Ulster Chess History: City of Belfast 2015

Saturday 11 April 2015

City of Belfast 2015

The City of Belfast Championships are being held over the 11-12 April weekend at the Maynard Sinclair Pavilion. 29 players have entered the lists, a bit down on the numbers playing in the Ulster Masters and Williamson Shield earlier in the season. However, it's still up on the recent editions of the City of Belfast - sufficient to return to the usual two sections.

There are eight players in the Nemtzov Cup with the top four in the Williamson Shield - Gabor Horvath, Gareth Annesley, Calum Leitch and Mark Newman - renewing their rivalry.

Nemtzov Cup players

No Name            Rtg  Club        

1. Gabor Horvath   2098 Lindores    
2. Gareth Annesley 1976 Muldoons    
3. Calum Leitch    1889 Lindores    
4. Mark Newman     1760 NICS        
5. Stephen Rush    1664 Ballynafeigh
6. John O'Doherty  1655 Ballynafeigh
7. Martin Sloan    1621             
8. Karina Kruk     1610 Ballynafeigh

Nemtzov players in action during Round 1

There are 21 competing in the under-1600 Henderson Cup. Pat McKillen is defending his title and three other previous winners - Stewart McConaghy, William Storey and Martin Kelly - also play.

Henderson Cup players

No  Name                Rtg  Club         

1.  John McKenna        1513 Belfast South
2.  Richard Gould       1510 Lindores     
3.  Robert Lavery       1504 Ballynafeigh 
4.  Stewart McConaghy   1403 Bombardier   
5.  Jim McLean          1331 Lindores     
6.  Cathal Murphy       1326 Belfast South
7.  William Storey      1324 Belfast South
8.  Martin Kelly        1311 Belfast South
9.  Patrick McKillen    1289 Muldoons     
10. David Barr          1251 Lindores     
11. Robert McDonald     1244 Belfast South
12. Roy Stafford        1206 Bombardier   
13. Stephen Scarborough 1171              
14. Christopher Roe     1163 QUB          
15. Andrew Todd         1128 Bangor       
16. Edward Doak         1076 Ballynafeigh 
17. John McGann         994               
18. Paul Anderson       753  Ballynafeigh 
19. Norman Rainey       698  Ballynafeigh 
20. Ben Campbell        610  QUB          
21. Craig Stevenson

2 comments:

James McConville said...: How can I get involved in events like this?; 1 May 2015 at 15:09
David McAlister said...: The Ulster Chess Union (UCU) run a number of these events throughout the year and they are suitable for a wide range of playing strengths from novice to expert. It's not difficult to get involved; entry fee is usually £10-£15 and you would need to become a member of the UCU - but it's only another £10 for a year's membership (and you won't need to become at member in advance of your first tournament).

I recommend you get in touch with Ross Harris, the UCU's Tournament Director at td@ulsterchesss.org for further information. I'm sure he could also help if you're interested in joining a club.

Most of the Belfast clubs close down after Easter after the end of the League season but Ballynafeigh stays open - it's the biggest club locally and there should always be plenty of people to play. They wouldn't expect you to join up on your first night, so you'd have a chance to see first before deciding to become a member. Contact them at Damien_Cunningham@hotmail.com.; 2 May 2015 at 13:08