Category Archives: Puzzles

Another queen sacrifice

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Sean Coffey

A while back we had a queen sacrifice from Oliver Dunne that was A la Morphy. Oliver has submitted another game, for which many thanks, this time from a Heidenfeld match last weekend. And it’s another queen sacrifice! In the … Continue reading →

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J.C. Hickey

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Sean Coffey

The answer to Sunday’s puzzle is John C. Hickey. I said it was a hard puzzle, and indeed I’ll bet most readers will be unfamiliar with the name. But he had quite a distinguished career in both over-the-board and correspondence … Continue reading →

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Who?

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Sean Coffey

Can anyone identify this Irish player? Some clues: (a) he won several national championships (b) he played in a zonal tournament in 1957 (c) he played Armstrong Cup chess for Phibsboro. Warning: hard! The picture is shown with permission, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos, Puzzles | 1 Comment

Francis Burden

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Sean Coffey

From a player profile on David McAlister’s Ulster Chess History website, citing the Weekly Northern Whig, 11 June 1914: An Eminent Belfast Chess Player Among the foremost British chess players of the sixties was Francis Burden, who was born in … Continue reading →

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Who?

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Sean Coffey

No Irish player has ever beaten a reigning world champion. (In a regular game, that is, leaving aside simuls.) Even victories over future or past world champions have been very rare: half a dozen or so in all. One such … Continue reading →

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August

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Sean Coffey

Two posts back I said that we were in a lull at the senior level. It seems I spoke too soon, as this month several enterprising players have had a busy tournament schedule outside Ireland. 79 games are available, including: … Continue reading →

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Black to play and win

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Sean Coffey

As the title says: Black to play and win. (N.B. If you’d like to try it as an exercise, don’t read any further for now: the answer is given below.) This is from a game of Joe Ryan’s (White), played … Continue reading →

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From Cork 2013

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Sean Coffey

TWIC 963 had 23 games from the Cork Masters 2013, now all posted in the games archive. In the second round, local player and newly minted Irish U-19 champion Hugh Doyle was up against Alexander Baburin, and reached the following … Continue reading →

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An Armstrong puzzle

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Sean Coffey

Black to play: how do you evaluate the consequences of 19. … f4!? This is from the game Oliver Dunne-Eoghan Casey, Elm Mount v. Gonzaga, Armstrong Cup 1999-2000. (Thanks to Oliver for supplying it.)

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Disinformator 42

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Sean Coffey

It has been an unusually eventful couple of weeks in Irish chess, with one of the closest (relegation) finishes ever in the Armstrong Cup on Sunday last, and the second e2e4 Dublin Masters beginning today. More on those items later … Continue reading →

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