Galway Junior Chess

On Saturday 7th March at 12.00 noon the time trials for Irelands first chess mega-minds closes, and with only 1 week of qualifying remaining .. here are the players in pole position: .. there is still time for players to score well and earn an invite to the finals.

The final will be on a school day (March 23rd), with registration at 10.30am – aiming to start at 11.00 am.  Each contestant will solve 10 puzzles in a puzzle book that they will receive on the day.  We’ll then show the answers to the “Primary Schools” and “Secondary schools puzzles”  ..

At 12.00 pm  we’ll pair up for a giant Swap-chess competition while the puzzle books are checked and points added up .. there are trophies for 1st , 2nd & 3rd in each age group and there will be medals for all the qualifiers.

A great days chess is getting closer and closer !!

The ICU select players to represent Ireland at international competitions each year based a players “ICU Rating”  ..

To get an ICU rating juniors would play and ideally win ICU competitions .. the next one is this w/e in Bunratty.

Happily one of Galway player has made the panel for the U-12 Irish team, here are the panels.  Denis will learn from Ireland’s top Masters as a result of doing well in ICU’s events and has the chance to make an Ireland team if the next couple of events go well.

Good luck to Denis and all our other players entering the Bunratty congress ( 2oth – 22nd Feb).

This year we’ll hold the event on one day only in Monin na gCiseach Community College on the 4th March, 2015.  This event is to find the best secondary school teams in the province.

The winners of this event will go forward to represent Connaught at the All-Ireland Schools finals.  Please register by email by 24th February .. to brendan@chessossity.com

Schools teams entered: (1) St. Geralds Castlebar, (2) Colaiste Bhaile Clair, (3) Monin na gCiseach , …

We’d a competition with lots of new players .. ..and some familiar faces too.  Here’s how the results went;

The Beginner section was won by Andrew Finnerty (Senior Infants in scoil Ide) with 4 points, followed Harvey Hickey (from Knicknacarra) on 3.5pts and in 3rd was Oisin O’Donal of Galway Junior club.

In the Improvers section both Tom Kelly and Eamonn El Hadi (Bushy Park N.S.) finished on 5 outta 6 points, Eamonn took 1st place in a blitz play-off.  In 3rd place was Lorcan Small with another great score of 4.5 points.  Well done !

Training Day – For teenagers and tournament players.  In the morning we played endgame positions from  specially selected Grandmaster games.  With the a good mornings work done after lunch we organised an all-play-all blitz event  .. a little social chess.

white to move  We’ll be playing training games like this one on Sat. 7th at the Brg Club, details below.

To start the new  year we’re having our normal Junior event (for beginners improvers) ..  And we’ve a new training day to support U-16’s Community Games teams, Secondary school teams and ICU tournament players  .. below are the details of both events: Any Questions email – brendan@chessossity.com

Breaking News ..  in 2015

1. 8th Jan - winter rapid  .. see Senior club page.
2. Kings of Connaught cup –  taking entries Now –>  Jan 21st.
3. Chess mega-mind event is open Now –>  7th March.

4.  Chess club and schools start back from the 12th Jan.  ..In the  Leinster Junior championships  .. click here .. for a Galway winner in the U-12 section.

Saturday 6th Dec.  2014 ..  “Swap” Chess Results:

Overall 1st (on 6 out of 6 points were)  Jose Sanchez  &  Conor Coogan  (Jnr. chess club).. and 2nd (on 5/6pts.) were Oliver Kelly  &  Eamon Al Hadi  (Bushy Pk. sch.).

All the following places were decided by play-offs :   in 3rd place .. Iannis Praxmerer  &  Tom Kelly  (Bushy Pk. sch.), in 4th place were ..  Bryna Milton  &  Aisling Murphy  (Clairnbridge n.s),.. and 5th went to Rauiri Blanchard  &  Sean O’Lee (Knocknacarra gael scoil) just ahead of brothers Oisin and Colm Noone (Claregalway).

Wishing everyone a good Christmas.

This months winners in the Advanced Section were ..  The winner was Denis Ruchko, and never far from the top in 2nd it’s Andrejs Koslovs , in 3rd place was Lauren McMahon from the famous Briarhill chess team.

And Successful in the Improvers Section were .. In 1st place  Amy McMahon shows that the junior twins are just as talented as their older sisters, 2nd was Stephen Ryan (one of the top performers on Chessossity) and in 3rd was young Owen Silke from Claregalway.

Our series of 1 day competitions for juniors continues at the Bridge club on St. Mary’s rd.  .. we’ll be in action from 1pm to 5pm.