Author Archives: Sean Coffey

Flannery – Kennefick, West of Ireland Open 1976

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Sean Coffey

Here’s another game of Maurice Kennefick’s (missing up to now from the ICU games archive) from the inaugural West of Ireland Open in 1976. (This series of events was held in Galway from 1976 to around 1980.) CHESS (Sutton Coldfield) … Continue reading →

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March 2019 update

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Sean Coffey

The games archive has been updated with Irish games from approximately the last six months of The Week in Chess, and sundry other sources. The tournaments covered include the Batumi Olympiad & Women’s Olympiad, the European Club Cup 2018, the … Continue reading →

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Bunratty Masters 2019, contd.

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Sean Coffey

The report on the Bunratty Masters 2019 mentioned in the last post had only the 36 games that were available from live boards. The organizers have now made available the full set of 151 games (excellent job; I hope this … Continue reading →

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Bunratty Masters 2019

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Sean Coffey

The Bunratty Festival concludes today. A report on the Masters, including 36 games that were broadcast live, has been added to the tournament section here. The winner was Luke McShane, for his second title; the first was when he won … Continue reading →

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Maurice Kennefick 1946-2018

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Sean Coffey

Maurice Kennefick, who was one of Munster’s strongest players in the 1960’s and 1970’s before switching to a long and successful playing career in bridge, died on December 31, 2018. Maurice Kennefick, circa 2011 He played in 7 Irish championships … Continue reading →

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Williamson Shield 2019

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Sean Coffey

The Williamson Shield took place last weekend in Belfast (Maynard Sinclair Pavilion) (9 players, 6 rounds, 1st Gábor Horváth). A report has been added to the Tournaments pages here.

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Karsten Müller on Adair – Fitzsimons

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Sean Coffey

Karsten Müller has a puzzle this week at ChessBase.com that features an Irish game. As with the last post, this features David Fitzsimons and a missed draw, but this time he was on the wrong side of it. See if … Continue reading →

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An instructive ending

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Sean Coffey

In the diagrammed position, taken from the game between David Fitzsimons and Peter Cafolla in the 2010 Irish championship, it is Black to play. Fitzsimons – Cafolla, Irish Championship 2010 47… ? At the end of the event Peter commented … Continue reading →

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A New Year’s game: Armstrong-Dix, 1897

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Sean Coffey

Previous posts here have discussed William Armstrong B. L. (1848-1899), the donor of the Armstrong Cup. He donated the Cup in 1888, but left the running of it to others, and doesn’t seem to have played in it himself. For … Continue reading →

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Irish Championship 1996

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Sean Coffey

A report on the 1996 Irish championship has been added to the Irish championships page here. This was the year when the championship ended in a three-way tie, with Richard O’Donovan winning his first, and so far only, title over … Continue reading →

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