Category Archives: Simuls

More games from Lilienthal’s 1935 Dublin simul

Posted on March 4, 2026 by David McAlister

In one of the earliest posts on IRLchess, in Lilienthal in Dublin, we recounted his visit to the city in 1935. That post featured a game from his simultaneous exhibition won by Barry St. John Galvin. More recently in Austin … Continue reading →

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Austin Bourke: Margate 1935

Posted on September 25, 2025 by David McAlister

From 1935 to 1939 the Kent County Chess Association staged five Congresses at or near Easter, until the Second World War put an end to the series. Many of the elite players of the period played in the Premier section, … Continue reading →

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Austin Bourke: First Steps

Posted on September 25, 2025 by David McAlister

Bourke, Patrick Martin Austin (1913–95), meteorologist and historian, was born 10 May 1913 in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, second son of Patrick M. Bourke, stationmaster, and Clare Bourke (née O’Sullivan). He was educated at Mount Sion CBS, Waterford, and UCC, where he was … Continue reading →

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Sonja Graf – Part 4: A Bewitching Visit to Cork

Posted on August 22, 2025 by David McAlister

The Evening Echo for Saturday 9th February 1935 gave Sonja Graf the big build-up, with some impressive evidence to back it up. TO VISIT CORK. FRAULEIN SONJA GRAF. Up to recently, Fraulein Wally Henschel (Hamburg) was the sole, and none … Continue reading →

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Sonja Graf – Part 2: Simultaneity, Dancing and Blitzing

Posted on August 22, 2025 by David McAlister

The Evening Herald in its 2nd February 1935 edition reported on Sonja Graf’s imminent arrival and gave a brief preview of her likely engagements. The German lady chess champion, Fraulein Sonja Graf, who will arrive in Dublin this (Saturday) evening, … Continue reading →

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Korchnoi in Newtownards

Posted on May 21, 2024 by David McAlister

Mike Clarke left a comment to our post Korchnoi and the car about William Collins, and more specifically sought information about Viktor Korchnoi’s simultaneous exhibition at Newtownards in early February 1981. From 1982 to 1993 Collins authored a highly-regarded chess … Continue reading →

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Chandler – MacRéamoinn, Dundrum simul 1984

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Murray Chandler’s visit to Ireland in January 1984 saw him play four large simuls in as many days, in Dundrum, Trinity, Skerries, and Cork. In the opening event, at Dundrum C.C. on January 18, 1984, Chandler won 24 or 25 … Continue reading →

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Chandler – O’Connor, Trinity simul 1984

Posted on September 19, 2020 by Sean Coffey

John Saunders’ BritBase site has a newly added collection of Murray Chandler’s games 1973-1989, featuring 1,594 games played during those years. This includes several hundred new games keyed in from scans of scoresheets provided by Chandler, as well as additional … Continue reading →

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Capablanca on Irish chess

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Sean Coffey

Capablanca scored +27 =12 -1 and +37 =2 -1 in his two Dublin simuls, on December 4 and December 5, 1919, respectively. Shortly afterwards, he recorded his impressions of Irish chess, in a letter to the Irish Statesman: ‘Señor Capablanca … Continue reading →

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Sir Horace Plunkett, P.C.

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Sean Coffey

The “Privy Council” is in the headlines all of a sudden; though the link from this to Irish chess is a very slight one, it leads to a very interesting character in Irish chess, and indeed in Irish history. Sir … Continue reading →

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