Category Archives: Armstrong Cup

Samuel Beckett, contd.

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Sean Coffey

In Samuel Beckett and the Armstrong Cup, I thought I had made an original discovery of Samuel Beckett’s career as a chess player, as chess players would understand the term, in the form of an Armstrong Cup scorecard from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Armstrong Cup, Players, Tournaments | 2 Comments

Armstrong Cup 1901-02: Booterstown and Blackrock

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Sean Coffey

The 1901-02 Armstrong Cup was contested by five teams: Booterstown and Blackrock, Dublin University, Rathmines, Dawson Street, and Calaroga. The competition was set up as a double-round league over eight boards, with match points counting. We have the crosstable above … Continue reading →

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An Armstrong Cup record?

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Sean Coffey

In the last post I mentioned that the 1984-85 season has been up to now one of the most mysterious of all Armstrong seasons. David McAlister’s full roll of honour at irishchesshistory.com contains only the name of Dundrum as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Armstrong Cup, Players | 4 Comments

Armstrong Cup, 1977 and today

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Sean Coffey

This Sunday sees the final round of the Armstrong Cup. Dublin University has been ahead all season, but stumbled slightly recently with a loss to Gonzaga. With a 2-point lead, and with the only other possible winners Elm Mount and … Continue reading →

Posted in Armstrong Cup, Club chess, Players | 2 Comments

Armstrong Cup 1976-77

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Sean Coffey

The Armstrong Cup page has been updated with details of the 1976-77 season. In a close finish U.C.D. retained the cup, fighting off the challenge of Portmarnock, Dublin A, and Collegians. The winning team consisted of Bernard Kernan, Oisín McGuinness, … Continue reading →

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A MacGuffin, a play-off and a foreshadowing

Posted on December 10, 2013 by David McAlister

On the 28th November Edward Winter’s Chess Notes ran a story about a chessplayer called Aaron Sayers who had fallen on hard times and run into a bit of trouble with the law. Mr Winter quoted from the April 1928 edition … Continue reading →

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125 years of the Armstrong Cup

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Sean Coffey

Today (20th October) marks the 125th anniversary of the first ever Armstrong Cup match. The cup was donated by William Armstrong B.L. as a challenge cup “for annual competition by the chess clubs of Dublin”. Its first season was 1888-89, … Continue reading →

Posted in Armstrong Cup, News, Tournaments | 3 Comments

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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P.J. Laracy, Philip Baker and the 1927 Leinster Championship

Posted on May 7, 2012 by David McAlister

When compiling the Roll of Honour for the Leinster Championship, there was a particularly tricky decision to make about the 1927 renewal. There was evidence pointing towards two possible candidates. They were Philip Baker, champion the previous year (and also … Continue reading →

Posted in Armstrong Cup, Irish championships, Leinster championships, Players, Tournaments | 1 Comment

A neat finish: Lewis-Duffy, Armstrong Cup 1958

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Sean Coffey

From the Armstrong Cup 1958-59, W. Lewis – N. Duffy, Dublin-Phibsboro, board 6, played in late 1958 (and, by the way, not in the ICU games archive or other databases): In the diagrammed position Black sealed. It looks as though … Continue reading →

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