Irish Club Championships 1997
The top Teams from Leinster and Munster, Crumlin and Waterford, came to the QUB Common Room to compete with the KO Cup winners North Belfast, with Malachians making up the fourth team.
After a tense struggle, especially in the final round, North Belfast Chess Club capped a fine season by winning the Irish Club Championships at their first attempt and will represent Ireland in next year's European Club Championships.
Round 1:
|
North Belfast |
|
Malachians |
|
Crumlin |
|
Waterford |
|
T Clarke |
0:1 |
M Holmes |
|
M Kennedy |
1/2 |
J Aherne |
|
D Houston |
1:0 |
S Morgan |
|
J Hurley |
1:0 |
P Kiely |
|
S Scannell |
1:0 |
D Mallaghan |
|
C Brady |
0:1 |
T Douglas |
|
A Skelton |
1:0 |
P Lambe |
|
L Fagan |
1:0 |
P Constant |
|
D Blair |
1/2 |
B McCaughey |
|
D Smith |
1/2 |
P Quinlan |
|
N Graham |
1/2 |
C Spackman |
|
T Rufli |
1:0 |
B O'Neill |
|
|
4.0:2.0 |
|
|
|
4.0:2.0 |
|
Round 2:
|
North Belfast |
|
Waterford |
|
Malachians |
|
Crumlin |
|
T Clarke |
1:0 |
J Aherne |
|
M Holmes |
0:1 |
M Kennedy |
|
D Houston |
1:0 |
P Keily |
|
G Annesley |
0:1 |
J Hurley |
|
S Scannell |
1/2 |
T Douglas |
|
J McKenna |
0:1 |
C Brady |
|
A Skelton |
1:0 |
P Constant |
|
P Lambe |
1:0 |
L Fagan |
|
D Blair |
1:0 |
P Quinlan |
|
B McCaughey |
1:0 |
D Smith |
|
N Graham |
1:0 |
B O'Neill |
|
C Spackman |
1/2 |
T Rufli |
|
|
5.5:0.5 |
|
|
|
1.5:4.5 |
|
Round 3:
|
North Belfast |
|
Crumlin |
|
Malachians |
|
Waterford |
|
T Clarke |
1:0 |
M Kennedy |
|
M Holmes |
1:0 |
J Aherne |
|
D Houston |
1:0 |
J Hurley |
|
D Mallaghan |
1:0 |
P Keily |
|
S Scannell |
0:1 |
C Brady |
|
J McKenna |
0:1 |
T Douglas |
|
A Skelton |
1:0 |
L Fagan |
|
P Lambe |
0:1 |
P Constant |
|
D Blair |
1/2 |
D Smith |
|
B McCaughey |
1/2 |
P Quinlan |
|
N Graham |
0:1 |
T Rufli |
|
C Spackman |
1:0 |
B O'Neill |
|
|
3.5:2.5 |
|
|
|
3.5:2.5 |
|
Final Table
|
1. |
North Belfast |
13 |
|
2. |
Crumlin |
11 |
|
3. |
Malachians |
7 |
|
4. |
Waterford |
5 |
Many thanks to all the teams who took part especially to Waterford who were forced to travel with only four players, and to Stephen Scannell without whose tireless efforts in organising the teams and last minute replacement players the event would not have taken place.
Stephen Morgan v David Houston, Malachians -v- North Belfast
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 c6 6.Bc4 d5
Despite the fact that this gives black doubled pawns, they are not easy to attack, and the pawn on d4 hinders white's development.
7.exd5 cxd5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Qe2+
White can also try 9.Re1+ Be7 10.Bxd7+ Qxd7 11.b3 and place his bishop on a3 to apply pressure to the e7 bishop or b2 to attack the d4 pawn.
9...Be7 10.Re1 Nf6 11.c3 Bxb5 12.Qxb5+ Qd7 13.Qxd7+
If 13.Qe2 black can safely castle as 13...0-0 14.Qxe7 Rae8 wins for black.
13...Kxd7 14.cxd4
White has won a pawn, but its value is very limited, and black is much better developed.
14...Rhe8!
Threatening to win back the d-pawn with Bc5. White would do best to allow this so as to complete his development, eg 15.d3 Bc5 16.Be3 Bxd4 17.Nc3 Bxe3 18.fxe3 Rac8 19.Rac1 Rc6 with all to play for.
15.Rd1 Rac8! 16.d3
White should try 16.Nc3 Bb4 17.a3 Ba5 18.b4 Bb6 19.Bb2 Bxd4 returning the pawn to complete his development.
16...Rc2 17.Nd2 Bb4 18.Kf1 Ng4 19.h3 Nh2+ 20.Kg1 Re2
21.Nf1
White can win a piece by 21.Nb3 Rxf2 22.Kxh2 Rxg2+ 23.Kh1 Rh2+ 24.Kg1 Rcg2+ 25.Kf1 Rg6! when black will have 3 pawns for the piece and white's king is very exposed.
21...Nxf1 22.Rxf1 Bd2
Simplifying into an endgame advantage.
23.a3 Bxc1 24.Raxc1 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Rxb2 26.Rc3 Kd6?
Better is 26...b6 when white's rook has nowhere to go on the c-file, and is tied down to the defence of d3/a3.
27.h4 Rb1+
Useful to move the white king further away from the a-file.
28.Kh2 a5 29.g4 a4 30.Rc8 Rb3 31.Rh8 Rxa3 32.Rxh7 Rb3!
If 32...Rxd3 33.Rxg7 Rxd4 34.Rg8 when white's rook will be able to get behind the black pawn, and his passed h-pawn give him some chances.
33.Rxg7 a3 34.Rg8 Rb6 35.h5 a2 36.h6 a1Q 37.h7 Rb1 resigns 0-1