Ulster Chess Union

This event attracted 32 players, including four past and present Ulster champions. Top seed Tom Clarke was the only player with full points after three rounds but then losses in the next two rounds to Steve Scannell and Richard McMaster put him out of contention. Going into the final round Scannell and McMaster, who had drawn with each other in Round 3, were in the lead with 4½ points, with Nicholas Pilkiewicz next on 4. McMaster had on paper the easiest task of the three leaders in the last round, being rated over 400 points better than his opponent Tony Parker, but in the end he had a very hard struggle before scoring the full point. North Belfast team-mates Scannell and Pilkiewicz were paired against each other and it was the latter who eventually won in a game that went down to the last minute of the playing session.

Leading final scores: 1^st Richard McMaster 5½/6; 2^nd Nicholas Pilkiewicz 5; 3^rd equal Steve Scannell and Neil Fisher (who had an excellent last round win against former Ulster champion Michael Holmes) 4½ (Scannell took the 3^rd place prize on tie-break but Fisher had the consolation of winning the under 1800 rating prize); 5^th equal Tom Clarke, Kieran Greer, David Robb and Mark Newman 4; 9^th equal Michael Holmes, Des Moreland, Tony Parker (who took the under 1650 rating prize), Stephen McCann and Alan Burns 3½.

Although the tournament was run in one section the Junior (under 1450) competitors had their own prize list and here David Collins and Ian Woodfield shared 1^st with 3 points with David O’Donnell taking 3^rd prize on 2½.

1. R. McMASTER 5.5

2. N. PILKIEWICZ 5

3-4. S. SCANNELL, N. FISHER 4.5

5-8. T. CLARKE, K. GREER, D. ROBB, M. NEWMAN 4

9-13. M. HOLMES, D. MORELAND, T. PARKER S. McCANN, A. BURNS 3.5

14-20. D. MALLAGHAN, J. STRAWBRIDGE, P. McLOUGHLIN, J. McLEAN, D. BARLOW, D. COLLINS, I. WOODFIELD 3

21-24. A. COOTES, S. McCONAGHY, W. STOREY, D. O'DONNELL 2.5

25-30. G. ANNESLEY, C. DUNLEAVY. E. MORGAN, J. CLIFFORD, R.TRIGGS, S. LINTON 2

31. J. CAHOON 1

32. J. WOODFIELD 0

This continuous tournament was played on Monday nights at the Fisherwick Club throughout the winter and finished on the 10^th April. Run on similar lines to the summer tournament at Civil Service, players had to play at least 12 games and compete on 2 out of the last 3 nights. The winning percentages were:

Steve Scannell scored 8½ out of 10 (W8 L1 D1) but did not play enough games to qualify for a prize. 19 competed, all but 3 playing at least the minimum number of games required.

Richard McMaster had the idea of bringing together Ulster’s top players in a matchplay format. Originally planned to be run on a knock-out basis, the event was changed into a double round all-play-all. Each player had half an hour on his clock and some hard fought and fascinating chess was produced in what is probably the strongest rapidplay event ever held in Ulster.

Hoping to preserve the two bishops.

Almost certainly losing the d-pawn. 10...Nd8 is probably better.

Wasting a move - but the black-squared bishop has few alternatives.

Hoping to attack the semi-backward e-pawn and also possibly the potential attack on the b-pawn.

Black has nothing else - the d-pawn is lost and now White is better.

Not 20.Rd2 because of 20...Bd3 recovering the pawn.

Probably the winning move.

The only chance.

Avoiding the 7.Qd2 e5 8.d5 Nd4 lines or 7...e5 8.Qd2 exd4 9.Nxd4 Ne5 lines.

10...b5 is possible as well.

Anything else is good for White. Although Black loses a pawn, paradoxically, he comes out better! It would probably be called a gambit, along the lines of other Nd4 King's Indian lines. Combined with the later sacrifice, which White declines, Black's position becomes very powerful.

14.dxc6 bxc6³

15.gxh5 Nxh5³.

White has nothing better. I would like to play 16.f4 and nearly did so here until I saw 16...Bxc3 and 17...Rxe4³.

17.0–0 fails to 17...Qd7

Thematic and good.

Again White wants to play 18.f4 but it is still premature.

There are some lines in this opening where 18...bxc4 is not good. Here, however, it is probably best.

During the game (and until now!) I thought 20.Nf2 was a mistake, thinking after 20...a4 21.f4 Ng4 Black was better. I completely overlooked 20.Nf2 covers g4 as well as e4. This means 20.f4 is a mistake.

Black doesn't take advantage of White's 20.f4. 21...Bxg4! is better, with perhaps an unclear position.

White is now probably better.

An horrendous oversight. I looked at the position for a couple of minutes and thought I had no choice and played 25.Ka1 missing 25.Rxf5! and 26.fxg7².

Not 28.Bg5 Qxg5 29.hxg5 Rc1 mate.

32.Nxf5 Rxd2 33.Nxg7 Rxf2 wins for Black.

Probably a time pressure mistake forgetting about the bishop. In simple terms, a losing blunder.

Both P. McMahon and D. Path received a ½ point bye in Round 1.

There were 38 competitors in this event which was run in a single section but there were separate prize funds for Senior, Intermediate and Junior players.

1. R. McMASTER 5.5

2. M. HOLMES 5

3-5. T. CLARKE, S. SCANNELL AND B. JAMISON 4.5

6-8. K. GREER D. ROBB AND D. MALLAGHAN 4

9-17. J. STRAWBRIDGE, G. ANNESLEY, A. PINKERTON, M. NEWMAN, T. BECKETT, D. O'DONNELL, B. O'NEILL, S. McCONAGHY AND D. LAVERY 3.5

18-21. T. PARKER, S. LYNN, J. WOODFIELD AND N. PILKIEWICZ (withdrew after 5 rounds) 3

22-28. W. STOREY, J. CLARKE, J. McLEAN, P. McLOUGHLIN, J. ORCHIN, D. CUNNINGHAM AND F. MARLOWE 2.5

29-33. D. GRAY, I. WOODFIELD, C. BLACK, D. COLLINS AND S. LINTON 2

34. N. TODD

35-36 J. CAHOON AND A. BECKETT (withdrew after 3 rounds)

37-38. A. XAIO (withdrew after 3 rounds) AND S. MCCANN (withdrew after 3 rounds)

SENIOR: 1ST RICHARD MCMASTER;; 2ND MICHAEL HOLMES; 3RD EQUAL TOM CLARKE AND STEVE SCANNELL. GRADING PRIZE (UNDER 1900) BRENDAN JAMISON.

INTERMEDIATE: 1ST EQUAL TONY BECKETT STUART MCCONAGHY BRENDAN O'NEILL AND JOHN STRAWBRIDGE. GRADING PRIZE (UNDER 1600) WILLIAM STOREY (ON TIE-BREAK).

JUNIOR: 1ST EQUAL DAVID O'DONNELL AND DAMIEN LAVERY; 3RD SAM LYNN. GRADING PRIZE (UNDER 1250) JONATHAN WOODFIELD.