Belfast Scholastic - Stormont Awards 2019
Its strange how on the mornings of going to this prestigious event the weather is sunny and brilliant.
Over the course of the year young chess players have been playing in our open Childrens Chess Competitions. These are part of our monthly Schools Chess events. We run 5 in this series. The pupils playing get awarded points depending on where they come and the best 3 of their event points get added and the totals compared to see who wins the Belfast Scholastic Shields.
The Standings can be found in our previous article: https://www.ulsterchess.org/Members/ucu00450/childrens-chess-2018-19/stormont2019/final-standings-for-the-2019-childrens-chess-grandprix
Chris Lyttle MLA invites the top 4 of each section - Primary, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary (form4 - Sixth Form) and for puzzle solving the top 4 primary puzzle solvers and the top 4 Secondary puzzle solvers to a morning of awards and an Elite all-play-all competition.
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The timetable for the morning started at 10:00 with Chris Lyttle MLA welcoming the players, parents, principals, teachers and volunteers. Chris celebrated the youngsters chess talent for a game that focuses on concentration, logic, planning, decision making, owning the consequences of mistakes ... and wished them well in their futures.
The children were split into Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary and started with round 1 of the all-play-all Elite Championships.
We had 5 youngsters in the Lower Secondary so with a shorter time limit - 10mins each we fitted in 5 rounds. The Primary and Upper Secondary with 4 players had 3 rounds of 15 minutes each on the clock.
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Round 1 - The results.
Primary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Kamal Taufik |
1 |
0 |
Adam Fitzsimons |
|
Aaditya Singh |
0 |
1 |
Dexter Harris |
Lower Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Zach Williamson |
0 |
1 |
Ben Toogood |
|
Aayush Bhari |
0 |
1 |
Calum Glendinning |
|
|
|
|
Mohammed Rakeeb |
Upper Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
James Wong |
0 |
1 |
Ciaran Rowan |
|
Adam Rushe |
½ |
½ |
Louie McConkey |
After round 1 we were given a tour of the beautiful historic building.
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We heard about the Italian Marble - the role of the building in the war - the magnificent chandeliers - a beautiful building with lots of history. To continue with the chess tournament the students left the tour after briefly visiting the Assembly Room - the Parents and teachers stayed on the tour.
Round 2 commenced.
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Round 2
Primary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Kamal Taufik |
½ |
½ |
Aaditya Singh |
|
Adam Fitzsimons |
0 |
1 |
Dexter Harris |
Lower Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Ben Toogood |
1 |
0 |
Aayush Bhari |
|
Calum Glendinning |
1 |
0 |
Mohammed Rakeeb |
|
Zach Williamson |
|
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|
Upper Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
James Wong |
0 |
1 |
Adam Rushe |
|
Ciaran Rowan |
½ |
½ |
Louie McConkey |
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Round 3
Lower Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
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Black |
|
Mohammed Rakeeb |
0 |
1 |
Ben Toogood |
|
Aayush Bhari |
0 |
1 |
Zach Williamson |
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Calum Glendinning |
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Round 4
Lower Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
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Black |
|
Calum Glendinning |
1 |
0 |
Zach Williamson |
|
Mohammed Rakeeb |
1 |
0 |
Aayush Bhari |
|
Ben Toogood |
|
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The final rounds
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Round 3
Primary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Dexter Harris |
0 |
1 |
Kamal Taufik |
|
Aaditya Singh |
1 |
0 |
Adam Fitzsimons |
Round 5
Lower Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Ben Toogood |
½ |
½ |
Calum Glendinning |
|
Zach Williamson |
0 |
1 |
Mohammed Rakeeb |
|
Aayush Bhari |
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Round 3
Upper Secondary Stormont Elite Championship
|
White |
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Black |
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Louie McConkey |
0 |
1 |
James Wong |
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Adam Rushe |
1 |
0 |
Ciaran Rowan |
The tournaments over the results calculated and the certificates prepared - we moved to the award ceremony. Ross Harris the Ulster Chess Union President gave out the awards and we had a line of honour of Principals and Teachers and Founders of the Childrens Chess. Mark Newman had fun explaining that the winners called up were to collect their trophies and then walk down the line of Honour shaking hands with the dignitaries - he demonstrated this with some enthusiasm.
The first awards were for the Elite Championships played today:
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament 2019
Primary School Championships
|
Name Round |
School |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
Place |
|
Kamal Taufik |
Fane Street PS |
1 |
½ |
1 |
2 ½ |
1st |
|
Dexter Harris |
Strandtown PS |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2nd |
|
Adam Fitzsimons |
Downshire PS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4th |
|
Aaditya Singh |
Forge Integrated PS |
0 |
½ |
1 |
1 ½ |
3rd |
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament 2019
Lower Secondary School Championships
| Name Round | School | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total | Place |
|
Ben Toogood |
Bangor Grammar |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
½ |
4 ½ |
1st |
|
Calum Glendinning |
Holywood Steiner |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
½ |
4 ½ |
1st |
|
Mohammed Rakeeb |
Methodist College |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2nd |
|
Aayush Bhari |
Methodist College |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4th |
|
Zach Williamson |
Bangor Grammar |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3rd |
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament 2019
Upper Secondary School Championships
| Name Rounds | School | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total | Place |
|
James Wong |
St Colman, Ballynahinch |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3rd |
|
Louie McConkey |
Royal School Armagh |
½ |
½ |
0 |
1 |
3rd |
|
Adam Rushe |
Bangor Grammar |
½ |
1 |
1 |
2 ½ |
1st |
|
Ciaran Rowan |
1 |
½ |
0 |
1 ½ |
2nd |
Then followed the awards for the year the Grandprix
Belfast Scholastic Shield 2019
The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:
Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion
| Place |
|
Year |
School |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
Total |
Best 3 |
| 1 |
Dexter Harris |
P6 |
Strandtown PS |
10 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
4 |
43 |
30 |
| 2 |
Adam Fitzsimons |
P6 |
Downshire PS |
8 |
9 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
40 |
26 |
| 3 |
Aaditya Singh |
P5 |
Forge Integrated PS |
5.5 |
|
5 |
|
6 |
16.5 |
16.5 |
| 4 |
Taufik kamal |
P7 |
Fane Street PS |
4 |
2.5 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
20.5 |
15 |
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Belfast Scholastic Shield 2019
The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:
Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion
| Place |
|
Year |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
Total |
Best 3 |
|
| 1 |
Calum Glendinning |
Holywood Steiner |
F3 |
10 |
|
|
|
10 |
20 |
20 |
| 2 |
Louie McConkey |
Royal School Armagh |
F4 |
8 |
10 |
|
|
|
18 |
18 |
| 3 |
Williamson, Zach |
Bangor Grammar |
F2 |
|
|
|
8 |
6 |
14 |
14 |
| 4 |
Conor MacRandal |
Methodist College |
L6 |
|
|
10 |
|
|
10 |
10 |
| 4 |
Rushe, Adam |
Bangor Grammar |
L6 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
10 |
10 |
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Belfast Scholastic Shield 2019
Primary School Championship
| Place |
|
Year |
School |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
Total |
Best 3 |
| 1 |
Kamal Taufik |
P7 |
Fane Street PS |
10 |
2 |
10 |
8 |
10 |
40 |
30 |
| 2 |
Dexter Harris |
P6 |
Strandtown PS |
8 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
42 |
26 |
| 3 |
Calvin Patterson |
P7 |
Home Educated |
3.5 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
22.5 |
19 |
| 4 |
Aaditya Singh |
P5 |
Forge Integrated PS |
6 |
7 |
2 |
|
2 |
17 |
15 |
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Belfast Scholastic Shield 2019
Lower Secondary School Championship
| Place |
|
Year |
School |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
Total |
Best 3 |
| 1 |
Ben Toogood |
F2 |
Bangor Grammar |
|
|
|
10 |
10 |
20 |
20 |
| 2 |
Calum Glendinning |
F3 |
Holywood Steiner |
9 |
|
|
|
8 |
17 |
17 |
| 3 |
Mohammed Rakeeb |
F2 |
Methodist College |
|
|
9 |
5 |
|
14 |
14 |
| 4 |
Aayush Bhari |
F3 |
Methodist College |
|
|
4 |
8 |
|
12 |
12 |
| 4 |
Zach Williamson |
F2 |
Bangor Grammar |
|
|
|
6 |
6 |
12 |
12 |
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Belfast Scholastic Shield 2019
Upper Secondary School Championship
| Place |
|
Year |
School |
Nov |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
Total |
Best 3 |
| 1 |
James Wong |
L6 |
St Colmans, Ballynahinch |
10 |
9 |
10 |
|
|
29 |
29 |
| 2 |
Louie McConkey |
F4 |
Royal School Armagh |
8 |
9 |
8 |
|
|
25 |
25 |
| 3 |
Adam Rushe |
L6 |
Bangor Grammar |
|
|
|
10 |
|
10 |
10 |
| 3 |
Ciaran Rowan |
L6 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
10 |
10 |
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The Belfast Scholastic Henderson and Dawson Shield.
Exceptional Young Chess Player
|
Name |
School |
Year |
|
Peter Wong |
Stranmillis PS |
P2 |
|
Ethan Cole |
Park Lodge PS |
P2 |
The best trophy is left to last the Exceptional Young Chess Player - these are the future players to watch...
Thanks were given to all the Volunteers who allow the tournaments to happen during the year - to Geoff Hindley, James Fairley, Ross Harris. Thanks to Chris Lyttle MLA for inviting us to this brilliant event. and a round of applause was given to celebrate all the youngsters and their chess talent.
The Winners:
