Category Archives: Tournaments

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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Two small miracles

Posted on September 17, 2025 by David McAlister

Philidor Cup, Hyères 1928 A total of 45 games were played in the tournament but unfortunately we have so far succeeded in finding only one brilliant game from the 2nd round, when M. Duchamp crushed the last player E.H. Smith. … Continue reading →

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Ulster championships 2025

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Sean Coffey

The Ulster championships 2025 were held in Lisburn C.C. over the August Bank Holiday weekend, August 23-25. Apparently there was a last-minute change of venue after the usual Queen’s University location fell through, and this caused entries to be limited. … Continue reading →

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De Búrca or Cranston again, and other Warsaw reverberations

Posted on August 30, 2025 by David McAlister

“At the time I was 22 years old and easily the youngest member of the Irish team. Cranston, Creevey and O’Hanlon were already veterans of the chess-board; so that Ireland’s team had the doubtful distinction of being the oldest, in … Continue reading →

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Irish Championship 2025

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Sean Coffey

The Irish Championship started on Saturday in Ennis, and has today reached the two thirds stage. A preliminary report has been added to the Tournament pages here. Initially entries were slow to arrive, and it seemed the event might follow … Continue reading →

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O’Hanlon at Cambridge 1932

Posted on August 5, 2025 by David McAlister

Throughout his career, J.J. O’Hanlon would send a selection of his game scores to the editors of Irish chess columns, frequently with his own annotations appended. Here we present the result of one such offering, as described by T.P. Donnegan … Continue reading →

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Armstrong Cup 1932-33

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Sean Coffey

Four teams contested the Armstrong Cup in 1932-33: Sackville (holders), Dublin, Blackrock, and Colmcille. Matches were over eight boards, each team played each of the others home and away, and only overall match results counted. Sackville and Dublin had dominated … Continue reading →

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European School Championships 2024

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Sean Coffey

Last year Ireland hosted the European School Championships at the University of Limerick (May 31-June 7). This was a major undertaking, comprising 12 tournaments (U17, U15, U13, U11, U9, and U7 in both Open and Girls categories), with 191 players … Continue reading →

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Gerard Kerlin, and the 1942 Champions’ Chess Tourney

Posted on July 1, 2025 by David McAlister

On the 25th of August 1969 Albert Long, Honorary Secretary of the Ulster Chess Union, wrote to Brenda Kerlin about her brother Gerard. In the letter, by way of introduction, he indicated that he had been given her address by … Continue reading →

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