1:0 Jake Patterson F5 [3.5] 3 Hannah Patterson F3 [3] .5:.5 Peter Todd F1 [3] 4 Raghav Gupta F3 [2.5] 0:1 Edward Hanzharov F4 [3] 5 Samuel Todd F3 [2] 1:0 Samuel Trimble L6 [2.5] 6 Darcy McBrinn F2 [2] 1:0 Harvey Coster F2 [2] 7 Cameron Brown F2 [1.5] 1:0 Matthew Gray F5 [2] 8 Matt Duffy F2 [1] 1:0 Scott Murray F5 [.5]
Round 7
Results
No Name Feder Total Result Name Feder Total 1 Edward Hanzharov F4 [4] 0:1 John Dawson L6 [4.5] 2 Eoin McCorkindale F5 [4.5] 1:0 Hannah Patterson F3 [3.5] 3 Peter Todd F1 [3.5] .5:.5 Andrew Todd L6 [4.5] 4 Jake Patterson F5 [3.5] 1:0 Darcy McBrinn F2 [3] 5 Harvey Coster F2 [2] 0:1 Samuel Todd F3 [3] 6 Samuel Trimble L6 [2.5] 1:0 Cameron Brown F2 [2.5] 7 Scott Murray F5 [.5] 0:1 Raghav Gupta F3 [2.5] 8 Matthew Gray F5 [2] 0:1 Matt Duffy F2 [2]
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Secondary
Standings
Place Name Feder Score
1-2 John Dawson L6 5.5
Eoin McCorkindale F5 5.5
3 Andrew Todd L6 5
4 Jake Patterson F5 4.5
5-7 Edward Hanzharov F4 4
Peter Todd F1 4
Samuel Todd F3 4
8-10 Hannah Patterson F3 3.5
Raghav Gupta F3 3.5
Samuel Trimble L6 3.5
11-12 Darcy McBrinn F2 3
Matt Duffy F2 3
13 Cameron Brown F2 2.5
14-15 Harvey Coster F2 2
Matthew Gray F5 2
16 Scott Murray F5 0.5
The battle finishes with John Dawson leading, followed on the same points by Eoin McCorkinale. Chased by only 1/2 point by Andrew Todd. An exciting tournament.
The top positions being gained by the more senior pupils. With Peter Todd form1 breaking the mold and coming 7th, next year he'll be one to watch.
Thanks to the volunteers James Fairley, Geoff Hindley (Ulster Chess Union President), Malola Prasath and Gareth Annesley who provided excellent coaching during the tournament.
Solutions to the Chess Problems:
1. 1.....Ra8 if 2. RxR then Qf1+ 3.Kb2 (or d2) c3+ with an undiscovered attack on the Queen
2. 1 Qxg7+ Kxg7 2. Rxe6+ Winning
With the last of the Childrens Chess for the year the Grandprix is complete and the invitees for Stormon Chess Award Ceremony complete. Watch for next news article for the details of these.
Best of luck with your Chess. Remember the beauty of the game..
