A total of 48 players took part in the Galway Rapidplay on 14 June, nearly twice as many as last year.  Reigning Irish Champion Colm Daly and the previous ICU Chairperson Jonathan O’Connor ran away from the rest of the field; each of them won every one of their games except when they drew with […]

We have decided that it is summer, and in summer we meet informally in a pub rather than in the Bridge Centre.  I don’t quite know why, but that has become our tradition.  So, until sometime in September, if you want to join us for some chess, please come along to the Cottage Bar, Salthill.  As […]

  In the most exciting National Club Championship for many years, Galway came second, being narrowly pipped for first place by Adare, by half a game point.  By coming second, Galway has qualified as one of the two teams to represent Ireland in the European Club Cup which will be held in Bilbao in September.  […]

The Galway Winter League is over, and we have a new champion: Conall Hegarty.  In a play-off of two rapid games (one each with white and black) between the joint winners, Conall beat the reigning champion Joona Kiinski 2-0.  The games were extremely tense and exciting: two Sicilians, both featuring opposite-side castling (Conall castled queen-side […]

Galway Chess Club AGM will take place at our club room in the Bridge Centre, starting at 8 p.m.  As usual we are looking for volunteers to help run the club, and ideas on how it can be even better. All are welcome to attend, but only paid-up members can vote. The AGM will be our […]

A tense and hard-fought final round saw two of the five leaders – Joona Kiiski and Conall Hegarty – win their games and finish in a tie for first place on 5½ points out of 7.  Who the overall winner will be, and where the Winter League Cup will live for the next 12 months, […]

Ballinasloe will be the centre of Irish chess this month.  On the final weekend in April the National Club Championships will be taking place there, and Galway Chess Club will be entering a team, hoping to improve on last year’s third place.  Two weeks earlier (11 to 13 April) the Irish Junior Championships will be […]

This Thursday (20 March) many of our more dedicated members will be playing in a team match in Ballinasloe.  The Club will be open for anybody who wishes to come along but there may not be anybody there who can get access to the equipment.  Hence you are encouraged to bring your own set (and […]

The position at the top of the Winter League is getting even more congested.  Going into round 6 last Thursday, four players were tied in the lead: Joona Kiiski, Carlos Silva, Conall Hegarty, and Henryk Raczkowiak.  They were paired against each other, and both games were hard-fought draws; this spectator thought that white was slightly […]

The February Blitz resulted in a resounding victory for Brendan Buckley who stormed through everybody, winning as convincingly as could be, with 8/8.  (And thus going one better then Joona the month before, who ‘only’ managed 7/7.)  Second was Jason Rawlinson with 6½ points from 8 (losing to Brendan drawing with newcomer Aoghan O Hiarlaithe, […]