We arrived early as the room we were to play in had been moved to the Canteen - and I have to confess I didnt know precisely where this was. Luckily James Fairley had arrived and scouted out our location - was standing ready to direct us as we entered the grounds of Methody. The venue was spacious and had plenty of tables a lovely room. Geoff with the assistance of Adam and Brian Fitzsimons put up lots of arrows pointing to chess to allow the players to find us. We eventually setup and decided with 8 primary players and 6 secondary players to run two all-play-all tournaments. What we lack in numbers we had in the quality of our players - with some very good players in both sections.

As usual we had problems to solve - its great to see the puzzles being discussed and resolved. With the pressure of the constant chess rounds - its not always possible to spend time on the problems - but they are a brilliant way of challenging and improving ones chess.

The results of the puzzles. Adam Rushe got a fantastic 17 out of 22 and won the Secondary Puzzle solving. Whilst Anjali Singh won the primary section with a very good 14 points. The puzzles this month were particularly hard with the theme of decoying a piece.

Here are the problems with answers at the bottom of the page.

Primary - Round 1

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [0]      1:0    Cian Suitor      P4    300 [0]  
 2 Anjali Singh     P6    633 [0]      0:1    Dexter Harris    P5    907 [0]  
 3 Jasper Grady     p7    601 [0]      0:1    Calvin Patterson P6    917 [0]  
 4 Aaditya Singh    P4    583 [0]      1:0    Skyla McConkey   P3    300 [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

The top cedes Adam, Dexter and Calvin win their games.

Primary - Round 2

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name           Feder Rtg Total

 1 Cian Suitor      P4    300 [0]      1:0    Skyla McConkey P3    300 [0]  
 2 Calvin Patterson P6    917 [1]      1:0    Aaditya Singh  P4    583 [1]  
 3 Dexter Harris    P5    907 [1]      1:0    Jasper Grady   p7    601 [0]  
 4 Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [1]      1:0    Anjali Singh   P6    633 [0] 

Cian gains his first point. Calvin,Dexter and Adam continue to win.

Primary - Round 3

Results

No Name           Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Anjali Singh   P6    633 [0]      1:0    Cian Suitor      P4    300 [1]  
 2 Jasper Grady   p7    601 [0]      0:1    Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [2]  
 3 Aaditya Singh  P4    583 [1]      0:1    Dexter Harris    P5    907 [2]  
 4 Skyla McConkey P3    300 [0]      0:1    Calvin Patterson P6    917 [2]  

Anjali gets her first point. Adam, Dexter and Calvin continue to win.

Primary - Round 4

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Cian Suitor      P4    300 [1]      0:1    Calvin Patterson P6    917 [3]  
 2 Dexter Harris    P5    907 [3]      1:0    Skyla McConkey   P3    300 [0]  
 3 Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [3]      1:0    Aaditya Singh    P4    583 [1]  
 4 Anjali Singh     P6    633 [1]      1:0    Jasper Grady     p7    601 [0]  

Anjali gets her second point and Calvin, Adam and Dexter continue to win.

Primary - Round 5

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Jasper Grady     p7    601 [0]      1:0    Cian Suitor      P4    300 [1]  
 2 Aaditya Singh    P4    583 [1]      0:1    Anjali Singh     P6    633 [2]  
 3 Skyla McConkey   P3    300 [0]      0:1    Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [4]  
 4 Calvin Patterson P6    917 [4]     .5:.5   Dexter Harris    P5    907 [4]  

The top cedes start to play each other - will determine who wins. Dexter takes Calvin to a draw. Adam goes into the lead with 5 out of 5.

Primary - Round 6

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Cian Suitor      P4    300 [1]      0:1    Dexter Harris    P5    907 [4.5]
 2 Adam Fitzsimmons P5    798 [5]      1:0    Calvin Patterson P6    917 [4.5]
 3 Anjali Singh     P6    633 [3]      1:0    Skyla McConkey   P3    300 [0]  
 4 Jasper Grady     p7    601 [1]      0:1    Aaditya Singh    P4    583 [1]  

Now its Adams turn to face Calvin - to keep the lead he has to win - he does this. Dexter wins and Anjali continues to pick up points with 4 out of 6. Whilst young Aaditya agains a total of 2 points.

Primary - Round 7

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Aaditya Singh    P4    583 [2]      1:0    Cian Suitor      P4    300 [1]  
 2 Skyla McConkey   P3    300 [0]      0:1    Jasper Grady     p7    601 [1]  
 3 Calvin Patterson P6    917 [4.5]    1:0    Anjali Singh     P6    633 [4]  
 4 Dexter Harris    P5    907 [5.5]    1:0    Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 [6]  

The final round and Dexter plays the leader Adam and beats him - and gaining lead position with 6.6 out of 7.

Primary

Standings

Place Name             Feder Rtg Score

  1   Dexter Harris    P5    907 6.5  
  2   Adam Fitzsimons  P5    798 6    
  3   Calvin Patterson P6    917 5.5  
  4   Anjali Singh     P6    633 4    
  5   Aaditya Singh    P4    583 3    
  6   Jasper Grady     p7    601 2    
  7   Cian Suitor      P4    300 1    
  8   Skyla McConkey   P3    300 0   

Winners:

Primary 7

Winner: Jasper Grady

Primary 6

Winner:Calvin Patterson

Second: Anjali Singh

Primary 5

Winner: Dexter Harris

Second: Adam Fitzsimons

Primary 4 and lower:

Winner: Aaditya Singh

Second: Cian Suitor

Third: Skyla McConkey

Secondary - Round 1

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg Total

 1 Hannah Patterson L6    1121 [0]      1:0    Katy Thornton     F1    454 [0]  
 2 Adam Rushe       F5    1024 [0]      1:0    Calum Glendinning F2    878 [0]  
 3 Samuel Todd      L6    966  [0]      0:1    Louie McConkey    F3    896 [0]  

With less players the all play-all takes 5 rounds - so to make it 6 we add an extra round pairing the players by their scores in swiss style.

The games go according to rating apart from Louie McConkey who gets a good point off Samuel Todd.

Secondary - Round 2

Results

No Name              Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name           Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Katy Thornton     F1    454  [0]      0:1    Louie McConkey F3    896  [1]  
 2 Calum Glendinning F2    878  [0]      0:1    Samuel Todd    L6    966  [0]  
 3 Hannah Patterson  L6    1121 [1]      0:1    Adam Rushe     F5    1024 [1]  

The top cedes meet and Adam beats Hannah. Sharing the lead with Louie.

Secondary - Round 3

Results

No Name           Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Adam Rushe     F5    1024 [2]      1:0    Katy Thornton     F1    454  [0]  
 2 Samuel Todd    L6    966  [1]      0:1    Hannah Patterson  L6    1121 [1]  
 3 Louie McConkey F3    896  [2]      1:0    Calum Glendinning F2    878  [0]  

Adam and Louie continue their joint lead with a full 3 out of 3 points.

Secondary - Round 4

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg Total

 1 Katy Thornton    F1    454  [0]      0:1    Calum Glendinning F2    878 [0]  
 2 Hannah Patterson L6    1121 [2]      1:0    Louie McConkey    F3    896 [3]  
 3 Adam Rushe       F5    1024 [3]      0:1    Samuel Todd       L6    966 [1] 

The leaders fall with Hannah taking a point of Louie and Samuel a point off Adam. So going into the next round we have 3 leaders - Hannah, Adam and Louie.

Secondary - Round 5

Results

No Name              Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Samuel Todd       L6    966 [2]      1:0    Katy Thornton    F1    454  [0]  
 2 Louie McConkey    F3    896 [3]      0:1    Adam Rushe       F5    1024 [3]  
 3 Calum Glendinning F2    878 [1]      0:1    Hannah Patterson L6    1121 [3]  

Will this round separate out the leaders? Hannah and Adam win their games and are the leaders going into the next round. Where the players are paired by points and the higher placed player is given white.

Secondary - Round 6

Results

No Name              Feder Loc  Total  Result   Name             Feder Loc  Total

 1 Adam Rushe        F5    1024 [4]      1:0    Hannah Patterson L6    1121 [4]  
 2 Samuel Todd       L6    966  [3]      0:1    Louie McConkey   F3    896  [3]  
 3 Calum Glendinning F2    878  [1]     .5:.5   Katy Thornton    F1    454  [0]  

Adam and Hannah play for the lead - Adam wins. Whilst Samuel and Louie play for third place - Louie wins and the order of the winners is Adam first, Hannah second and Louie third.

Secondary

Standings

Place Name              Feder Rtg  Loc  Score

  1   Adam Rushe        F5    1024 1024 5    
 2-3  Hannah Patterson  L6    1121 1121 4    
      Louie McConkey    F3    896  896  4    
  4   Samuel Todd       L6    966  966  3    
  5   Calum Glendinning F2    878  878  1.5  
  6   Katy Thornton     F1    454  454  0.5  

Winners

Fourth Year and above

First: Adam Rushe

Second: Hannah Patterson, Samuel Todd

Third Year

First: Louie McConkey

Second Year

First:Calum Glendinning

First Year

First: Katy Thornton

Thanks to our volunteers Geoff Hindley, James Fairley and Ross Harris. Also a big thanks to the anonymous donor of the tournaments trophies.

Our next tournament is the Ulster School Championships - could you be the next Ulster Champion for your age group - come along on December 9th at 10:00am Methodist College, Belfast and put your chess skills to the test.

Puzzle solutions