Watson – Barry, Glorney Cup 1978

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Sean Coffey

I mentioned last week that I had the idea that I had overlapped with Paul Motwani in Glorney Cups. This reminded me that David McAlister sent me the full tournament book for the Glorney and Faber Cups in 1978 some considerable time back (for which many thanks). That was my début year, and sure enough, Paul Motwani played for Scotland that year:

Glorney and Faber Cup teams, 1978

Glorney and Faber Cup teams, 1978

That was a great year for Ireland in the Faber Cup, but that will require a separate post to do it justice.

Players are listed in alphabetical order. In board order, the Irish Glorney team was Eugene Curtin, Colm Barry, Keith Allen, John Delaney, Eddie O’Reilly, and then myself and John Kennedy (of Belfast) splitting board six and reserve. England (23) edged Holland (22) for first, Scotland (16½) were third, Ireland (14) fourth, Wales (8) fifth, and France (who only sent three players) last on 6½.

However, Ireland’s 4-2 loss against England was a moral victory of sorts, in that Ireland’s points came from wins on the top two boards, Eugene Curtin winning against Julian Hodgson, and Colm Barry winning against William Watson. Has this ever happened before or since?

Colm Barry’s win made a strong impression:

Watson - Barry, Glorney Cup 1978
Watson – Barry, Glorney Cup 1978 (4.2)
25… ?

White has just erred with 25. Qd1-c1?, and Colm now uncorked 25… Nc3!!?, with themes of forks on e2, after exchanging rooks. The finish was 26. Rxe7 Qxe7 27. Qb2 Nce2+ 28. Kf1 Ng3+ 29. Kg1 Nge2+ 30. Kf1 Nxd4 31. Re1 Nfe2 0-1.

Alas! The spectacular 25… Nc3!!? is not best, and it turns out that White could have wriggled out to near-equality. How, and what should Black have played instead?

For the answer, see the full game.

[Update, January 25, 2022: I have also added the board 1 game, Curtin – Hodgson. Eugene was heading for the better side of a draw, when Julian Hodgson blundered.]

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Irish New Year IM Norm Event 1 2020

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Sean Coffey

Two years ago, a GM norm event and two IM norm events were held in parallel at the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan. Only the GM norm event had a report posted here; the other two have been listed as “pending” for the past two years. A report has finally been posted for the first IM norm event.

Killian Delaney and Tarun Kanyamarala tied for first with 6½/9. Each just missed an IM norm, for which 7 was necessary; Killian missed out only by letting a winning ending slip in his last round game against Björn Ahlander. However, he achieved a live rating of 2300 either during the event or very close to it (the order in which games are rated is not that straightforward to reconstruct), and thereby qualified for the FM title.

The encounter between the two joint winners produced another interesting ending. In the diagrammed position, Tarun (White, to play) did not find the best continuation, and the game ended in a draw.

Kanyamarala - Delaney, Irish New Year IM Norm Event 1 2020
Kanyamarala – Delaney, Irish New Year IM Norm Event 1 2020 (5)
36. ?

What should he have played here? I think it is no exaggeration to say in this case that the solution is “study-like”.

For the solution, see the full game.

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Murphy – Fitzsimons, Irish New Year GM 2022

Posted on January 15, 2022 by Sean Coffey

Here is another interesting ending from the recent Irish New Year GM Norm Event:

Murphy - Fitzsimons, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022
Murphy – Fitzsimons, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022 (3)
76. ?

Conor Murphy rejected 76. Kf2, presumably because 76… g5 77. fxg5 fxg5 78. hxg5 Kxg5 79. Kf3 h4 80. g4 h3 is drawn.

But in fact White has a startling resource here: after 76. Kf2 g5 77. Ke3!!, White wins. For example, after 77… gxh4 78. gxh4 Kxh4 79. Kf3!, White has all the time in the world to bring the knight back.

If the knight stood at d8 instead of a8, this would be the only way to win. As it is, both knight moves from the diagrammed position should win. The game continued 76. Nb6 Kxg3 77. Nd5 Kxh4 78. Nxf6 Kg3, reaching the second diagrammed position.

Murphy - Fitzsimons, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022
Murphy – Fitzsimons, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022 (3)
79. ?

And now the disastrous 79. Ne4+?? threw away half a point. Instead, the (fairly obvious) 79. Nxh5+! wins.

[Click to replay the full game.]

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Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Sean Coffey

A report on the Irish New Year GM Norm Event, which ran from January 2-6, has been added to the tournament section here. Full credit goes once again to the ICU for setting up a large number of events in challenging circumstances; the full selection included an IM Norm event, three restricted rating all-play-alls, and the Leinster Junior championships.

The GM Norm event produced one norm, a GM norm for the winner Vignir Vatnar Stefánsson (Iceland), his first. He will have fond memories of Ireland: his first IM norm was recorded in Dundalk in mid-2019.

The event was also notable for the return to play after a long absence of Paul Motwani (Scotland), who won the World Cadet (Under 17) Championship in 1978. I have an idea that we overlapped in Glorney Cups, though I don’t think I ever played him.

Peter Cafolla was rated 350+ points lower than all the other players, but got off the mark with a nice win against Conor Murphy in round 2, in an interesting ending.

Cafolla - Murphy, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022
Cafolla – Murphy, Irish New Year GM Norm Event 2022 (2)
67… ?

Murphy had been pressing earlier, but all of a sudden he was faced with a nasty predicament. In the diagrammed position, White threatens h7, Ra8, and h8=Q, and it is not easy to see how to stop this effectively. Any defence that results in exchanging rooks would allow the c-pawn to promote, and what else is there?

There is a way to draw: after 67… f4! (67… Rh2+ first comes to the same thing) 68. h7 Rh2+ 69. Ke1 (69. Ke3 d2 70. Rd6 Rxh6 makes it easy) Ke7 70. Ra8 f3! 71. h8=Q f2+ 72. Kf1 Rxh8, White is forced to take the draw with 72. Ra7+ and 73. Kxf2, since after 72. Rxh8?? d2, he actually loses.

Instead Murphy, down to his last couple of minutes, erred with 67… Kf7?, and after 68. Rd6? (68. h7! wins; for example, the former saving resource now fails after 68… f4 69. Ra8 Rh2+ 70. Ke1 f3 71. h8=Q f2+ 72. Kf1 Rxh8 73. Rxh8 d2, and with the black king on f7, White has 74. Rd8), erred again with 68… Kg8? (68… d2! draws, e.g. 69. Ke2 Rh2+ 70. Kd1 Ke7). After 69. Ke3 Rc4 70. c6, White was in control and duly chalked up the full point.

[Click to reply the full game.]

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A. Collins – Connell, Ennis November Open 2021

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Sean Coffey

Two tournaments were held last weekend: an over-the-board Open in Ennis, and the Ulster Masters in Q.U.B., with some games available from each. Twelve games from the Ennis event have been added to the archive here.

The round 4 game between Adam Collins and eventual winner Blair Connell produced a very interesting ending. In the first diagrammed position, it’s White to play, and he has a choice between the straightforward 46. Bd4 and the more radical 46. Bxh6 Kg6 47. Bxg5 Kxg5. There is some very interesting chess either way, and the reader is invited to think it through as an exercise. (Don’t read further if you want to try the exercise!)

A. Collins - Connell, Ennis November Open 2021
A. Collins – Connell, Ennis November Open 2021 (4)
46. ?

Adam Collins went for the second option, leading to the second diagrammed position. This is within the range of the Lomonosov tablebases, so we can reach definite conclusions, which is just as well, as there are many surprising points along the way.

A. Collins - Connell, Ennis November Open 2021, 48W
Same game; 48. ?

This second diagrammed position is drawn with best play. White can draw via 48. a6, 48. Kd4 or the game’s 48. Kd5. After 48… Bxa5, though, the only move to draw is 49. Kc5!, keeping the bishop out of b6. In fairness, it is very hard to see why this is important, and the verdict rests on a single tempo in many variations. After 49… Bd8 50. Kb5(!) Kf6 51. h4 Ke6 52. g5 (or 52. h5) 52… Kd7 53. g6(!) Bf6 54. Kb6 Kc8 55. h5 Bg7 56. Kc5(!) Kc7 57. Kd5(!) b6 58. Ke6(!) and White draws, where (!) denotes an only move rather than necessarily a difficult one.

After the game’s continuation, Black played the precise 48… Bb6! (48… Bd2 and 48… Be1 are the only other moves that win), but after 49. Kb5 Bf2 50. Ka5, erred via 50… Kf6?; apart from waiting moves, the only way to win is 50… Kf4!, saving a vital tempo. After 51. h4 (only move), the position was again drawn with best play. After three further changes of fortune, it was White who made the final error, allowing Black to win.

[Click to replay the full game.]

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M. McMahon – D. O’Sullivan, Armstrong Cup 1956

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Sean Coffey

The recent report on the Glorney Cup 1956 here mentioned that Michael and John McMahon were the first pair of brothers ever to play for the same Glorney Cup team, and that both played for Kevin Barry C.C..

J. J. Walsh’s report on the Armstrong Cup 1955-1956, won by Eoghan Ruadh ‘A’, provided more information:

“Although the Kevin Barry team had an inauspicious campaign in the Armstrong Cup they can nevertheless be pleased at having introduced M. McMahon, a young player, who shows great promise. McMahon, who is still a schoolboy, lost only once at top board, against first-class opposition which included J. J. O’Hanlon, P. A. Duignan, W. Stanton and D. O’Sullivan. His game against O’Sullivan was a neat, though slight affair, and provides a good example of McMahon’s tactical awareness”.

(Irish Times, March 23, 1956 p. 4.)

M. McMahon - D. O'Sullivan, Armstrong Cup 1955-56
M. McMahon – D. O’Sullivan, Armstrong Cup 1955-56 (6)
17. ?

From the diagrammed position, the game continued 17. h3 (perhaps 17. f3 is slightly more accurate, when White has a clear advantage) 17… Nh6?? (17… Nf6 18. g4 with advantage to White) 18. Qc1 Qh4 19. Bg5 Qh5 20. Be7, and O’Sullivan resigned three moves later.

[Click to replay the full game.]

Dónal J. O’Sullivan was Irish champion in 1948, and again, after the report above, in 1956 and 1957. Michael McMahon also won against J. J. O’Hanlon in round 2, and either won or drew against P. A. (Paddy) Duignan, Irish champion in 1947, and William Stanton, Leinster champion in 1955, 1956, and 1957. He won against Gerry O’Nolan, brother of Brian O’Nolan (Myles na gCopaleen / Flann O’Brien), and won or drew against Joseph A. Keenan. His one loss was against Alex Montwill of U.C.D..

This was Michael McMahon’s second and last season in the Armstrong Cup. As John McMahon wrote earlier this year,

“His final Glorney game against George Dickson of Scotland in Liverpool was his last game of competitive chess. He entered the Holy Ghost Novitiate in September 1956 and was ordained a missionary priest ten years later. Fr. Michael McMahon CSSp. has spent the last fifty years teaching and preaching in Kenya.” (Three McMahons in Glorney Cup, February 1, 2021.)

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Goetzee – J. McMahon, Heidenfeld Trophy 2016-17

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Sean Coffey

John McMahon’s biography on the Players page here mentions his long association with the Leinster leagues: in the Armstrong Cup with Kevin Barry from 1956-76, and in the Heidenfeld Trophy with Lucan from 2005 onwards.

Here is one of his Heidenfeld games, which John sent some time ago, from a Dundalk Drogheda – Lucan match, featuring a fine win and a picturesque finish.

Goetzee - J. McMahon, Heidenfeld Trophy 2016-17
Goetzee – J. McMahon, Heidenfeld Trophy 2016-17 (11.3)
28. ?

White now erred with 28. Re3? (after 28. f3, Black stands much better but White can resist), and after 28… Nf5 Black was already winning.

The continuation 29. Re2? allowed a king hunt and mate in five, via 29… Nh4+ 30. Kh3 Qf3+ 31. Ng3 Qg2+ 32. Kxh4 Qxh2+ 33. Kg4 Rf4 mate.

[Click to replay the full game.]

[Update, January 26, 2023: Mark Gonnelly, via email, pointed out that there was no Dundalk team in the Leinster leagues at this time, and that instead this was a Drogheda – Lucan match; many thanks.]

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O’Connell’s School, Leinster Schools champions 1957-58

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Sean Coffey
O'Connell's School, Leinster Schools Champions 1957-58
O’Connell’s School, Leinster Schools Champions 1957-58
Front row, L.-R.: W. Davis, John McMahon, Art Coldrick, Paul Cassidy

John McMahon sent me the very nice photo above in March, from the O’Connell’s School Yearbook of 1958. That season marked the fourth time in ten years that O’Connell’s had won; as John remarked, in those days O’Connell’s and Synge St. dominated.

The front row has three of the Glorney Cup team of 1958, which became the first Irish team ever to win the Cup, finishing ahead of Wales and Scotland; England had, controversially, decided not to participate.

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John McMahon 1940-2021

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Sean Coffey

I was very sorry indeed to hear this morning that John McMahon died yesterday.

We have been in regular contact over the past couple of years, mostly over the early history of the Glorney Cup. The history he compiled with his brother Frank, and Tom O’Neill, is available here, and later installments covered the years up to the most recently posted report, on John’s own début year of 1956, which was posted here on Sunday.

In addition to winning the Irish and Leinster Schoolboys’ championships, John finished joint 2nd-3rd behind John Reid in the Irish Championship proper in 1961, winning the formal silver medal that was awarded in those days to the runner-up on tie-break, according to most reports. He also played for Kevin Barry in the Armstrong Cup for twenty years, 1956-1976, and played for Lucan in later years.

Two recent photos are available on the Leinster Schools Chess Association web site, from a visit he paid to the Leinster Junior Championships in 2018.

Deepest sympathies to his family.

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O’Gorman – Grieve, Oxford v Cambridge match 2021

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Sean Coffey

Congratulations to Tom O’Gorman, who played board 1 for Oxford University in the annual Varsity match against Cambridge this past Saturday, and recorded a fine win against fellow FM Harry Grieve, to lead Oxford to a 5½ – 2½ win.

O'Gorman - Grieve, Oxford - Cambridge match 2021
O’Gorman – Grieve, Oxford v Cambridge match 2021 (1)
Final position

[Click to replay the full game.]

It’s unfortunate that Ryan-Rhys Griffiths was taken ill and had to drop out: he had been scheduled to play on board 1 for Cambridge. Has it ever happened before that two Irish players have faced each other on board 1 of this illustrious fixture? I think it would have been an historic first.

Tom O’Gorman is not the first Irish player to play on board 1 for Oxford, but he is the first in a long time: Horace Plunkett did the same in 1875, 1876, and 1877, and Richard Whieldon Barnett followed in 1887 and 1888.

For Cambridge, John Drew Roberts played board 1 in 1885, C. H. O’D. Alexander in 1931 and 1932, Brian Kelly in 1999, Ryan-Rhys Griffiths in 2017 and Conor Murphy in 2018.

The full lists can be found at the pages of Oxford and Cambridge players at BritBase, part of a very detailed series of pages on this event.

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