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Junior Grand Prix Tournament Series Final
15-May-2018 The grand prix Final takes place on Sunday 20th of May. Full details can be found here.
 
Malahide Tournament
19-Apr-2018 Team captains for Divisions 1 to 4 can submit their teams for the final round via the online match service.

Simply login as you do to update a scorecard, then click on the division (under team declarations) and your team.

Please do so by Wednesday 25th of April, and please inform the league controller of the results of any games that have been played in advance.
 
Final Round Team Declarations
19-Apr-2018 Team captains for Divisions 1 to 4 can submit their teams for the final round via the online match service.

Simply login as you do to update a scorecard, then click on the division (under team declarations) and your team.

Please do so by Wednesday 25th of April, and please inform the league controller of the results of any games that have been played in advance.
 
Denis Kelleher RIP
30-Mar-2018It is with great sadness that Portmarnock chess club have informed the LCU committee of the passing of Denis Kelleher.

Denis was a founding member of the club and very active in the leagues. There are many players from many clubs who have played him over the years. The LCU committee we would like to express our condolences to Denis' family and friends.

Arrangements can be found here.
 
Last Round of Leagues
26-Mar-2018 The last round will take place in the ALSAA on Sunday 29th of April.

The venue is the ALSAA Sports Club, Swords Road, Dublin Airport. Divisions 2 and 4 (Heidenfeld, O'Hanlon) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1 and 3 (Armstrong, Ennis) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Prize giving will take place after each session, and all teams must bring their own boards, sets and clocks.

The BEA and Bodley will finish as a normal league match in the venue of the home club. The top two teams in the division north/south groups shall play in a four group playoff on the final day of the leagues. The result from the team played will carry over, so each team will have two matches (one in the morning and one in the evening).

These groups will decide 1st and 2nd places (and the promotion places) for the BEA and Bodley.

All team captains must declare their teams by April 22nd.
 
Grand Prix 5
26-Mar-2018The Next Grand Prix is scheduled for Armenian Chess Club, Taney Parish Hall, Dundrum on April 15th.

The Final will be held in Blanchardstown Chess Club on May 20th.

For the Grand prix 4 report see here.
 
Malahide Millennium Tournament 2018
15-Mar-2018 Details can be found here.
 
Grand Prix 4
07-Mar-2018 The fourth competition, hosted by Manorhamilton Junior Chess Club will take place in the Clayton Hotel, Sligo, on March 18th. For all info follow this link.>/div>
 
O'Sullivan Cup
13-Feb-2018 LCU Junior Club league is open for entries.

Teams will consist of 4 players rated below 1500 and under 15 years old. The Round Robin league will be played in home clubs venue by arrangement with the away team. Time control is 1 hour per player.

Hopefully these arrangements can be flexible. Once the number of interested teams is clear the timetable for games will be published. It is expected that there will be about 8 matches between March and December.

Entry fee 25 euro per team. Entries by email to O'Sullivan Cup controller, Alex Goss at email alexegoss01@gmail.com
 
LCU Grand Prix 3
26-Jan-2018 The third competition hosted by North Kildare Junior Chess Club will take place in the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth on Feb 11th.

Registration 1.30pm - 2.00pm
Rounds (1-3) 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Break 3:00pm - 3:45pm
Rounds (4-6) 3:45pm - 5:15pm
Prize giving 5:15pm -5.30pm
Entry Fee €10 Family Discount (3 or more siblings) €20

Each player will have 15 minutes for each game.
All Equipment will be provided.
Please email info@nkchess.com to enter and the entry fee can be paid online using this link: entries

Entries on the day will be accepted unto 1.45 subject to space.

GRAND PRIX REPORT

The Leinster Junior Chess Grand Prix is a series of monthly chess tournaments which offers children the opportunity to play chess in a competitive and relaxed atmosphere. The first Grand Prix took place in October and is scheduled to run until May. Players are rewarded not only for winning, but more importantly for participating! The competition is aimed at those 14 and under and will offer prizes according to age (U15, U12, U10 & U8).
 
Mick Germaine Cup 2017
19-Oct-2017 The Mick Germaine Cup competition for teams of 4 junior players takes place on Sunday 10th December in the Ierne Sports and Social Club (Main Hall), the home of the Elm Mount Chess Club on Sunday 10th December 2017. Please click here for more details.
 
Blanchardstown Match Venue
05-Oct-2017 Blanchardstown match venue has changed to Coolmine Community School, Clonsilla, Dublin 15.
 
Match Service
19-Sep-2017 The Match service is now online. Team captains should declare their teams before submitting results. Clubs have the login info team captains need for the match service. The following is a guide on how to declare players. Player Declaration Guide   Any problems, email the leagues controller.
 
League Fixtures
08-Sep-2017 The league fixtures for the 2017 / 2018 season have been published. Follow the division links on the left to view.
 
FIDE Player Registration
15-Aug-2017 Please note that it is the responsibility of each player to ensure that if playing in a FIDE rated league, that they are correctly registered with FIDE under a federation..
 
City of Dublin 2017
06-Aug-2017 The city of Dublin takes place over the weekend of the 8th, 9th and 10th of September. For more information and online entry visit here.
 
1867 Dublin Rapidplay
12-May-2017 To celbrate the 150 anniversary of Dublin chess club, they are hosting a tournament for players rated over 1867. It will take place at 10am on May 20th 2017 at the Dublin Chess Club, 3 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2. Entry €25. For details and entry visit www.dublinchessclub.com
 
Malahide Millennium Tournament 2017 results
05-May-2017 The 17th Malahide Millennium Tournament (incorporating the Leinster Championships) took place at the weekend (29th April - 1st May) in the ALSAA Sports Complex, Dublin Airport.

Junior: 1st Sean Murphy 5½/6; 2nd-5th Sam Murray, Edgars Kirulis, Hugh O'Connor, Jimmy Deneher 5/6; Grading Prizes Piotr Baczkowski, Tom Collins, Conor MagRuairc, Finn Ellingboe, Michael Eyers, John Danaher and Zhengin Wang.

Intermediate: 1st-3rd Luke Scott, Muhtarim-Ul Haque, Gabriel Matthews 5/6; Grading Prizes Sergey Beryozkin and Sanjay Menon.

Senior: 1st-2nd Mel O'Cinneide and Colm Daly [FM] 5½/6; 3rd-8th Reinhold Mueller [FM], Shane Melaugh, Conor Nolan, Mihailo Manojlovic, Denis Ruchko, Tim McCarthy 3½/6; Grading Prize Bartlomiej Cichonski.

The 2016 Leinster Champions are: Junior: Sean Murphy; Intermediate: Luke Scott; Senior: Mel O'Cinneide.

Final Cross-tables at Malahide CC website: www.malahidechessclub.ie
 
Novice Night Dublin Chess Club
09-April-2017 On Wednesday 26th April Dublin chess club will be hosting a novice night. It will consist of a talk and a short tournament for Adults who want to learn/improve at chess. For full info see the flyer and book your place here.
 
Final Round
28-March-2017 The venue is the ALSAA Sports Club, Swords Road, Dublin Airport. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 (Heidenfeld, O’Hanlon and Bodley) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Prize giving will take place after each session, and all teams must bring their own boards, sets and clocks.

This year rule 6.3 will be enforced. This means all team captains must declare their teams no later than Sunday April 16th.
 
LCU Cups 2017
21-February-2017 Entries are now being accepted for the Branagan Cup, Killane Shield and William Brennan Cup. Matches will be played over six boards in all competitions. There is no limit to the number of players a team can utilise over the course of the competition. Players can only play for one team in each of the cups.

The Branagan Cup is for players who have played in either division one or division two last season. The Killane Shield is open to players who have played in divisions 3 - 6 last season. The William Brennan Cup is for players rated under 1500. Ratings will be based on the ICU Live Ratings for April (after last league round has been rated). Entries to be sent to Tristan Sheridan (sheridan.tristan@gmail.com). The entry fee is €20 per team (payable to the LCU treasurer) and the closing date for entries is Sunday 23rd of April.

These competitions shall be held in club venues starting in May and ending in July. Teams should include the day that team will play home matches. Cup rules can be found in the LCU league rules, the Branagan will be FIDE rated.
 
GM Nigel Short Lecture
06-February-2017 Dublin Chess Club celebrates 150 years of age this year, having been founded in 1867. A number of special events are planned to mark the occasion. The first of these is a talk in the club by GM Nigel Short on Feb 16 (flyer). Due to limited capacity and to avoid disappointment for those wishing to attend, tickets must be booked in advance. This can be done online at www.dublinchessclub.com.
 
Philip Hogarty Rising Stars & O'Connell Cup
27-January-2017 The Philip Hogarty Rising Stars and the O’Connell Cup will be held on Sunday 28-May-2017 in Alssa, Old Airport Road, Toberbunny, Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin.
This is an annual team event for Junior Clubs and Schools. Registration will be at 1.30pm and the event will be over by 5.30pm.
Entry fee is €20 per team of 4 players, payable on the day.
Contact Maura Osborne ( mauraosborne@eircom.net ) for further details.
 
Leinster Junior Chess Grand Prix
27-January-2017 The Leinster Junior Chess Grand Prix is a series of monthly chess tournaments which offers children the opportunity to play chess in a competitive and relaxed atmosphere. The Grand Prix will begin in February and is scheduled to finish in April. Players are rewarded not only for winning, but more importantly for participating! The competition is aimed at players aged 14 and under and prizes will be offered in the following categories: Under 15, Under 12, Under 10 & Under 8. The first competition, in the Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, is the inaugural event of a new North Kildare junior chess club and it would be great if we could get a good turnout to support this new club.
  • Sun Feb 26 LCU Grand Prix 1. Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, Co. Kildare
  • Sun Mar 26 LCU Grand Prix 2. Alssa, Old Airport Road, Toberbunny, Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin.
  • Sun Apr 23 LCU Grand Prix 3. Alssa, Old Airport Road, Toberbunny, Dublin Airport, Co. Dublin.
Further details are available on the Blanchardstown Chess Club website.
 
Dublin Spring League
25-January-2017 Info on this tournament being run by Conor Barrett can be found on the ICU website or the event website.
 
Blachardstown Venue Change
09-January-2017 Please note the change of venue for Blanchardstown's LCU home league games to The Vineyard.
 
Leinster Chess Union's Christmas Blitz 2016 Results
24-December-2016 The annual LCU Christmas Blitz took place recently in the Ierne Sports and Social Club, home of the Elm Mount Chess Club. 58 players took part in 7 all play all sections. This represented an increase on the previous year's event when around 50 players took part. There were 16 prize winners in total with Section A being won jointly by FMs David Fitzsimons (Elm Mount) and Conor O' Donnell (Gonzaga), both on unbeaten scores of 6.5/8.

The prize winners in Section B were both junior internationals with the Section won outright by Fiachra Scallan (Rathmines) on a score of 6/7 with Elm Mount's Gavin Melaugh in the runners up position on 5/7. Section C was won jointly by Gerard Buckley (Malahide) and Alex Pachalov (Balbriggan). Junior players were also the prize winners in Section D with Alex Goss (Elm Mount) winning the section on a score of 6/7 from Sean Hunter (Rathmines (5/7).

Section E was won outright by Grzegorz Pawlowski (score of 5.5/7) with Panagiotis Papadoupolos and Conor Barrett finishing joint second on 5/7.

Section F was won by Darragh Moran (6/7) with his closest challengers being Owen Hunter and Sam Murray in joint second place on 5/7.

Nived Daniel Binu won Section G on a score of 7/9 on tie break from Cian Bergin.

Cross tables for the event can be accessed here
 
Mick Germaine 2016 Results
24-December-2016 The results and report can be found here
 
Live League Games
08-December-2016 As mentioned in an email at the start of the season, Curragh chess club have been transmitting (with agreement of opponents) their home league matches at https://www.chessspectator.com. Last Saturday was Div 2 Curragh v Lucan and Div 3 Curragh v Inchicore. Next up on Saturday December 10th is Div 5 Curragh v Finglas.
 
Ratings List
03-November-2016 Teams should continue to use the rating list of "Aug 16" on the ICU ratings website for the leagues.
 
Mick Germaine Cup 2016
03-November-2016 This year's Mick Germaine Cup competition for Juniors/novices will take place on Sunday 11th December 2016 in the Ierne Sports and Social Club, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 (Home of the Elm Mount Chess Club). It will be a six round swiss event open to teams of 4 players from schools or chess clubs. Clubs and schools can enter more than one team if they wish. For further details, please click on the following link to the tournament flyer.
 
LCU Christmas Blitz 2016
03-November-2016 The Leinster Chess Union is pleased to announce that this year's Christmas Blitz Tournament will take place on Wednesday 14th December 2016 in the Ierne Sports and Social Club, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 (home of the Elm Mount Chess Club). Click here for further details.
 
September Ratings List
20-September-2016 The September ratings list is misnamed on the ICU ratings website. In the drop down menu it is Aug 16. Do not use the live rating list for the leagues.
 
City of Dublin 2016 Results (Updated)
12-September-2016 Here are the results of the 2016 City of Dublin. Our thanks to Herbert and Pat for running another excellent tournament. Masters, Major, Challengers, Junior.
The report can be found here and the pgn of all the masters games downloaded here
 
Match Service Live
09-September-2016 The match result service is now live. Captains can now declare their teams for divisions 1 - 6. There is also a new feature (thanks to Peter Scott) to search for a player by ICU number/name/club in order to add players.
Also the September rating list has been published. This is the list to be used throughout the season.
 
League Fixture Changes to Divisions 2 and 5
26-August-2016 Due to Celbridge having to change venue (and home matches to Friday) the fixtures for Celbridges' home matches in divisions 2 and 5 has been revised. The Downloadable fixtures on the left menu have been updated.
 
League Entry Deadline
24-August-2016 Clubs entering teams into the LCU Leagues (Division 7, O'Sullivan Cup) should do so before September 1st by contacting the league's controller.
 
City of Dublin 2016
23-August-2016 The City of Dublin 2016 will be held in the Gresham hotel on September 9th-11th. For full details and online entry follow this link
 
Irish Championship 2016
23-June-2016 The Irish Chess Championships 2016 will feature 10 live boards. A late entry fee will apply from Saturday, June 25th and entries will close on Thursday, June 30th.
 
LCU Cups Cancelled
10-June-2016 The LCU Cups have been cancelled due to poor entries. They will be held on a future date, to be discussed at the LCU AGM.
 
Cup Entry Deadline
07-June-2016 The entry deadline for the Branagan, Killane and William Brennan has been extended until Thursday June 9th @ 8pm. Entries will not be accepted after this date. Those yet to send entries should please include a panel of 6 players (ideally the players to start round 1) to facilitate the first round draw.
 
Cup Update
10-May-2016 The LCU will provide equipment for the 2016 Cups. Given the numbers involved, it is likely that some of the larger clubs who enter multiple teams will be asked to provide one of their own teams equipment. We will know exactly what will be needed when we get closer to the date.
This will also allow Fischer time (90+30sec) to be used in the Branagan.
 
Malahide Millennium Tournament Results
04-May-2016 The 16th Malahide Millennium Tournament (incorporating the Leinster Championships) took place at the weekend (30th April - 2nd May) in the ALSAA Sports Complex, Dublin Airport.
Junior: 1st William Kenny 5½/6; 2nd Liam Kelly 5/6; 3rd-6th Mervyn Honner, Benen O'Toole, Alan Dempster and Alan Corcoran 4½/6; Grading Prizes Utkarsh Gupta, Jimmy Deneher, Eoin Hunter, Seán O'Neill and Leo Phelan.
Intermediate: 1st-3rd Niall O'Higgins, Kevin Burke and Stephen Jablon; Grading Prizes Gavin Melaugh and Sean Devilly.
Senior: 1st-2nd Nedelco Cheparinov and Colm Daly (FM) 5/6; 3rd Killian Delaney 4½/6; Grading Prize John Aherne
The 2016 Leinster Champions are: Junior: William Kenny; Intermediate: Niall O'Higgins; Senior: Colm Daly (FM)
Final Cross-tables at the Malahide CC website
 
LCU Junior Grand Prix May 8th
03-May-2016 The 3rd competition, hosted by Monkstown Junior Chess Club takes place in Esplanade Hotel, The Seafront, Strand Road, Bray, Wicklow. To Enter please log on to the Blanchardstown website and fill out the entry form. Entries will be accepted on the day , but will slow down the calling of the first draw.
Registration 1.30pm - 2.00pm
Rounds (1-3) 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Break 3:00pm - 3:45pm
Rounds (4-6) 3:45pm - 5:15pm
Prize giving 5:15pm - 5.30pm
Entry Fee €10 Family Discount (3 or more siblings) €20. Each player will have 15 minutes for each game. All Equipment will be provided. Players are advised to bring a packed lunch with them.
 
LCU Cups 2016
20-April-2016 This year the LCU Cups will be held over the weekend of June 11/12 in the ALSAA. Teams in each cup will play a swiss format (2 rounds Saturday and 2 rounds Sunday), with rounds starting at 10am and 3pm (prize giving after round 4 on Sunday). Matches will be played over six boards in all competitions. The Branagan Cup will be FIDE rated.
The Branagan Cup is for players who have played in either division one or division two. The Killane Shield is open to players who have played in divisions 3 - 7. The William Brennan Cup is for players rated under 1500. Ratings will be based on the ICU live ratings after the LCU Leagues for 2015 - 2016 have been rated. Entries to be sent to Tristan Sheridan (Sheridan.tristan@gmail.com). The entry fee is €20 per team and should be sent to the LCU treasurer Gordon Freeman. The closing date for entries is Saturday June 5th.
Time control will be 2 hours in the Branagan and 1 hour 45 mins in the Killane and William Brennan.
As the format is different this year, clubs/captains when submitting entries for the various cups, please include a team list.
 
League Promotion and Relegation
18-April-2016 Peter is away so it will be a week or so before the league tables can be updated. To confirm the promoted and relegated are as follows:
Division 1 winners Gonzaga and runners up Dublin University, relegated St Benildus B and Curragh.
Division 2 winners (on tie break) Rathmines B and runners up Blanchardstown, relegated Inchicore B and Rathmines C.
Division 3 winners Bray/Greystones (on tie break) and runners up Drogheda, relegated Malahide and Elm Mount.
Division 4 winners Gonzaga and runners up Skerries, relegated Celbridge and Aer Lingus.
Division 5 winners Enniscorthy and runners up St Benildus, relegated Rathmines and Balbriggan (on tie break).
Division 6 winners Dublin University and runners up Blanchardstown A, relegated Rathmines and Blanchardstown B.
Division 7 winners Bray / Greystones and runners up Kilkenny A, there is no relegation from division 7.
 
2016 Malahide Millenium Tournament & Leinster Championships
29-Mar-2016 The Malahide Millenium Tournament incorporating the Leinster Championships 2016 will be held from Saturday 30th April to Monday 2nd May 2016. The venue is the ALSAA , Old Airport Road, Co. Dublin. There will be three sections, Senior (1800+), Intermediate (1400-1799) and Junior (under 1400). Full details and information on how to enter are available at Malahide Chess Club's Website.
 
Final Round of the Leagues
21-Mar-2016 The last round of the Leinster leagues will take place on Sunday April 17th 2016. The venue is the ALSAA Sports Club, Swords Road, Dublin Airport. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 (Heidenfeld, O’Hanlon and Bodley) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The winners of the two playoff matches from division 7 will also play in the afternoon to decide 1st and 2nd place for that division. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Prize giving will take place after each session, and all teams must bring their own boards, sets and clocks.
 
LCU Junior Grand Prix
29-Feb-2016 The next junior grand prix will be held on March 6th in the ALSAA. Information can be found on the Blanchardstown website.
 
Mick Germaine Cup
09-Nov-2015 This year's Mick Germaine Cup competition for teams of junior/novice players will take place on Saturday 12th December 2015 in the Main Hall of the Ierne Sports and Social Club (home of the Elm Mount Chess Club), Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The event is open to club and school teams of 4 players under 16 years of age and who are rated less than 900 or unrated. Click here for more details.
 
Leinster Chess Union Christmas Blitz
09-Nov-2015 The Leinster Chess Union's Annual Christmas Blitz event will take place on Monday 14th December 2015 in the Ierne Sports and Social Club, (Home of the Elm Mount Chess Club), Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Registration will be from 7.45 pm onwards with play starting at 8.15 pm. Lots of fun and prizes guaranteed. Food will also be provided. Click here for more details.
 
O'Sullivan Cup Fixtures
07-Oct-2015 The league fixtures for division seven have been published. Follow the division links on the left to view.
 
City of Dublin Results and Games
17-Sep-2015 The City of Dublin tournament was held in the Gresham Hotel Dublin over the weekend of 11 to 13 September 2015. In all 146 players competed in four sections.
 
The FIDE-rated Masters event was won by Colm Daly with 4 points out of 5. He lost to second placed Stephen Moran in round 2 but won his other games. Third place was shared by Conor O’Donnell, Gordon Freeman, Anthony Fox, Killian Delaney and Tom O’Gorman on 3 points. The grading prize went to Bart Cichonski on 2 points.
 
The Major section for players rated 1600 to 2000 was won by Mindaugas Janusaitis and Ravshan Khaydarov on 5 points out of 6, with the former taking the trophy on tiebreak. Joint third on 4.5 points were James Danaher, Marin Vlaicevic, Jacob Miller, Gareth Annesley and Eric Bennett. Grading prizes went to Sean Nolan, Alice O’Gorman and Mustakim-Ul Haque.
 
The Challengers section for players rated 1200 to 1600 was won by Gabriel Mirza on 5.5 points out of 6, with Tom Fitzpatrick in second place on 5 points. Joint third were Nick Scallan, Alex Goss and Matthew Gallagher on 4.5 points. Grading prizes were awarded to Brian Nugent, Gavin Melaugh, Brian O’Gorman and Cathal Walsh.
 
The Junior section was won by Gabrielius Pocevicius on 5.5 out of 6, with Diarmuid Reidy and Ahmad Zulhilmi Sahadi in joint second place on 5 points. Grading prizes went to John Keenan, Darragh Moran, Eoin Hunter and Dave Hunter.
 
Finally the Ladies Prize was awarded to Ciara Scallan for her score of 3.5 in the Junior section.
 
Click on the following links to view the final standings in all sections . Masters  | Major  | Challengers  | Junior
 
The games from the Masters section can be downloaded here. Masters Games pgn file
 
League Fixtures
06-Sep-2015 The league fixtures for divisions one to six have been published. Follow the division links on the left to view.
 
Laws of Chess
02-Sep-2015 The Laws of Chess which were adopted at the 84th FIDE Congress at Tallinn (Estonia) came into force on 1 July 2014. The Laws of Chess have two parts: 1. Basic Rules of Play and 2. Competition Rules. FIDE have also published the requirements for events in which Disabled Players participate. They can be viewed or downloaded via the links on the left. Clubs should print the League Rules (revised and updated 16-Jul-15) and the FIDE Rules and ensure that copies are available in the event of a dispute arising during league matches.
 
City of Dublin Championships
01-Sep-2015 The City of Dublin Championships are being held from Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September in the Gresham Hotel, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. A prize fund of €3,000 will be on offer, subject to entry. There will be four sections, Masters, Majors, Challengers and Juniors. Click on the following link for full details and entry form. City of Dublin 2015
 
Irish Veterans Championship
01-Sep-2015 The Irish Veteans Championship is being held from Friday 4th September to Sunday 6th September in the Boyne Valley Hotel, Drogheda. Confined to players over 60 years of age. There will be five rounds, first round starts Friday 8pm. Rate of play: all moves in 2 hours. Entry fee €40. To enter, contact Andrew Thompson 041 9836110.
 
Dun Laoghaire Rapidplay
13-Jul-2015 Dun Laoghaire Chess Club are hosting their annual one day rapidplay tournament on Sunday 23rd August 2015. Click on the following link for full details and entry form. Dun Laoghaire Rapidplay
 
Final Round of the Leagues
14-Apr-2015 The final round of the leagues will be held on Sunday 19th April 2015. The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 (Heidenfeld, O'Hanlon and Bodley) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Teams must bring their own boards sets and clocks. Prizes will be presented at the completion of each session.
 
O'Connell Cup
07-Apr-2015 The O'Connell Cup (rating below 900) and Philip Hogarty Rising Stars (rating below 700) will be held on 10th May 2015 in ALSAA Sports Club, Old Airport Road, Dublin Airport, Co Dublin. This is a team event for Clubs and Schools. Each team will comprise four players. Play will commence at 10.15 am.
 
Irish Junior Championships
18-Jan-2015 The 2015 Irish Junior Chess Championships are being held in the Carlton Hotel, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 from Friday 10th April to Sunday 12th April 2015. The age categories are under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 19.
 
St Benildus Charity Blitz
24-Dec-2014 The St Benildus Charity Blitz will be held in St Benildus College on Wednesday 25th February 2015. Registration will be at 7.15pm. Further details on the St Benildus Chess Club website.
 
City of Dublin Results
14-Sep-2014 Juri Firstov won the Masters section with a round to spare, winning his first four games in the 5 round event. John Redmond was runner up on 3½. Karol Marzec won the Major section with a score of 5½. Runner up was Anthony Bourached on 5. The Challengers was won by Shane Sheedy with a score of 5½. There was a three way tie for second between Mariusz Lokasto, Jacob Miller and Alexandru Rad with 5 points. The Junior event was won by Cathal Murphy on 5½. Runner up spot in the Junior was shared by Adam Murphy, Mariusz Filipski and John Halpenny on 5. Full results and cross tables can be viewed by clicking on the following links. Masters Major Challengers Junior
 
City of Dublin Championships
31-Aug-2014 The City of Dublin Championships are being held from Friday 12th September to Sunday 14th September in the Gresham Hotel, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1. A prize fund of €3,000 will be on offer, subject to entry. There will be four sections, Masters, Majors, Challengers and Juniors.
 
Armstrong Cup Review
31-Aug-2014 Paul Cassidy from Dun Laoghaire Chess Club has compiled an analytical review of the Armstrong Cup for the 2012 - 2013 season. With the new season around the corner this makes interesting reading. Armstrong Cup review 2013.
 
LCU Cups
15-Apr-2014 Entries are now being accepted for the Branagan Cup, Killane Shield and William Brennan Cup. Matches will be played over six boards in all competitions. There is no limit to the number of players a team can utilise over the course of the competition. Players can only play for one team in each of the cups. The Branagan Cup is for players who have played in either division one or division two last season. The Killane Shield is open to players who have played in divisions 3 - 6 last season. The William Brennan Cup is for players rated under 1500. Ratings will be based on the ICU Live Ratings after the LCU Leagues for 2013 - 2014 have been rated. Entries to be sent to John Healy (johnjhealy@gmail.com). The entry fee is €20 per team and the closing date for entries is Friday 25th April.
 
Final Round of the Leagues
28-Mar-2014 The final round of the leagues will be held on Sunday 13th April 2014. The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Divisions 2, and 4 (Heidenfeld and O'Hanlon) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Teams must bring their own boards sets and clocks. Prizes will be presented at the completion of each session.
 
Malahide Millenium Tournament & Leinster Championships
23-Mar-2014 The Malahide Millennium Tournament is taking place from 3rd to 5th May 2014. The tournament will also incorporate the Leinster Championships. There will be 3 sections - Senior (over 1800 ICU/FIDE), Intermediate (1400-1799 ICU) and Junior (under 1400 ICU).
 
O'Connell Cup 2014
18-Mar-2014 The O'Connell Cup will be held on 18th May 2014 in ALSAA Sports Club, Old Airport Road, Dublin Airport, Co Dublin. This is a team event and Clubs and Schools can enter a maximum of two teams to the event. Each team will comprise four players. There will be two sections. Section A for players rated between 700 and 1000 and Section B for players rated below 700 and unrated. Play will commence at 10am.
 
Finglas Chess Club have moved...
12-Feb-2014 Finglas Chess Club have moved to new premises. They now meet at Dublin City Council Senior Citizens Complex, Brookville Court, North Road, Finglas, Dublin 11. They meet every Tuesday night except the last Tuesday of each month. New members are always welcome. Click on the following link to view map and contact details. Finglas Chess Club
 
ICU Fees
07-Feb-2014 All players playing in the LCU leagues must be paid up members of the Irish Chess Union. Match points have been deducted for each match that an unregistered player has played in. Clubs are advised that points deducted will not be refunded for players whose fees have not been paid by 28th February 2014.
 
Dublin C.C. Simultaneous
01-Jan-2014 Jonathan O'Connor is giving a simultaneous display on Thursday 16th January 2014 in Dublin Chess Club. If you would like to play Jonathan, click on the following link for details on how to enter. Spectators are welcome and admission is free.
 
Leinster Junior Championships
27-Dec-2013 The Leinster Junior Chess Championships are taking place from Wednesday 1st January to Sunday 5th January 2014. The venue is the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire. The age categories are Under 10s, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 14s, Under 16s and Under 19s.
 
LCU Christmas Blitz
28-Nov-2013 The Leinster Chess Union's annual Christmas Blitz Tournament will take place on Wednesday 18th December 2013 in the Ierne Sports and Social Club, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, (Home of the Elm Mount Chess Club). Registration is from 7.45 pm with play starting at 8.15 pm sharp. Entry fee is 5 euro per player and lots of fun and prizes guaranteed. Food will also be provided on the night.
 
Bodley Cup Fixtures
17-Oct-2013 Fixtures for the Bodley Cup have been published. Due to the large number of entries received, the division has been split into two groups. The winners of each group will play off to decide the destination of the trophy.
 
Bodley Cup Entries
26-Sep-2013 The closing date for entry into the Bodley Cup (Div 6) is Friday 4th October. Clubs who have not already confirmed their entry with the Leagues Controller, should do so immediately.
 
Malahide C.C. Match Night
26-Sep-2013 Malahide Chess Club's weekday home match night has been changed to Tuesday. The Heidenfeld (Div 2) and Ennis (Div 3) fixtures have been amended accordingly.
 
City of Dublin Results
16-Sep-2013 164 players took part in this years Championship. This was a big increase in the number of entries that the event has attracted over the last number of years. Tournament Director was Pat Fitzsimons and Tournament Controller was Herbert Scarry. Final results and prize winners can be viewed by clicking on the following links. Masters Section | Major Section | Challengers Section | Junior Section | Prize Winners
 
League Fixtures
12-Sep-2013 The fixture dates for the leagues are now available. The pairings for Division 5 (BEA Cup) have been amended. Please note the following changes in club weekday match nights. Celbridge will play their weekday Armstrong and O'Hanlon home matches on Mondays. Dublin will play their weekday Ennis and BEA home matches on Tuesdays.
 
City of Dublin Entries
12-Sep-2013 Entries received for the City of Dublin can be viewed by clicking on the following links. Masters Section | Major Section | Challengers Section | Junior Section
 
City of Dublin Championships
01-Sep-2013 The deadline for availing of a discount on entry fees for this year's championships has been extended to Friday 6th September 2013.
 
Mick Germaine Cup 2013
01-Sep-2013 The Leinster Chess Union is pleased to announce that this year’s Mick Germaine Cup competition for teams of juniors / novices will take place on Saturday 28th September 2013 in the Ierne Sports and Social Club (Main Hall), Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 (home of the Elm Mount Chess Club).
 
City of Dublin Championships
07-Aug-2013 The City of Dublin Championships are being held from Friday 13th September to Sunday 15th September in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. A prize fund of €3,000 will be on offer, subject to entry. There will be four sections, Masters, Majors, Challengers and Juniors.
 
Dun Laoghaire Rapidplay
07-Aug-2013 Dun Laoghaire Chess Club are hosting their annual one day rapidplay tournament on Sunday 18th August 2013.
 
Malahide Festival
24-Jul-2013 Similar to last year Malahide Chess Club will be hosting outdoor chess in Malahide village (in conjunction with the Malahide Festival) Times: Saturday 27th July from 12:00pm -> 5:00pm and Sunday 28th July from 12:00pm -> 5:00pm Setup will be on New Street (which will be pedestrian-only for the weekend) ...just down the hill from their usual home venue. If you fancy a few friendly games or you want a crack at their Blitz Champion do drop by for this fun event: all comers welcome to participate. A favourite for some - the Garden Chess Set will be available both days.
 
Lost Knights
07-Apr-2013 This year's edition of the Lost Knights will begin in May and will be a 9 round FIDE rated competition. Matches will be played in club venues in Dublin (venues to be confirmed). It is hoped to have at least 2 groups of 10 players. Any players interested should contact the Tournament Director, Rory Delaney (rdelane@tcd.ie) for more details. Closing date for entries is Friday 12th April.
 
LCU Cup Competitions
07-Apr-2013 The Leinster Chess Union Cup Competitions (Branagan Cup, Killane Shield and William Brennan Trophy) are commencing shortly.
 
Malahide Millenium Tournament & Leinster Championships
23-Mar-2013 The Malahide Millenium Tournament incorporating the Leinster Championships 2013 are being held from Saturday 4th May to Monday 6th May 2013. The venue is the Hilton Dublin Airport Hotel, Northern Cross, Malahide Road, Dublin 17. There will be three sections, Senior (1800+), Intermediate (1400-1799) and Junior (under 1400).
 
e2e4 Dublin Easter International
23-Mar-2013 The e2e4 Dublin Easter Tournaments will take place from 28th March to 1st April 2013. The venue is the Green Isle Hotel, Newlands Cross, Naas Road, Dublin 22. There will be three sections - Masters, Challengers (Under 2000) and Major (Under 1750). The Masters will be a nine round swiss and commences on Thursday 28th. The Challengers and Major are both seven round swiss events and commence on Friday 29th.
 
Final Round of the Leagues
09-Mar-2013 The final round of the leagues will be held on Sunday 24th March 2013. The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Divisions 2, and 4 (Heidenfeld and O'Hanlon) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Teams must bring their own boards sets and clocks. Prizes will be presented at the completion of each session.
 
ICU Subscriptions
02-Jan-2013 Clubs are reminded that all players playing in the LCU leagues must be paid up members of the Irish Chess Union. Teams utilising players who are not current members of the ICU will not have any points awarded for matches where an unregistered player was declared. Click here for the list of ICU Subscribed Members.
 
Promotion to Division 4
02-Jan-2013 After automatic promotion and relagation at the end of the season, the number of teams in division four will be reduced to ten. To fill the two vacancies the committee have decided that there will be a play-off between the teams finishing third and fourth in division five and the winners of Group A and Group B from division six. The format of the play-off's will be decided at a later stage.
 
Curragh Chess Club have moved...
01-Jan-2013 The Curragh Chess Club have moved to new premises. From 1st January the club will be located at Teach Dara, Academy Street, Kildare Town (Exit 13 from M7). All club matches will be held here including Thursday night and Saturday Leinster League matches. The premises is fully wheelchair accessible with tea / coffee available. Access is from Exit 13 off the M7 same as Kildare Village Retail Outlet. Turn right at Tescos towards Town Centre (Monasterevin Road) and take next right approximately 200 metres from Tescos onto Academy St / Grey Abbey Rd. Teach Dara is 200 metres down this road on the left in the former De La Salle Brothers house.
 
LCU Christmas Blitz
24-Nov-2012 The annual LCU Christmas Blitz will take place on Wednesday 19th December 2012 in the Ierne Sports & Social Club (home of Elm Mount Chess Club), Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Registration will be between 7.45 and 8.00 pm, with play commenceing at 8.15 pm sharp. Entry fee 5 Euro. This is always a great fun night, so come along and get the Christmas season off to a flying start. There will be loads of prizes and finger food (included in cost of entry) will be served during the evening.
 
Fischer Time Control
21-Nov-2012 The motion passed at the 2011 AGM to permit the use of the Fischer time control for divisions one and two allowed for two time controls. The two time controls were one hour thirty minutes with a thirty second increment from move one and one hour fifty minutes with a ten second increment from move one. When the league rules were updated the second Fischer option was ommitted. This notice is to advise players that it is within the rules to play either Fischer time control.
 
League Rules
21-Sep-2012 The updated rules for the LCU Leagues have been published. Team captains and players are urged to familiarise themselves with the new rules. The majority of disputes that have arisen over the last number of seasons could have been avoided if the players involved had read the rules. The League Rules can be downloaded by clicking on the 'League Rules' link on the left panel. The following are the main amendments.
Rule 7.9
In case of a dispute the home team are responsible for making available a copy of the current LCU league rules and a copy of the current FIDE rules
Rule 7.12
The old rule 11.6 (loss of game due to illegal move) has been deleted. This new rule clarifies the procedure to follow when a player makes an illegal move.
Rule 7.4
The rules have been amended to allow the Fischer mode time control to be used for games played in divisions one and two. The time control for games in division six has been reduced to one hour per player for all moves.
Rule 12.4
Recording of moves. This rule has been amended due to the introduction of the Fischer time control.
 
Amended Fixtures
07-Sep-2012 Fixtures for Division 2 (Heidenfeld) and Division 3 (Ennis) have been amended. Kilkenny have withdrawn from the Ennis. St Benildus will play in the Heidenfeld next season having replaced Bray /Greystones who have dropped down a division to play in the Ennis. There are no changes to any of the fixture dates. The complete amended fixture list can be downloaded by clicking on the 'LCU Fixtures 2012 - 2013' link on the left panel.
 
City of Dublin Championships
04-Sep-2012 The City of Dublin Championships are being held from Friday 7th September to Sunday 9th September in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. A prize fund of €3,500 will be on offer, subject to entry. There will be four sections, Masters, Majors, Challengers and Juniors.
 
Fixtures 2012-2013
13-Aug-2012 Next seasons fixtures for divisions one to five have been published and may be viewed by following the divisional links on the left. They are also available in Excel format, click on the 'LCU Fixtures 2012 - 2013' link on the left to download.
 
Dun Laoghaire Rapidplay
01-Jul-2012 Dun Laoghaire Chess Club are hosting their annual one day rapidplay tournament on Sunday 19th August 2012. Click here for full details and entry form.
 
Leinster Cups
23-Apr-2012 The league phase of the three cup competitions are under way. All the fixtures results and tables can be viewed by following the links in the left panel.
 
Malahide Millenium Tournamet & Leinster Championships
14-Apr-2012 The Malahide Millenium Tournament incorporating the Leinster Championships 2012 are being held from Saturday 5th May to Monday 7th May 2012. The venue is the Hilton Dublin Airport Hotel, Northern Cross, Malahide Road, Dublin 17. There will be three sections, Senior (1800+), Intermediate (1400-1799) and Junior (under 1400). Full details and information on how to enter are available by clicking on the following link. Malahide Millenium
 
LCU Junior Grand Prix
27-Mar-2012 The final round of the LCU Junior Grand Prix took place on the 25th March. Congratulations to all those who took part! The winners were:
  • Overall - Ramiro Zambrana
  • 12 & Under - Eibhia Ní Mhuireagáin
  • 10 & Under - Fiachra Scallan
  • 8 & Under - Cillian Scallan
For more details go to leinsterjuniorchess.com
 
e2e4 Dublin Easter International
12-Mar-2012 The e2e4 Dublin Easter Tournaments will take place from 5th to 9th April 2012. The venue is the Green Isle Hotel, Newlands Cross, Naas Road, Dublin 22. There will be three sections - Masters, Challengers (Under 2000) and Major (Under 1750). The Masters will be a nine round swiss and commences on Thursday 5th. The Challengers and Major are both seven round swiss events and commence on Friday 6th. Full details and information on how to enter are available by clicking on the following link. e2e4 Dublin International
 
Final Round of the Leagues
12-Mar-2012 The final round of the leagues will be held on Sunday 1st April 2012. The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 (Heidenfeld, O'Hanlon and Bodley) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Teams must bring their own boards sets and clocks. Prizes will be presented at the completion of each session.
 
Novices Division
06-Feb-2012 The Novices Division has commenced. Click on the link in the left panel for all the fixtures and results. Scorecards must be completed by the team captains after each match and returned to the Controller Pat Fitzsimons. Blank scorecards are available by clicking on the following link. Novices League Scorecards.   Photos below show play in progress in two recent matches. Portmarnock v Elm Mount on the left and Ballinasloe v Naomh Barróg on the right.
Novices - Portmarnock v Elm MountNovices - Ballinasloe v Naomh Barróg
 
Leinster Junior Chess
24-Oct-2011 The Leinster Chess Union are pleased to announce a new programme to organize and develop junior chess within the province. The LCU Junior Committee has been formed to oversee this new initiative. Those tasked with co-ordinating this very important work are John Delaney, Gerry Smith and Ciaran Quinn. Full details are available by following the Leinster Junior Chess link in the right panel. The next junior event is taking place on Sunday 13th November 2011 in the Stillorgan Park Hotel. Click here for details.
 
Novices League
23-Oct-2011 The Novices League (O’ Connell Cup competition) will be running again this season. Teams will comprise of 4 players who are unrated or who have an ICU rating of less than 1000. Please note that entries from schools or clubs that are not currently affiliated to the Leinster Chess Union are also welcome. This is a great event to introduce young players to competitive chess and an opportunity to play as part of a team. The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 11th November 2011. Full details and information on how to enter are available by clicking on the following link. Novices League
 
New Online Match Results Service
07-Oct-2011 A new online Match Results Service is being introduced this season. All team declarations, player declarations and match results will in future be required to be input online. This will streamline the collection of results and will benefit the league controllers in updating the results in preparation for publication on the website. Team captains will also find the process of returning results much quicker and simpler. There is a guide available to assist in completing the various forms. If anybody experiences any problems or issues using the service please contact the Leagues Controller. Click on the Online Results link on the left panel to access.
 
Fixtures for the 2011-2012 season now available
14-Sep-2011 Next seasons fixtures for divisions one to five have been published and may be viewed by following the divisional links on the left. They are also available in Excel format, click on the 'LCU Fixtures 2011 - 2012' link on the left to download.
 
IM Norm Tournament
10-Aug-2011 The Leinster Chess Union is hosting an International Masters Norm Tournament from Friday 26th to Thursday 30th August 2011 in the Metro Airport Hotel in Ballymun. Click here for full details.
 
City of Dublin Championships
07-Aug-2011 The City of Dublin Championships are being held from Friday 2nd September to Sunday 4th September in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1. A prize fund of €3,000 will be on offer, subject to entry. There will be four sections, Masters, Majors, Challengers and Juniors. Click here for full details and entry form.
 
Dun Laoghaire Rapidplay
12-Jul-2011 Dun Laoghaire Chess Club are hosting a one day rapidplay tournament on Sunday 14th August 2011. Click here for full details and entry form.
 
Ennis Open
03-May-2011 The 5th annual Ennis open will take place in the Auburn Lodge Hotel on the Gort Road in Ennis on the weekend of 20th- 22nd May 2011. Click here for contact details.
 
Leinster Championships
Leinster Champion John Joyce29-Apr-2011 The Leinster Chess Championships took place in the Teacher’s Club, Dublin over the Easter weekend 22nd – 24th April. 65 players took part in the tournament competing in 4 different playing sections. Winner of the Masters section and Leinster Champion 2011 was John Joyce (pictured right receiving his trophy from Rory Delaney) from Bray / Greystones Chess Club. Rory Delaney (Dublin University) won the Majors section. The Challengers was won by William Ffrench (Elm Mount) and the Junior section was won by Zaran Butt. Click on the link under Tournament Reports in the right panel for full report and results.
Philip Hogarty Rapid Play & Irish Blitz Championship
21-Apr-2011 The above two tournaments are taking place on Saturday 14th May 2011 at the Academy Plaza Hotel, Findlater Place (off O'Connell Street), Dublin 1. Click here for full details.
 
Mick Germaine Cup - team event for juniors / novices
03-Apr-2011 The Leinster Chess Union (LCU) is pleased to announce a new competition for teams of juniors / novices that will take place on Saturday 28th May 2011 in the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Registration is from 10am to 11am with round 1 starting promptly at 11am. The event is for teams of 4 players who have no ICU rating or have an ICU rating of 900 or less (by reference to the May 2011 rating list) and who are under 16 years of age on 1st May 2011. It will be a swiss tournament with 5 rounds of matches with a break for lunch for one hour at around 1pm. The time control is 30 minutes per player per game. All equipment will be provided by the LCU.
Entry fee is 16 euro per team which can be paid on 28th May at registration. Teams from schools can also enter the tournament. Teams will be competing for the "Mick Germaine Cup".
For entries and / or further enquiries email Pat Fitzsimons at mastergame100@hotmail.com, or by phone at 087 4195253.
 
Fixtures for Cup competitions
02-Apr-2011 Fixtures for the Branagan Cup, Killane Shield and the William Brennan Trophy have been published. First round matches to be completed by 15th April. Click the links in the left panel for full details.
 
Kilkenny Chess Club win their first Armstrong Cup
Armstrong Cup winners 201113-Mar-2011 Kilkenny have been crowned Champions of Leinster for the first time in the club's history. Having finished as runners up in four of the last five seasons they finally got their hands on the Armstrong Cup by beating Bray / Greystones 6 - 2 in the final round. They finished the season with 62 points, 1½ points ahead of Gonzaga in second place. They were pushed all the way by Gonzaga who finished the season strongly by winning their final three matches 7 - 1. The winning point that secured the title was won by a stalwart of Irish chess, Eamon Keogh. Incredably, considering the number of years that Eamon has been playing in the Leinster leagues, this was the first occasion he has played on a winning Armstrong Cup team. Pictured are members of the winning Kilkenny team. Back row from left to right, Sean Bradley, Maurice Buckley, Ryan Rhys Griffiths, Alexander Baburin, Darko Polimac, Mark Quinn and John Courtney. Front row Eamon Keogh, Peter Scott, LCU Leagues Controller and Jack Lowry, President of the Kilkenny Chess Club.
 
North Dublin Chess League
06-Mar-2011 Members of Naomh Barróg Chess Club are planning to run a league during the summer months for players rated 1400 to 1800. This is an individual event. Players will be divided into sections and the format will be round-robin. Click on the following link for full details. North Dublin Chess League
 
Leinster Chess Championships
21-Feb-2011 The Leinster Chess Championships are taking place over the Easter weekend, 22nd to 24th April 2011. There will be a prize fund of €2,500, subject to entry. There are four sections - Masters (2000 +), Majors (1600 - 1999), Challengers (1200 - 1599), Juniors (1199 or under, including unrated players). The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Full schedule and details on the entry form. Download entry form here.
 
Final Round of the Leagues
15-Feb-2011 The final round of the leagues will be held on Sunday 13th March 2011. The venue is the Teachers Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. Divisions 2, 4 and 6 (Heidenfeld, O'Hanlon and Bodley) will be played in the morning. Divisions 1, 3 and 5 (Armstrong, Ennis and BEA) will be played in the afternoon. The morning session will commence at 10am and the afternoon session will commence at 3pm. Teams must bring their own boards sets and clocks.
 
LCU Cup Competitions
13-Feb-2011 Entries are now being accepted for the Branagan Cup, Killane Shield and the William Brennan Trophy. Matches will be played over six boards in all matches. There will be no obligation for teams to nominate a panel of players in any of the competitions. Players may only play for one team in each of the three competitions. The Branagan Cup is limited to players who have played in the Armstrong Cup (Division 1) or the Heidenfeld Trophy (Division 2) in the current season. The Killane Shield is for players who have played in Divisions 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the current season. The William Brennan Trophy is open to all players rated below 1500 on the January 2011 rating list. Fixtures and results will be posted on the website (links in the left panel). Download entry form here.
 
Ballinasloe retain O'Connell Cup
O'Connell Cup winners 201101-Feb-2011 The first of the Leinster Chess Union's league competitions for 2010/11 was completed recently with Ballinasloe Chess Club's novices league team winning the O'Connell Cup for the second year running. The Novices league is in its second year of existence and is designed to give clubs newer, predominantly younger players, valuable competitive experience in a team and league environment. After an exciting contest involving 7 teams, the Ballinasloe youngsters emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, on tie break from the Blanchardstown Rooks with whom they finished level on points. Ballinasloe's 3 -1 win in the individual game between the teams earlier in the season ultimately proved decisive. Elm Mount Chess Club finished in third position. Gerry O'Connell from St Benildus Chess club very kindly donated the Cup for teams competing in the Novices league. Follow the Novices Division link in the left panel for detailed results. Pictured above are the winning Ballinasloe team receiving their trophies, from left to right, Daniel McMorrow, Conor Bleahene, Shane Bleahene, Conor Kelly and Gerry O'Connell.
 
Postponements
02-Dec-2010 Due to the adverse weather conditions all matches scheduled for Sat 04 Dec 10 have been postponed. The matches will be re-scheduled in the New Year. If the weather has not improved next week team captains should give their opponents as much notice as possible if they are unable to travel. Teams should contact the divisional controller in advance if they wish to seek a postponement.
 
Christmas Blitz
20-Nov-2010 The annual LCU Christmas Blitz will take place on Wednesday 15th December 2010 in the Ierne Sports & Social Club (home of Elm Mount Chess Club), Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. Registration will be between 7.45 and 8.00 pm, with play commenceing at 8.15 pm sharp. Entry fee 5 Euro. This is always a great fun night, so come along and get the Christmas season off to a flying start. There will be loads of prizes and finger food (included in cost of entry) will be served during the evening.
 
League Rules 2010 - 2011
12-Sep-2010 The rules for the 2010 - 2011 season are now available to download. Team captains should print a copy of the rules and have them available when they are playing their home matches (Rule 6.10). The rules relating to the declaration of players have been amended (Rules 5.4 and 5.5). Team captains should familiarise themselves with the new rules especially relating to the use of substitutes during the season.
 
City of Dublin Championships
15-Jul-2010 The 2010 City of Dublin Championships will take place from Friday 3rd September to Sunday 5th September 2010. The Venue will be the Academy Hotel, 10-14 Findlater Place, Dublin1. The venue is centrally located just off O'Connell Street. There will be four playing sections - Masters (2000 and over), Major (1600-1999), Challengers (1200-1599), Juniors (under 1200 and unrated players).
 
Fixtures for the 2010-2011 season now available
26-Jun-2010 Next seasons fixtures for divisions one to five have been published and may be viewed by following the divisional links on the left. They are also available in Excel format, click on the 'LCU Fixtures 2010 - 2011' link on the left to download. A new feature Upcoming Fixtures has been added to the site. This will be updated weekly during the season and will list the fixtures for all divisions for approximately the following two weeks.
 
Elm Mount Chess Club win their first Armstrong Cup
Elm Mount Chess Club have won the Armstrong Cup and are Champions of Leinster for the very first time. In a very tense and exciting finish the team from Drumcondra in North Dublin defeated St Benildus 6 - 2 during the final round of matches played on Sunday 14th March in the Esplanade Hotel Bray, Co Wicklow. When pre match favourites Kilkenny beat a weakened Dublin University team 7 - 1 the signs were ominous that Elm Mount or St Benildus who had shared the lead on 51 points entering the last round a point and a half ahead of third place Kilkenny, could garner enough points to ensure victory. In the style of champions they battled hard in every game where even a draw conceded could have meant the difference between winning and losing. In the end they recorded their best win of the season winning six of the eight games, losing just two with no draws. After four hours of play and watched by his very nervous team mates and a large crowd, the winning point was secured appropiately by the Elm Mount captain Ciaran Quinn when he defeated Tim McCarthy in the last game to finish.  This victory was Elm Mount's tenth of the season, their only defeat occurred in the second round when they lost 4 ½ – 3 ½ to eventual third place team Gonzaga. The win was achieved as a result of a great team effort by all the Elm Mount players as witnessed by the fact that they only needed to use one sub during the whole season (Terry Creighton contributing a very valuable point in round 8). Seven of the panel played in all eleven rounds and the eight member played in ten rounds, missing only one game due to illness. The Elm Mount team was Ciaran Quinn (Capt.), Bernard Boyle, Oliver Dunne, David Fitzsimons, Zygimantas Jakubauskas, Alan MacDonagh, Gerard MacElligott and Adam Spirek.
The final standings were - 1st Elm Mount A 57 Pts., 2nd Kilkenny 56½ Pts., 3rd Gonzaga 53½ Pts., 4th St Benildus 53 Pts. Spare a thought for Kilkenny who have finished runners-up in four of the last five seasons. At the other end of the table Elm Mount's second team were unable to hold on to their Division 1 status and were relegated along with Celbridge to play in Division 2 next season.
 
Heidenfeld Trophy (Div 2)
After being relegated from the Armstrong (Div1) last season, both Malahide and Rathmines have bounced right back at the first attempt by winning and finishing second respectively in the Heidenfeld Trophy (Div2). The relegation spots were filled by Rathhmines B and Wicklow.
 
Ennis Shield (Div 3)
In the Ennis Shield (Div3), victory and promotion went to St Benildus. Balbriggan secured promotion for the second year in a row by finishing second. Phibsboro and Finglas finished in the bottom two and will play in division 4 next season.
 
O'Hanlon Cup (Div 4)
Rathmines secured a second promotion for the club by winning the O'Hanlon Cup (Div4) title. The second promotion spot is still undecided. Portmarnock finished second but face a challenge from Naomh Barróg who finished 3rd a ½ point behind. Naomh Barróg have the right to challenge Portmarnock under rule 4.4 of the Leinster Chess Union league rules.
 
BEA Cup (Div 5)
The BEA Cuothp (Div5) was won by Celbridge, second place went to Naomh Barróg. Both teams are promoted to division 4 next season. As there were only eleven teams in the BEA this year only one team gets demoted. Inchicore were the unlucky team here.
 
Bodley Cup (Div 6)
The Bodley Cup (Div6) had only seven teams competing for the title this year. There were two new entries to the leagues this year. Cavan rejoined the ranks after many years absense and Ballinasloe became the Union's newest member. Both teams proved too strong for the rest of the opposition and cruised to promotion. Ballinasloe won the individual battle and secured the title at their first attempt.
 
To finish…….
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the controllers of the various divisions for their help and dedication during the season. Without their assistence the leagues would not run as smoothly as they do. To Mervyn Honner, John Crowley, Gerry Smith and Denis Dempsey thanks for a job well done.
 
Peter Scott
Leinster Chess Union Leagues Controller
17-Mar-2010
 
LCU Blog
The LCU blog is up and running. Your webmaster has set up this great facility to get all you enthusiastic chess players discussing and debating all things chess. It is also a great location to post notices and reminders of upcoming chess events. To start blogging or if you just want to peruse other players rambles or grumbles click the link on the right hand panel.
 
Daily Puzzles
We are delighted to announce that J.J. Walsh, Irish Times chess correspondent, has agreed to provide us with puzzles from his Irish Times columns. He will be dipping into his puzzle archives stretching back 30 years. These will be put up here for our entertainment and edification!
 
Future Website Plans
We have plans to expand the use of this website so that it incorporates more than just fixtures and results. Our plans are to publish news stories, annotated games, player profiles, club profiles etc... and to encourage players to visit and use the site and give some wider exposure to chess activity. To make this a success and a website we all share in and benefit from, we are asking for input from clubs and players. The long term aim is that each club would have an individual login through which they can submit content without needing action from the webmasters. While this is under construction we would like people to submit news stories and annotated games (in pgn format), reuslts with a short report of matches etc... which we will manually place on the website.
 
At present on the website we have information regarding each club here. Can you all please review the section relating to your own club and ensure the details are accurate and sufficient? This information can be a valuable resource to people looking for chess clubs and attracting new players. It is important that it contains contact details and accurate up to date information.