The first of the Childrens Chess series that will end in an Elite Tournament hopefull at Stormont for the top four players from the sections Upper Secondary, Lower Secondary and Primary and the top Secondary and Primary Puzzle solvers. ( click here to see the report on last years prize giving).

Our regular players are improving all the time. With the brilliant Ross Harris and Brendan Jamison running the Childrens Chess Club at The Strand theres even more opportunities for youngster to play chess - playing at the Strand on Sundays at the club and playing in the Ulster Chess Union League in the Strand Team. Likewise we have the Bangor Club running a junior team. and with all this chess we are seeing Youngsters playing in our weekend tournaments and taking points off our regular players - a fantastic time in Ulster Chess.

For details of the Stand Club Click here. For Bangor Chess club contact :  For the Ballynafiegh chess Club. All have talented groups of young players.

As is usual we had a puzzle solving competition running throughout the afternoon. The students being given a challenging sheet of some 22 puzzles.

The winner of the Secondary Schools Puzzle Competition was Calum Glendinning.

The winner of the Primary Schools Puzzle Competition was Dexter Harris.

Here are some of the puzzles for your solution. The solutions are provided at the end of this article.

These are taken from the book - Tactics Time! 1001 – Tim Brenan & Anthea Carson.

The board is orientated according to whose move it is - so you are seeing it from the movers perspective. ( usually White is moving up the board).

Above photos of focused concentration on the puzzle sheets.... the problems lead to plenty of chat on possible solutions. The solutions can be very elegent and satisfying to solve. A good way to improve your chess.

Round 1

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name              Feder Total

 1 Dexter Harris             P6    [0]     .5:.5   Aaditya Singh     P5    [0]  
 2 Peter Wong                P2    [0]      0:1    Louie McConkey    F4    [0]  
 3 Adam Fitzsimons           P6    [0]      1:0    Cian Suitor       P5    [0]  
 4 Blake Harris              P4    [0]      0:1    James Wong        L6    [0]  
 5 Taufik kamal              P7    [0]      1:0    Skyla McConkey    P4    [0]  
 6 Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [0]      0:1    Calum Glendinning F3    [0]  
 7 Anjali Singh              P7    [0]     .5:.5   BYE                          
 8 Eoin Boyle                P7    [0]     .5:.5   Conor Boyle       F1    [0]  
 9 Calvin Patterson          P7    [0]      1:0    BYE                          

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

Aaditya Singh get a good result against one of the favourites Dexter Harris. We had a couple of late arrivals so brothers Eoin and Conor Boyle played each other - they had been travelling for a couple of hours to play. Its good to see Calvin Patterson playing again.

Round 2

Results

No Name              Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Louie McConkey    F4    [1]      0:1    Taufik kamal              P7    [1]  
 2 Calum Glendinning F3    [1]      0:1    Adam Fitzsimons           P6    [1]  
 3 James Wong        L6    [1]     .5:.5   Calvin Patterson          P7    [1]  
 4 Conor Boyle       F1    [.5]    .5:.5   Dexter Harris             P6    [.5] 
 5 Aaditya Singh     P5    [.5]     0:1    Anjali Singh              P7    [.5] 
 6 Peter Wong        P2    [0]      0:1    Eoin Boyle                P7    [.5] 
 7 Cian Suitor       P5    [0]      0:1    Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [0]  
 8 Skyla McConkey    P4    [0]      0:1    Blake Harris              P4    [0]  

Kamal Taufik proves hes on form by beating Louie McConkey. Adam Fitzsimons wins over Calum Glendinning. Conor Boyle and Dexter Harris draw. Plenty of tough games.

Round 3

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name              Feder Total

 1 Adam Fitzsimons           P6    [2]      0:1    Taufik kamal      P7    [2]  
 2 Eoin Boyle                P7    [1.5]    0:1    James Wong        L6    [1.5]
 3 Calvin Patterson          P7    [1.5]    0:1    Louie McConkey    F4    [1]  
 4 Dexter Harris             P6    [1]      0:1    Calum Glendinning F3    [1]  
 5 Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [1]      0:1    Aaditya Singh     P5    [.5] 
 6 Blake Harris              P4    [1]      0:1    Conor Boyle       F1    [1]  
 7 Cian Suitor               P5    [0]      1:0    Peter Wong        P2    [0]  
 8 Skyla McConkey            P4    [0]      0:1    Anjali Singh      P7    [1.5]

The leading players face each other. Kamal winning goes into the next round leading the competition. Closely followed by James Wong on 2.5 points.

Round 4

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name            Feder Total

 1 Taufik kamal              P7    [3]      0:1    James Wong      L6    [2.5]
 2 Anjali Singh              P7    [2.5]    0:1    Louie McConkey  F4    [2]  
 3 Aaditya Singh             P5    [1.5]    1:0    Adam Fitzsimons P6    [2]  
 4 Calum Glendinning         F3    [2]      1:0    Conor Boyle     F1    [2]  
 5 Calvin Patterson          P7    [1.5]    1:0    Eoin Boyle      P7    [1.5]
 6 Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [1]      0:1    Dexter Harris   P6    [1]  
 7 Blake Harris              P4    [1]      1:0    Cian Suitor     P5    [1]  
 8 Peter Wong                P2    [0]      0:1    Skyla McConkey  P4    [0] 

James Wong takes the lead. Followed closely by Louie McConkey and Kamal Taufik..

Round 5

Results

No Name                      Feder Total  Result   Name              Feder Total

 1 James Wong                L6    [3.5]    1:0    Calum Glendinning F3    [3]  
 2 Louie McConkey            F4    [3]     .5:.5   Aaditya Singh     P5    [2.5]
 3 Taufik kamal              P7    [3]      1:0    Calvin Patterson  P7    [2.5]
 4 Anjali Singh              P7    [2.5]    0:1    Dexter Harris     P6    [2]  
 5 Adam Fitzsimons           P6    [2]      1:0    Blake Harris      P4    [2]  
 6 Conor Boyle               F1    [2]      1:0    Cian Suitor       P5    [1]  
 7 Eoin Boyle                P7    [1.5]    1:0    Skyla McConkey    P4    [1]  
 8 Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [1]      1:0    BYE 

Aaditya Singh gets a good draw against Louie McConkey. Whilst James Wong increases his lead.

Round 6

Results

No Name              Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 James Wong        L6    [4.5]    1:0    Louie McConkey            F4    [3.5]
 2 Conor Boyle       F1    [3]      0:1    Taufik kamal              P7    [4]  
 3 Dexter Harris     P6    [3]     .5:.5   Adam Fitzsimons           P6    [3]  
 4 Calum Glendinning F3    [3]      1:0    Aaditya Singh             P5    [3]  
 5 Calvin Patterson  P7    [2.5]    0:1    Anjali Singh              P7    [2.5]
 6 Cian Suitor       P5    [1]      1:0    Eoin Boyle                P7    [2.5]
 7 Blake Harris      P4    [2]      1:0    Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [2]  
 8 Skyla McConkey    P4    [1]      1:0    BYE             

Round 7

Results

No Name            Feder Total  Result   Name                      Feder Total

 1 Anjali Singh    P7    [3.5]    0:1    James Wong                L6    [5.5]
 2 Taufik kamal    P7    [5]      1:0    Calum Glendinning         F3    [4]  
 3 Louie McConkey  F4    [3.5]    0:1    Dexter Harris             P6    [3.5]
 4 Adam Fitzsimons P6    [3.5]    0:1    Conor Boyle               F1    [3]  
 5 Aaditya Singh   P5    [3]      1:0    Blake Harris              P4    [3]  
 6 Skyla McConkey  P4    [2]      0:1    Calvin Patterson          P7    [2.5]
 7 Eoin Boyle      P7    [2.5]    1:0    Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    [2]  
 8 Cian Suitor     P5    [2]      1:0    BYE                              

James Wong completes his round not having lost a game with 6.5 points out of 7. No mean feat with such a good cast of players.

Primary 4 and below

Winner:: Blake Harris        Second: Skyla McConkey

Primary 5

Winner: Aaditya Singh      Second: Cian Suitor

Primary 6

Winner: Dexter Harris       Second: Adam Fitzsimons

Primary 7

Winner: Taufik Kamal       Second: Calvin Patterson

Form 1

Winner: Conor Boyle

Form 3

Winner: Calum Glendinning

Form 4 and above

Winner: James Wong     Second: Louie McConkey

Next  month we have the Ulster Championships.

Thanks go to all the volunteers. the excellent venue of Methodist College. Thanks also to the provider of our trophies.

Standings

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

  1   James Wong                L6    897  6.5      17.5  26.5   25.0
  2   Taufik kamal              P7    820  6        18.0  26.0   24.0
  3   Dexter Harris             P6    1026 4.5      18.5  24.0   15.5
 4-6  Calum Glendinning         F3    779  4        22.0  30.0   18.0
      Conor Boyle               F1    900  4        18.5  27.0   15.5
      Aaditya Singh             P5    723  4        17.5  23.5   15.0
7-11  Louie McConkey            F4    984  3.5      21.0  29.0   17.5
      Calvin Patterson          P7    892  3.5      20.0  28.0   15.0
      Adam Fitzsimons           P6    903  3.5      19.5  28.0   17.0
      Anjali Singh              P7    732  3.5      18.5  26.5   16.5
      Eoin Boyle                P7    900  3.5      12.5  20.5   13.5
12-13 Blake Harris              P4    343  3        15.5  23.5   12.0
      Cian Suitor               P5    344  3        15.0  20.5    8.0
14-15 Karthikeya Karpagavinagam P5    300  2        18.0  25.0    9.0
      Skyla McConkey            P4    320  2        16.5  24.0    6.0
 16   Peter Wong                P2    400  0         6.0  11.0    0.0

The prize winners.

The puzzle solutions - how did you do?