Category Archives: Games

Johannesburg 1955, contd.

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Following up on David’s recent post on Wolfgang Heidenfeld’s outstanding result in Johannesburg 1955, a tournament report has been added here, including all games from the event. Heidenfeld’s result, finishing joint first in the event, ahead of Max Euwe in … Continue reading →

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Irish Championship 1973, continued

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Sean Coffey

At the end of 2017, David McAlister posted here on his reconstruction of the 1973 Irish championship, held in Cork and won by Hugh MacGrillen. A total of 9 of the 81 games were available. I’m delighted to report that … Continue reading →

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A game in a thousand

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Sean Coffey

The Irish Championship 1991 featured a spectacular game between the brothers Niall and Gerard McDonnell. Where the average interesting game might have one or two critical points of interest, this game had a dozen at the very least. It featured … Continue reading →

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Horace Curzon Plunkett and the Oxford-Cambridge matches

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Horace Curzon Plunkett played for Oxford University in four Oxford v. Cambridge ‘Varsity’ matches, in the years 1874 to 1877. The very first such match had been held in 1873, at the invitation and venue of the City of London … Continue reading →

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Horace Plunkett and the Parliamentary Cable Match, 1897

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Sean Coffey

In 1897, the British House of Commons played a challenge match by cable against the U.S. House of Representatives. The top two boards on the House of Commons side were filled by players from Irish constituencies: the then Hon. Horace … Continue reading →

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Li – Williams, 4NCL Online 2020

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Sean Coffey

The 4NCL Online event launched last month, and the first round Henry Li, playing board 1 for the Gonzaga B team (“Gonzaga B Sharps”), had White against Simon Williams. The game reached a rook ending in which Black was two … Continue reading →

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Littleton – Ludgate, Irish Championship 1978

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Going into the penultimate round in the 1978 Irish championship, Alan Ludgate led the field, half a point ahead of Colm Barry and Eugene Curtin, and a full point ahead of Conor Barrington and Michael Littleton. In round 8, Ludgate … Continue reading →

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McDaid – Ludgate, Irish Championship 1978

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Another critical moment in the 1978 Irish championship came in round 3, when Alan Ludgate had Black against Adrian McDaid. In a complex struggle, chances were around equal until quite late on, when an error from McDaid caused his position … Continue reading →

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Clarke – Ludgate, Irish Championship 1978

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Sean Coffey

One of the critical games of the entire Irish championship in 1978 occurred in the opening round, when Tom Clarke had the white pieces against the top seed Alan Ludgate. Clarke built up a large advantage, turned down a draw … Continue reading →

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A puzzle solved

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Sean Coffey

Three years ago, when a report on the Bunratty Masters 2006 was posted here, I asked how on earth White could have recovered from the diagrammed position, where Black has just played 31… Qh3 (How?, February 28, 2017). Van Voorthuijsen … Continue reading →

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