With hindsight this was the last Childrens Chess for the Season. As all chess events have now been cancelled. Please take care and keep playing/studying your chess.

We had 10 players - the standard of which were very good so it was going to be a tough competition with brilliant chess.

As usual we had top chess puzzles to be solved.

Secondary Puzzle Solver Champion: Anjali Singh - with a brilliant score of 16.

Primary Puzzle Solver Champion: Dexter Harris with an brilliant score of 18.5

Spme examples of the puzzles for you to solve - solutions at the end of the page.

Players were asked not to shake hands and the chess boards were spread across the room to increase distance between players.

The room went quiet and the games started.

Round 1

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Taufik Kamal     F1    [0]      1:0    Waldo Denysschen F1    [0]  
 2 Aaditya Singh    P6    [0]      0:1    Adam Rushe       U6    [0]  
 3 Dexter Harris    P7    [0]      1:0    Anjali Singh     F1    [0]  
 4 Daniel Toogood   P7    [0]      0:1    Ben Toogood      F3    [0]  
 5 Calvin Patterson F1    [0]      1:0    Ethan Cole       P3    [0]  

by Swiss Perfect (TM)  www.swissperfect.com

Players are rated and the first draw puts weaker players against strong ones. The alternating wins shows that the games went according to rating.

Most of the players were regulars and of a high standard. A newcomer to the competition Waldo Denysschen was dropped in the deep end of chess, paired in the first round with previous Ulster Schools Chess Champion Kamal Taufik.

Round 2

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Ben Toogood      F3    [1]      1:0    Taufik Kamal     F1    [1]  
 2 Adam Rushe       U6    [1]      1:0    Dexter Harris    P7    [1]  
 3 Waldo Denysschen F1    [0]      0:1    Calvin Patterson F1    [1]  
 4 Ethan Cole       P3    [0]      0:1    Aaditya Singh    P6    [0]  
 5 Anjali Singh     F1    [0]      1:0    Daniel Toogood   P7    [0]  

Tough games brilliant to watch with some very interesting and challenging endgames. Ben Toogood, Adam Rushe and Calvin Patterson lead the tournament after round 2.

Round 3

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Calvin Patterson F1    [2]      0:1    Adam Rushe       U6    [2]  
 2 Dexter Harris    P7    [1]      0:1    Ben Toogood      F3    [2]  
 3 Taufik Kamal     F1    [1]      1:0    Anjali Singh     F1    [1]  
 4 Aaditya Singh    P6    [1]      1:0    Waldo Denysschen F1    [0]  
 5 Daniel Toogood   P7    [0]     .5:.5   Ethan Cole       P3    [0]  

The players with top points play each other. Adam Rushe and Ben Toogood win and lead. Ethan Cole gets a good draw against Daniel Toogodd.

Round 4

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Adam Rushe       U6    [3]      1:0    Ben Toogood      F3    [3]  
 2 Aaditya Singh    P6    [2]      0:1    Calvin Patterson F1    [2]  
 3 Dexter Harris    P7    [1]      1:0    Taufik Kamal     F1    [2]  
 4 Anjali Singh     F1    [1]     .5:.5   Ethan Cole       P3    [.5] 
 5 Waldo Denysschen F1    [0]     .5:.5   Daniel Toogood   P7    [.5] 

The two leading players Adam Rushe and Ben Toogood play and Adam wins a very close game. Dexter Harris gets a good win over Kamal Taufik and Ethan Cole gets a good draw against Anjali Singh. Waldo gets a 1/2 point against Daniel.

Round 5

Results

No Name           Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Taufik Kamal   F1    [2]      0:1    Adam Rushe       U6    [4]  
 2 Ben Toogood    F3    [3]      1:0    Calvin Patterson F1    [3]  
 3 Anjali Singh   F1    [1.5]    0:1    Aaditya Singh    P6    [2]  
 4 Daniel Toogood P7    [1]      0:1    Dexter Harris    P7    [2]  
 5 Ethan Cole     P3    [1]      1:0    Waldo Denysschen F1    [.5] 

Adam Rushe consolidates his lead with the unbeaten score of 5 out of 5. But every game is a challenge and quite entertaining to watch. The players all being cable of beating each other. Ben Toogood sets his sights on second place with a possiblilty of catching Adam but already having lost to him he needs a player to beat Adam.

Round 6

Results

No Name             Feder Total  Result   Name          Feder Total

 1 Adam Rushe       U6    [5]      1:0    Ethan Cole    P3    [2]  
 2 Ben Toogood      F3    [4]      1:0    Aaditya Singh P6    [3]  
 3 Calvin Patterson F1    [3]      1:0    Dexter Harris P7    [3]  
 4 Daniel Toogood   P7    [1]      0:1    Taufik Kamal  F1    [2]  
 5 Waldo Denysschen F1    [.5]     0:1    Anjali Singh  F1    [1.5]

Adam and Ben continue to win. Calvin is chasing with a win over the young but excellent player Dexter Harris. Players were also keenly aware of the Grandprix standings which were placed on the wall. They were calculating if they could be in the top 4 for their category. The categories being Primary School, Lower Secondary ( Form1 to Form3) Uppoer Secondary (Form4 to Form7) and for puzzle solving Primary and Secondary.

The Grandprix standings: The top four of each category are invited to Stormont for a special prize giving ceremony and Elite Tournament - Stormont has been booked but its looking increasingly unlikely that the event will take place - will let the winners know.

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2020

The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:

Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2020

The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:

Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2020

Primary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2020

Lower Secondary School Championship

Belfast Scholastic Shield 2020

Upper Secondary School Championship

Round 7

Results

No Name          Feder Total  Result   Name             Feder Total

 1 Anjali Singh  F1    [2.5]    0:1    Adam Rushe       U6    [6]  
 2 Ethan Cole    P3    [2]      0:1    Ben Toogood      F3    [5]  
 3 Taufik Kamal  F1    [3]      1:0    Calvin Patterson F1    [4]  
 4 Aaditya Singh P6    [3]      1:0    Daniel Toogood   P7    [1]  
 5 Dexter Harris P7    [3]      1:0    Waldo Denysschen F1    [.5] 

We managed a seventh round. Ross marked the puzzles - always a fun process. Particularly because the problems are quite difficult. We work out the answers during the day and then collect them before the last 2 rounds. Ross found that Adam Rushe had found a better solution to one of them than I ahd found! - always good to be beaten by the new chess players of the future! Well thats what I tell myself! Adam completes his unbeaten run and finishes on 7 out of 7. Considering the tough competition (some players had advantage in the games but Adams clever strategies and sharp play led to a win) an superb score. Closely followed by Ben Toogood wiht 5 out of 7. The young Ethan Cole had a good score of 2 out of 7 and some of the lost games didnt always reflect the tough battles he had fought. It was brilliant to see a fresh face with Waldo who had very tough opposition and enjoyed the day and hopefully will be back. Chess is a game when as one of the parents said you have to be resilient and learn from your losses and come back fighting.

Standings

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

  1   Adam Rushe       U6    1312 7        18.5  26.5   28.0
  2   Ben Toogood      F3    1152 6        18.0  26.0   24.0
 3-6  Calvin Patterson F1    1034 4        20.0  27.5   19.0
      Taufik Kamal     F1    1342 4        17.5  25.0   15.0
      Dexter Harris    P7    1255 4        17.5  25.0   15.0
      Aaditya Singh    P6    946  4        15.5  23.0   15.0
  7   Anjali Singh     F1    841  2.5      15.0  22.5   10.0
  8   Ethan Cole       P3    700  2        17.5  25.0    7.5
  9   Daniel Toogood   P7    800  1        16.5  23.0    4.5
 10   Waldo Denysschen F1    800  0.5      16.5  21.5    2.0

Primary 5 and Below Winner: Ethan Cole

Primary 6 Winner: Aaditya Singh

Primary 7 Winner: Dexter Harris  Second: Daniel Toogood

Form 1 Winner: Calvin Patterson   Second: Kamal Taufik  Third: Anjali Singh

Form 3 Winner: Ben Toogood

Form 4 and above Winner: Adam Rushe

Best New Comer: Waldo Denysschen

Thanks to all the volunteers, the venue Methodist College and the Parents and most importantly the chess players for a brilliant days chess. With some very good endgames - always the measure of top chess.

The Winners.

The competitions are now closed for the season due to Covid-19.

Best wishes keep safe, keep enjoying your chess

Prob 13. 1. Qc7 Qb5 2. a4 Qxa4 3. Re4 Qb4 4. Qxb2 All the squares on diagonal a4-e8 are now covered. 4. ... Qxb7 5. Rxe8+ Rxe8 6. Rxe8#	Prob 14. 1. Qxd6 cxd6 2. Nf7+ Rxf7 3. Re8+ Rf8 4. Rxf8#	Prob 15. 1. Rxg7+ Nxg7 2. Qf7+  Kh8 3. Qf8+  Rxf8 4. Rxf8#
Prob 16. 1. Rxb8+ Kxb8 2. Qxe5+ fxe5 3. Rf8+  Qe8 4. Rxe8  Rd8 5. Rxd8#	Prob 17. 1. Nh6+ Kh8 2. Qxe5 Qxe5 3. Nxf7+ Rxf7 4. Rd8+ Rf8 5. Rxf8#	Prob 18. 1. Qxa8 Rxa8 2. Rd8+ Rxd8 3. Rxd8#
Prob 19. 1. ... Rxd2 2. Rxd2 Rb1+ 3. Rd1 Rxd1#	Prob 20. 1. ... Ne2+ 2. Kh1 Qxh2+ 3. Kxh2 Rh4#	Prob 21. 1. ... Qh4 2. Nxh4 Rxf2#