With all the snow were werent sure how many contenders would appear.

16 youngsters varying in age - the game was on. To provide a better competition we decided to have one section. As our younger players are improving all the time and would provide a challenge for the senior pupils.

Who would be crowned Ulster Champion?

As usual we had the excellent. difficult and at times beautiful (elegent) chess puzzles.

The top puzzle solver seems consistently to be Anjali Singh - who again won the primary puzzle competition. Followed closely by Conor Boyle and brother Aaditya SIngh. Always a good way to improve your chess - and some of these patterns of problems will be met in your games..

Adam Rushe won the secondary puzzle competition on the same points as Samuel Todd - solving all but one of the problems correctly - considering these included some seriously difficult puzzles an exceptional result.

Some of the elegent problems - solutions at the bottom of the page.

Round 1

Results

No Name              Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Adam Rushe        U19   1071 [0]      1:0    Daniel Taylor    U14   800 [0]  
 2 Aaditya Singh     U8    675  [0]      0:1    Samuel Todd      U19   966 [0]  
 3 Dexter Harris     U10   945  [0]      1:0    Anjali Singh     U12   669 [0]  
 4 Eoin Boyle        U12   600  [0]      0:1    Adam Fitzsimons  U10   922 [0]  
 5 Calum Glendinning U14   878  [0]      1:0    Thomas McCartney U12   600 [0]  
 6 Jasper Grady      U12   539  [0]      1:0    Conor Boyle      U14   800 [0]  
 7 Olgierd Myszor    U19   800  [0]      1:0    Katy Thornton    U14   454 [0]  
 8 Hannah Patterson  U19   1101 [0]     .5:.5   Louie McConkey   U16   984 [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

With Swiss draw the first round will pit the top players against the lower rate ones. We had approximated Eoin and Conor Boyles ratings as well as Olgierd Myszor, Thomas McCartney and Daniel Taylor as we didnt have ratings for them. All the games went to rating apart from Jasper beating Conor. Hannah and Louie arrived slightly late and were paired manually.

Round 2

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Adam Fitzsimons  U10   922 [1]      0:1    Adam Rushe        U19   1071 [1]  
 2 Samuel Todd      U19   966 [1]      1:0    Calum Glendinning U14   878  [1]  
 3 Olgierd Myszor   U19   800 [1]      0:1    Dexter Harris     U10   945  [1]  
 4 Louie McConkey   U16   984 [.5]     1:0    Jasper Grady      U12   539  [1]  
 5 Conor Boyle      U14   800 [0]      1:0    Hannah Patterson  U19   1101 [.5] 
 6 Daniel Taylor    U14   800 [0]      0:1    Eoin Boyle        U12   600  [0]  
 7 Thomas McCartney U12   600 [0]      0:1    Aaditya Singh     U8    675  [0]  
 8 Anjali Singh     U12   669 [0]      1:0    Katy Thornton     U14   454  [0]  

With round two players play students on the same points. Adam Rushe (just back from becoming champion at the Munster Junior Championships ) beats Adam Fitzsimons. Dexter Harris beats the older Olgierd Myszor. Aaditya Singh scores against Thomas McCartney.

Its brilliant to see new faces - Olgierd Myszor runs the chess club at his school in Newry. Brothers Conor Boyle and Eoin Boyle travelled from Donegal.

Round 3

Results

No Name              Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg Total

 1 Adam Rushe        U19   1071 [2]      1:0    Samuel Todd      U19   966 [2]  
 2 Dexter Harris     U10   945  [2]      0:1    Louie McConkey   U16   984 [1.5]
 3 Aaditya Singh     U8    675  [1]      0:1    Adam Fitzsimons  U10   922 [1]  
 4 Calum Glendinning U14   878  [1]      0:1    Anjali Singh     U12   669 [1]  
 5 Eoin Boyle        U12   600  [1]      0:1    Conor Boyle      U14   800 [1]  
 6 Jasper Grady      U12   539  [1]      0:1    Olgierd Myszor   U19   800 [1]  
 7 Hannah Patterson  U19   1101 [.5]     1:0    Daniel Taylor    U14   800 [0]  
 8 Katy Thornton     U14   454  [0]      1:0    Thomas McCartney U12   600 [0]  

Adam Rushe one of the top cedes beats Samuel Todd - a tough contender and a possible winner. Dexter Harris looses his series of wins against Louie McConkey. Aaditya plays higher cede Adam who wins. The brothers Boyle play each other and the older brother wins. Hannah has won the Girls Silver Shield for several years and at this point in the competition is in second place to younger Anjali Singh. Has she time to still win the shield?

Round 4

Results

No Name              Feder Rtg Total  Result   Name             Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Louie McConkey    U16   984 [2.5]    0:1    Adam Rushe       U19   1071 [3]  
 2 Samuel Todd       U19   966 [2]      1:0    Olgierd Myszor   U19   800  [2]  
 3 Conor Boyle       U14   800 [2]      0:1    Dexter Harris    U10   945  [2]  
 4 Adam Fitzsimons   U10   922 [2]      1:0    Anjali Singh     U12   669  [2]  
 5 Calum Glendinning U14   878 [1]      0:1    Hannah Patterson U19   1101 [1.5]
 6 Jasper Grady      U12   539 [1]      0:1    Aaditya Singh    U8    675  [1]  
 7 Katy Thornton     U14   454 [1]      0:1    Eoin Boyle       U12   600  [1]  
 8 Daniel Taylor     U14   800 [0]      1:0    Thomas McCartney U12   600  [0]  

Adam Rushe leads with 4 out of 4. Followed by Samuel Todd with 3 and Under10 players also on 3 are Dexter Harris and Adam Fitzsimons - a brilliant position to be in going into round 5.

Round 5

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg Total

 1 Adam Rushe       U19   1071 [4]      0:1    Dexter Harris     U10   945 [3]  
 2 Adam Fitzsimons  U10   922  [3]      0:1    Samuel Todd       U19   966 [3]  
 3 Olgierd Myszor   U19   800  [2]      1:0    Louie McConkey    U16   984 [2.5]
 4 Hannah Patterson U19   1101 [2.5]    1:0    Aaditya Singh     U8    675 [2]  
 5 Anjali Singh     U12   669  [2]      0:1    Conor Boyle       U14   800 [2]  
 6 Eoin Boyle       U12   600  [2]      1:0    Calum Glendinning U14   878 [1]  
 7 Daniel Taylor    U14   800  [1]      0:1    Katy Thornton     U14   454 [1]  
 8 Thomas McCartney U12   600  [0]      0:1    Jasper Grady      U12   539 [1]  

Round 5 sees an upset, Dexter Harris beats Adam Rushe in an excellent end game that almost was drawn. So going into round 6 we have 3 players on 4 and fighting to be the champion - Dexter Harris, Adam Rushe and Samuel Todd. Hannah Patterson has climbed up the board to gain a good 3.5 points and is in a position to win the Silver Plate.

Round 6

Results

No Name             Feder Rtg  Total  Result   Name              Feder Rtg  Total

 1 Dexter Harris    U10   945  [4]      0:1    Samuel Todd       U19   966  [4]  
 2 Hannah Patterson U19   1101 [3.5]    0:1    Adam Rushe        U19   1071 [4]  
 3 Conor Boyle      U14   800  [3]      1:0    Adam Fitzsimons   U10   922  [3]  
 4 Olgierd Myszor   U19   800  [3]      1:0    Eoin Boyle        U12   600  [3]  
 5 Louie McConkey   U16   984  [2.5]    0:1    Calum Glendinning U14   878  [1]  
 6 Katy Thornton    U14   454  [2]      0:1    Jasper Grady      U12   539  [2]  
 7 Aaditya Singh    U8    675  [2]      1:0    Daniel Taylor     U14   800  [1]  
 8 Anjali Singh     U12   669  [2]      1:0    Thomas McCartney  U12   600  [0]  

A very close fight between Dexter and Samuel - but Samuel checkmates Dexter and wins the game. Adam also beats Hannah. So with the two top players Samuel Todd and Adam Rushe on 5 points the tie breaking M-Buchan,Buchan, Progressive would determine the winner.

Ulster Championships

Standings

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

 1-2  Samuel Todd       U19   966  5        14.0  21.0   17.0
      Adam Rushe        U19   1071 5        13.0  19.0   19.0
 3-5  Dexter Harris     U10   945  4        16.0  23.5   16.0
      Olgierd Myszor    U19   800  4        12.5  19.5   13.0
      Conor Boyle       U14   800  4        12.5  19.5   12.0
  6   Hannah Patterson  U19   1101 3.5      11.5  17.5   12.0
7-11  Adam Fitzsimons   U10   922  3        15.0  23.0   13.0
      Jasper Grady      U12   539  3        11.5  15.5    9.0
      Eoin Boyle        U12   600  3        11.0  16.0   10.0
      Anjali Singh      U12   669  3        11.0  15.0   10.0
      Aaditya Singh     U8    675  3        10.5  15.5    9.0
 12   Louie McConkey    U16   984  2.5      14.5  21.5   12.0
13-14 Calum Glendinning U14   878  2        12.0  17.0    7.0
      Katy Thornton     U14   454  2        10.0  14.0    6.0
 15   Daniel Taylor     U14   800  1        11.5  16.5    3.0
 16   Thomas McCartney  U12   600  0        10.0  14.0    0.0

The Champions for the year are:

Ulster Champion: Samuel Todd

The Top Girl - winner of the Silver Plate: Hannah Patterson

Under 16 Champion: Louie McConkey

Under 14 Champion: Conor Boyle

Under 12 Champion: Jasper Grady

Under 10 Champion: Dexter Harris

Under 8 Champion: Aaditya Singh

Well done everyone - some exciting chess - our next tournament is on January 13th 12:30 pm to 5:00pm The Methodist College, Belfast - see you there and have a brilliant Christmas and New Year.