Chris Lyttle MLA invites top youngsters to Stormont Chess Award Ceremony
Its the end of the School chess season. We have had a tournament every month over the year starting in October with the London Junior Chess Championship Qualifier.The last of these is the May Mega-Final for the Delancy Chess Challenge. The full timetable of events for this year has been:
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October 7th London Junior Chess Championships Qualifier 9:30 – 5:00pm |
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November 4th Childrens Chess 12:30 – 5:00 |
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December 9th Ulster Schools Championship 10:00 –5:00 |
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January 13th Childrens Chess 12:30 – 5:00 |
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February 10th Childrens Chess 12:30 – 5:00 |
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March 10th Childrens Chess 12:30 – 5:00 |
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April 14th Childrens Chess 12:30 – 5:00 |
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May 12th UK Chess Challenge 9:45 – 5:00 |
Over the series of Childrens Chess events we calculate a Grandprix and the top 4 Children of the Primary Schools, Lower Secondary (F1-F3) and the Upper Secondary (F4-U6) are invited to receive awards together with the top 4 puzzle solvers, Primary and Secondary. We are fortunate to have Chris Lyttle MLA invite us to Stormont for the awards and an Elite Belfast Tournament. During the year an anonymous donar has provided us with trophies - many thanks go to them. Also thanks to our volunteers who run the tournaments. The results of the grandprix:
Belfast Scholastic Shield 2018:
Primary School Championship
| Place | Name | School | Year | Nov | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | Total | Best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dexter Harris | Strandtown PS | P5 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 5.5 | 40.5 | 30 |
| 2 | Calvin Patterson | Home Educated | P6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 24 | |
| 3 | Adam Fitzsimons | Downshire PS | P5 | 8 | 10 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 28 | 23.5 | |
| 4 | Aaditya Singh | Forge Integrated PS | P4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 25.5 | 17.5 |
Lower Secondary School Championship
| Place | Name | School | Year | Nov | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | Total | Best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calum Glendinning | Holywood Steiner | F2 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 45 | 29 |
| 2 | Katy Thornton | Clounagh Junior High | F1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 29 | 20 |
| 2 | Louie McConkey | Royal School Armagh | F3 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | |||
| 4 | Minaahil Shahzad | Rathmore Grammar | F3 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 17 |
Upper Secondary School Championship
| Place | Name | School | Year | Nov | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | Total | Best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Rushe | Bangor Grammar | F5 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 43 | 30 |
| 2 | Samuel Todd | Bangor Grammar | L6 | 7 | 9 | 5.5 | 8 | 29.5 | 24 | |
| 3 | Olgierd Myszor | Abbey CBS Grammar | L6 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 23 | ||
| 4 | James Wong | Lagan College | F5 | 7 | 9 | 5.5 | 21.5 | 21.5 |
The Belfast Scholastic Edward Whiteside Shield:
Primary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion
| Place | Name | School | Year | Nov | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | Total | Best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anajli Singh | Forge Integrated PS | P6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 44 | 29 |
| 2 | Aaditya Singh | Forge Integrated PS | P4 | 4 | 6.3 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 31.3 | 22.3 |
| 2 | Adam Fitzsimons | Downshire PS | P5 | 6 | 6.3 | 6 | 10 | 28.3 | 22.3 | |
| 4 | Dexter Harris | Strandtown PS | P5 | 4 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 5 | 18.8 | 16.3 |
The Belfast Scholastic Fergus O’Neill Shield:
Secondary Puzzle Solving Chess Champion
| Place | Name | School | Year | Nov | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | Total | Best 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Samuel Todd | Bangor Grammar | L6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 28 | 28 | ||
| 2 | Calum Glendinning | Holywood Steiner | F2 | 4.5 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 30.5 | 26 | |
| 3 | Adam Rushe | Bangor Grammar | F5 | 10 | 5.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 | |||
| 3 | Olgierd Myszor | Abbey CBS Grammar | L6 | 10 | 5.5 | 15.5 | 15.5 |
This years Henderson and Dawson Shield for the Exceptional Young Player of 2018 went to Blake Harris (P3) Greenwood Primary School.
The Parents and Youngsters and their Principals are invited. The event took place on Friday morning of June 8th. A beautiful day. I arrived with Geoff Hindley where I was met by Ross Harris and we setup the chess sets in the Long Room and placed the Trophies ready for the award ceremony.
Chris Lyttle welcomed us all to Stormont and the Long Room. Recognising the skills the youngster possessed to achieve being invited here and the qualities that Chess brings with it - the forward thinking and planning, the decision making and handling mistakes.He felt this was one of the best events that the Long Room holds and was pleased to invite everyone here. He had a local interest with Strandtown School being in his constituency. He thanked everyone and wished them well.
The group had their photo taken on the steps in the main hall of Stormont.
We continued with a tour of the building - we were lucky that one of the educational guides was giving a tour to a pupils school council, we joined them in the main chamber. The brilliant tour guide got us involved in a debate on the pros and cons of having a school uniform - we were allowed to groan loudly in disagreement and to say here, here in agreement but it was explained that it was against the rules to clap! - although one of the pupils suggestions was so good we did applause and were told lightly off by the tour guide acting as speaker of the house. Then we voted by voice which wasn't decisive and lead to a vote by walking through the relevant doors for the I's and the No's - the motion didn't pass and uniforms had to be warn - by only 1 vote. A brilliant lesson in the workings of the Parliament. Many thanks to the Stormont Events Office for organising this tour.
We proceeded back to the long room where coffee and juice and biscuits awaited us and we started the round 1 of the Elite tournaments.
With a couple of senior players having exams, James Wong and Olgierd Myszor, we were fortunate to be able to play Anjali Singh and Ali Shahzad in the Senior Section. Anjali played brilliantly and won the section.
Thanks go to David McAlister who controlled the Primary School Section. Geoff Hindley who looked after the lower secondary section and Ross Harris who took care of the Upper Secondary section.
The results of the tournament with photos.
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Primary 2018
Round 1.
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Dexter Harris |
1 |
0 |
Adam Fitzsimons |
|
Aaditya Singh |
0 |
1 |
Calvin Patterson |
 |  |
|---|
Round 2
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Dexter Harris |
0 |
1 |
Aaditya Singh |
|
Adam Fitzsimons |
0 |
1 |
Calvin Patterson |
 |  |
|---|
Round 3
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Calvin Patterson |
1 |
0 |
Dexter Harris |
|
Aaditya Singh |
0 |
1 |
Adam Fitzsimons |
Standings
|
Place |
Name |
Year |
School |
Points |
|
1st |
Calvin Patterson |
P6 |
Home Educated |
3 |
|
2nd |
Dexter Harris |
P5 |
Strandtown PS |
1 |
|
2nd |
Adam Fitzsimons |
P5 |
Downshire PS |
1 |
|
2nd |
Aaditya Singh |
P4 |
Forge Integrated PS |
1 |
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Lower Secondary School 2018
Round 1.
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Calum Glendinning |
1 |
0 |
Katy Thornton |
|
Minaahil Shahzad |
0 |
1 |
Louie McConkey |
 |  |
|---|
Round 2
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Calum Glendinning |
1 |
0 |
Minaahil Shahzad |
|
Katy Thornton |
0 |
1 |
Louie McConkey |
 | |
|---|
Round 3
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Louie McConkey |
1 |
0 |
Calum Glendinning |
|
Minaahil Shahzad |
1 |
0 |
Katy Thornton |
 |  |
|---|
Standings
|
Place |
Name |
Year |
School |
Points |
|
1st |
Louie McConkey |
F3 |
Royal School Armagh |
3 |
|
2nd |
Calum Glendinning |
F2 |
Holywood Steiner |
2 |
|
3rd |
Minaahil Shahzad |
F3 |
Rathmore Grammar |
1 |
|
4th |
Katy Thornton |
F1 |
Clounagh Junior High |
0 |
Stormont Elite Chess Tournament – Secondary Upper 2018
Round 1.
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Adam Rushe |
1 |
0 |
Ali Shahzad |
|
Anjali Singh |
½ |
½ |
Samuel Todd |
 |  |
|---|
Round 2
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Adam Rushe |
0 |
1 |
Anjali Singh |
|
Ali Shahzad |
0 |
1 |
Samuel Todd |
 |  |
|---|
Round 3
|
White |
|
|
Black |
|
Samuel Todd |
0 |
1 |
Adam Rushe |
|
Anjali Singh |
1 |
0 |
Ali Shahzad |
 |  |
|---|
Standings
|
Place |
Name |
Year |
School |
Points |
|
1st |
Anjali Singh |
P6 |
Forge Integrated PS |
2 ½ |
|
2nd |
Adam Rushe |
F5 |
Bangor Grammar |
2 |
|
3rd |
Samuel Todd |
L6 |
Bangor Grammar |
1 ½ |
|
4th |
Ali Shahzad |
P6 |
Fullerton House |
0 |
After the tournament we had prize giving. Trophies and beautiful certificates for the Grandprix and certificates for the Elite tournament.
David McAlister (previous Chair of the Ulster Chess Union and the Irish Chess Union) was on hand to give out the prizes.
The shields are for the schools to place in their trophy cabinets and hopefully present to the youngsters in their assemblies.
We had a line of Honour made of Principals, Teachers and founder Dr Graham Murphy. Pupils came up collected their prizes and went down the line of Honour being congratulated by the Principals.
Many thanks to Stephen Kelso (Strandtown PS), Mr Knaggs (Downshire PS), Mrs Fiona Millar (Royal School Armagh), Elizabeth Johnston (Bangor Grammar), Mr Noel Mc Ilvenny (Rathmore Grammar) and Mrs Shirley O'Loughlin (Rathmore Grammar) for attending and supporting their talented youngsters. The pupils and parents really appreciate your presence.
The Winners with their trophies.
David McAlister and Dr Graham Murphy together with Mark Newman founded the series of tournaments which have been running for since 2002.
David McAlister had been running chess tournaments and the chess board contributing considerably to the Ulster and Ireland chess scene. Whilst Dr Graham Murphy ran the Ulster School Chess Council and organised the Schools Chess Leagues and the School Chess Championships. When I came to Northern Ireland I learnt so much from these two bastions of chess. The three of us met at Methodist College and agreed to start running a monthly tournament for Children - to start with Primary and years F1-F3 to cover the transition from Primary to Secondary School and to offer chess for pupils who didnt have a chess club at school. Latter the competition was extended to all years.
For their foundation and development of this tournament each founder was given a small plaque of recognition.
Below two brilliant volunteers - Geoff Hindley and James Fairley with the two winners, Anjali and Aaditya Singh.
Again thanks to Chris Lyttle MLA for such a brilliant event.
