Category Archives: Games

Kononova – Naughton, Ennis Open 2024

The last post gave Kononova – Naughton as the most interesting game of the Ennis Open 2024. Kononova – Naughton, Ennis Open 202452. ? From the diagrammed position, 52. c6 wins easily. Instead the mysterious 52. Rc1? wasted a crucial … Continue reading

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Harding – Reynolds, Irish 65+ Championship 2024

The Irish 65+ Championship 2024 round 6 game between Tim Harding and Pat Reynolds reached the diagrammed position with White to play. Harding – Reynolds, Irish 65+ Championship 202448. ? While 48. Qe5 would leave White much better, the game … Continue reading

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Galvin – Plotkin, Irish Universities v Scottish Universities match 1968

The recent update here on Irish championship players added first names for many players. One of these was Roddy Galvin, who played in the 1967 championship in Cork. No games of his are currently in the ICU games archive. However, … Continue reading

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Doyle – Ward, Hastings Major C 1933-34

James J. Doyle was a long-time stalwart of Dublin C.C., playing on Armstrong Cup-winning teams spanning at least the 1921-22 to 1949-50 seasons, and was Leinster champion in 1925. He was also a regular at tournaments at Margate and Hastings. … Continue reading

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A great escape

Steffen Slumstrup Nielsen is the current World Champion of Study Composition, and co-author, with Jacob Aagaard, of the freshly published book Endgame Labyrinths. He also has an account on X (formerly Twitter) that features many interesting studies and other curiosities. … Continue reading

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Jessel – O’Donnell, Plancoët Open 2014

Stephen Jessel and Conor O’Donnell competed in the strong Plancoët Open 2014, finishing with 6/9 and 5½/9 respectively. They met in round 8, in a game of changing fortunes. The first diagram shows one interesting moment. Jessel – O’Donnell, Plancoët … Continue reading

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Fox – D. Nolan, Irish Championship 2023

Among the many interesting moments in the recently concluded Irish Championship was the following from the encounter between Anthony Fox and Dermot Nolan in round 6. Fox – D. Nolan, Irish Championship 202353. ? I was following the game live, … Continue reading

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Irish players at the 1948-49 Hastings Congress

The 24th annual international Xmas congress of the Hastings Chess Club was officially opened at 3.45 p.m. on Thursday December 30th, 1948 by Neil Cooper-Key Esq., M.P. for Hastings, supported by the Mayor and other important members of the municipality. … Continue reading

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From the Galway Blitz 2023

The (first?) Galway Blitz Championship, held last Saturday, attracted a field of 87 players, who contested 18 rounds. Tarun Kanyamarala finished first on 15½, ahead of Jacob Flynn on 15 and Oleg Gubanov on 14½. (See full results.) The top … Continue reading

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Delaney – Ludgate, Irish Championship 1983

The position in the puzzle set in the last post is from the last round game between John Delaney and Alan Ludgate in the Irish Championship 1983. It arose just after the time control, but as it was the last … Continue reading

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