Author Archives: Sean Coffey

FIDE ratings

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Sean Coffey

The FIDE ratings page here, which shows the highest FIDE ratings achieved by Irish players, ranked in descending order, has been updated to account for the May and June 2023 lists. Conor Murphy moved from 2450 to 2454 in May … Continue reading →

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Delaney – Ludgate, Irish Championship 1983

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Sean Coffey

The position in the puzzle set in the last post is from the last round game between John Delaney and Alan Ludgate in the Irish Championship 1983. It arose just after the time control, but as it was the last … Continue reading →

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1… Kc_, ?

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Sean Coffey

In the following position, it’s Black to play. How should he continue? To narrow it down, suppose that his next move is to play the king to the c-file. Where should it go, and why? 1… Kc_, ? The solution … Continue reading →

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Irish Championship 1983

Posted on May 20, 2023 by Sean Coffey

The Irish Championship in 1983 was held, for the first and so far only time ever, in Castlebar. With continued sponsorship from IBM, the event attracted a large field of 32, including almost all of the top players in the … Continue reading →

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Thomas Bewley 1926-2022

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Sean Coffey

Thomas Bewley, who died aged 95 last June, was a highly distinguished psychiatrist who had a major impact on the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction, as noted by extensive obituaries in the Irish Times, Guardian, Telegraph, and Times, amongst … Continue reading →

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Proved or not proved?

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Sean Coffey

The Irish Championship 1997 came down to the final game between Anthony Fox and Stephen Brady. A win for Brady would leave him tied with Joe Ryan for first, on the astounding score of 8½/9, thus sharing the title, while … Continue reading →

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Cafolla – McCarthy, Irish Championship 1999

Posted on April 12, 2023 by Sean Coffey

Peter Cafolla’s round 3 game against Jim McCarthy in the Irish Championship 1999 reached the diagrammed position at move 25. Cafolla – McCarthy, Irish Championship 1999 (3) 25. ? Black’s last move 24… Rf8-d8? turns out to be an error … Continue reading →

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O’Connell – Daly, Irish Championship 1999

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Sean Coffey

In the Irish Championship 1999, defending champion Colm Daly had some difficulties at the beginning of the event, drawing in round 2 against Gerard O’Connell and then losing in round 3 against Jonathan O’Connor. His 5½/6 in the remaining games … Continue reading →

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Greer – Orr, Irish Championship 1985

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Sean Coffey

In the 1985 Irish Championship, contemporary reports said that Mark Orr was in serious danger in only one game: his round five encounter with 17-year-old Kieran Greer. After Black’s 21… g6, the position in the first diagram was reached. How … Continue reading →

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Irish Championship 1985

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Sean Coffey

A report on the Irish Championship 1985 has been added to the tournament pages here. The event was held in Dublin, at Ardscoil Rís on Griffith Avenue, from July 6-14, 1985. 30 players took part, including defending champion Eugene Curtin, … Continue reading →

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