“In the tightest finish for several years, three players tied for first at the Morris Insulations Irish Senior championship in Dublin last weekend. Final round wins by Tom Clarke (black against Mark Heidenfeld), Richard O'Donovan (black against Gerry O'Connell) and Colm Daly (white against overnight leader Mark Quinn) left the three victors on 6.5/9 half-a-point clear of the field. On tiebreak, the official 1996 Irish champion is Richard O'Donovan who had a remarkable tournament starting with five straight wins, then losing two games in a row before recovering to post a draw and a win in the concluding rounds. The surprise champion also picked up the best game prize for his win against Heidenfeld. Tom Clarke opted for a different route to shared first starting modestly but finishing with four straight wins. His welcome return to form included an important novelty in the French Defence Advance Variation used to victorious effect against this correspondent and a fascinating endgame struggle in which he prevailed over co-winner O'Donovan. Finally, and not before time, Colm Daly managed to get his name on the trophy after a protracted bout of strategic attrition against number one seed Mark Quinn in the last game of the tournament to finish. Nineteen-year-old Quinn will undoubtedly have his day in years to come while Daly has gone a long way to banishing the ghosts of previous years notably 1993 when the title slipped out of his hands in the seventh hour.

RESULTS: Morris Insulations Irish Senior Championship, July 6-14, Dublin.
 Jt lst R.O'Donovan 2215
 T.Clarke 2225
 C.Daly 2295 6.5/9
 
 3rd-4th M.Quinn 2350
 S.Brady 2305 6
 
 5th-6th M.Heidenfeld 2320
 M.O'Cinneide 2265 5.5
 
 7-11 A.Smith 2265
 J.Hurley 2205 5
 D.McMahon 2260
 G.O'Connell 2145 5
 
 12-13 J.Ryan 2265 4.5
 13 C.O'Shau'nessy 2260 4.5
 
 25 competed.”

—John Hurley, TWIC 92