Congratulations to Harry Braine pictured below (right) receiving his trophy from David Fitzsimons IM for winning the Glasnevin Educate Together National School Chess Championship 2022

Congratulations to Yash Singh who has recently won the Chess Player of the Year award in his school, Swords Community College.

Yash Singh, Chess Player of the Year, Swords Community College

The Elm Mount club championships have returned in 2022 after a 2-year gap.

There are 3 all-play-all sections in the 2022 championships with 26 participants in total.

The cross-tables are here and will be updated regularly as games are played over the summer.

Congratulations to Gerard MacElligott who won the Irish 65+ Championship with a score of 5/7. The tournament was held in the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan over 5 days from the 14th to the 18th April. The full cross-table can be seen on the chess results site here.

Cup Competitions
The Leinster Chess Cup competitions have started. Elm Mount have a team in each of the 3 competitions – the Branagan Cup, the Killane Shield and the William Brennan Trophy. All 3 cups are run in a “champions league” format, with teams group sections followed by a knock-out stage.

The Elm Mount team standings in the groups can be followed in the links below – all 3 teams have played their first match.

• Branagan Cup (group C)
• Killane Shield (group B)
• William Brennnan Trophy (group B)

Blitz report
Elm Mount held a blitz on Monday 4th April. There were 2 all-play-all sections, split by rating. The winner of the first section was David Fitzsimons and Donal O Danachair won the second section. Below are photographs of the winners, and the other prie-winners, Ciaran Quinn, Nicu Boldijar and Bren Ó Moráin being presented with their prizes by club secretary,  Pat Fitzsimons.

Elm Mount Chess Club has resumed normal club activities following the lifting of Covid 19 restrictions.

The club is open on monday nights and will be entering teams in the LCU Cup competitions which should be starting in a few weeks and which will see over-the-board matches against other clubs taking place again after a long gap.

On Monday, 14th March, Elm Mount held a blitz competition. There were 2 all-play-all sections and prizes were awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each section. The winners were presented with their prizes by club secretary, Pat Fitzsimons, who also came 2nd in his section.

The prizewinners David Fitzsimons, Nicu Boldjar, Pat Fitzsimons, Aodhaghan O Deasmhúnaigh, Ciaran Quinn and Donal Ó Danachair are pictured below receiving their prizes.

Elm Mount held a 5-minute blitz tournament to celebrate the re-opening of the club after the lifting of the Covid restrictions. 14 players took part, in 2 all-play-all sections. The winners of the 2 sections were Shane Melaugh and Nicu Boldijar. The runners-up in were Zygis Jakubauskas and Ciaran Barry. The prizewinners are pictured below with their prizes.

Congratulations to the prize-winners and to all those who took part and attempted to recover their rusty over-the board chess skills!

Elm Mount held an online Christmas Blitz this year. 11 players took part in a 5-minute Swiss tournament on lichess.

The winner of the tournament was Zygis Jakubauskas with 6.5/7.

Ciaran Quinn finished 2nd and Tomas Bajcar came 3rd.  Full details of the tournament can be seen here.

Hopefully next year’s blitz will be a more traditional over-the-board tournament!

Happy Christmas to all!

Elm Mount chess club reawakened on Monday 1st November for a friendly over-the-board blitz tournament. A 5-round swiss system competition was held. 20 players, old and new, took part in the event and some more came along to watch. Not a single game was drawn throughout the event and at the end, the winner was Shane Melaugh, with 5/5. 4 players finished with 4/5 – Zygis Jakubauskas, Stephen Rush, Gerard MacElligott and Eugene McMorrow. The cross table is shown below. Food was provided after the tournament and an enjoyable time was had by all.

Update at 16th March 2022: The Elm Mount Chess Club has resumed normal club activities following the lifting of Covid 19 Restrictions.

Below is the cross-table:-

A new entry, “The Virus Plays Chess“, has been added to the Chess Pieces section – very appropriate for the times we are in! The item was submitted by Oliver Dunne.

Hopefully we will overcome our current virus opponent and be back playing chess over the board soon!