Amstrong Cup 2016/17

cdeb

Time for a new season - the fixtures have been released.

Hard to see beyond Gonzaga for a three-in-a-row if they want it. Behind them - hopefully is St Benildus' turn for second place at last?!

The relegation battle will be interesting. Neither promoted side - Rathmines and Blanch - are obvious relegation candidates. Phibsboro and Kilkenny fairly pulled it out of the fire last year, but you'd imagine one of those two will go down this year unless they've some new players.

Tim Harding

cdeb wrote: »

Time for a new season - the fixtures have been released.

Hard to see beyond Gonzaga for a three-in-a-row if they want it. Behind them - hopefully is St Benildus' turn for second place at last?!

The relegation battle will be interesting. Neither promoted side - Rathmines and Blanch - are obvious relegation candidates. Phibsboro and Kilkenny fairly pulled it out of the fire last year, but you'd imagine one of those two will go down this year unless they've some new players.

Gonzaga v Elm Mount in round 1 should set the tone.
Trinity don't play Gonzaga until the last round so it is up to others to perform if you want the league to still be undecided at that stage.
Benildus play Gonzaga in round 9 which will be important if the race is still open.

checknraise

Is it not up to Trinity to keep the pace with Gonzaga? Cant really hope that other teams will do you a favor.

I dont see Blanchardstown or Rathmines getting relegated. I think it will be 2 of Phibsboro, Kilkenny or Dublin to go down.

Tim Harding

checknraise wrote: »

Is it not up to Trinity to keep the pace with Gonzaga? Cant really hope that other teams will do you a favor.

I dont see Blanchardstown or Rathmines getting relegated. I think it will be 2 of Phibsboro, Kilkenny or Dublin to go down.

I doubt if Trinity know their strongest team yet. As it stands we have lost Oisin Benson and don't have a replacement.

Our first match is always postponed because term has not started. If we gain a strong recruit or two from new undergraduates/ postgraduates then we might have a chance, and I can retire from league play.

(I might play three matches just to be qualified to play top board in the NCC again!)

cdeb

First game of the season underway so - with Board 1 postponed due to the Olympiad.

Was Benildus 4½-½ Bray when I was leaving; don't know how the last two boards finished up.

mikhail

cdeb wrote: »

First game of the season underway so - with Board 1 postponed due to the Olympiad.

Was Benildus 4½-½ Bray when I was leaving; don't know how the last two boards finished up.

6-1 in the end.

Past_Pawn_99

Balbriggan 4 - 4 Blanchardstown

Some close games could have gone either way.

sodacat11

I can't understand why strong players are bothered to play on boards 5 to 8 in the Armstrong for teams who they know are going to win the league in a canter. I would sooner play board 2 or 3 for a relegation threatened team than 7 or 8 for the definite champions. Where is the satisfaction in beating a heap of players rated hundreds of points below you?

pawntof4

sodacat11 wrote: »

I can't understand why strong players are bothered to play on boards 5 to 8 in the Armstrong for teams who they know are going to win the league in a canter. I would sooner play board 2 or 3 for a relegation threatened team than 7 or 8 for the definite champions. Where is the satisfaction in beating a heap of players rated hundreds of points below you?

Maybe the group of player you are referring to are mates and enjoy playing for the same club.

sodacat11

pawntof4 wrote: »

Maybe the group of player you are referring to are mates and enjoy playing for the same club.

That's understandable but then why not split the strength and have two Armstrong teams? It would certainly make for a healthier league. As it stands it is just like Scottish football, everyone knows that Celtic are going to win every season before the first match is even played.

cdeb

Cos they don't have two teams in the Armstrong? You can't just ask for a second team because you're strong.

Presuming it's Gonzaga you're talking about, they may well do that in two years' time.

Tim Harding

What happened in Gonzaga v Elm Mount on Saturday? Was Conor's game postponed or did they play without him?

Trinity won 6.5-1.5 last night v Phibsboro according to the ICU ticker (I wasn't playing).

checknraise

4-2 Gonzaga with 2 games to play

wickla2

That was a bit of a hammering. I think Benildus have a settled team. Looks like Gonzaga are going to walk it again but 2nd place is up for grabs and a lot of teams will be in contention for that.

macelligott

Round 1 Gonzaga 4.5 - 2.5 Elm Mount (1 game postponed)

Tim Harding

ICU ticker says Trinity 4 Benildus 4. (We actually had to play away because of a new college rule that meetings must end by 10pm. This will mean some of our other home matches must be rearranged; the captain is negotiating this.)

I lost and we had won two games (boards 3 and 5) and drawn board 2 when I left. 4-4 looks about right on the positions at that stage.

Superficially this result helps Gonzaga but it also means both clubs are still in the hunt if they can score well in other matches. Both Trinity and Benildus also play Elm Mount (usually one of the stronger sides) before Christmas. Nor can we rule other clubs out of contention. Dublin scored 6.5 in round 1.

Rathminor

Rathmines 5 3 Dun Laoghaire

macelligott

Round 2. Elm Mount 7.5 - 0.5 Phibsboro

Tim Harding

What about Blanchardstown v Dublin?

wickla2

Dun Laoghaire beat Blanchardstown 5-3

Tim Harding

wickla2 wrote: »

Dun Laoghaire beat Blanchardstown 5-3

Thanks but according to the fixture list on the LCU site the Dublin-Blanchardstown round 2 match was supposed to be played on 28 September. There is still no result up there; was it postponed?

Also still no result in the postponed board 1 game between Stephen Brady and Colm Daly?

Trinity are playing at Bray on Saturday; it was postponed at Bray's suggestion because there was to have been a bus strike yesterday.

Rathminor

Gonzaga 6:1 Rathmines
Last board being played on Monday

Tim Harding

Bray 3 Trinity 5. Unfortunately we had to field two reserves.

Warning to anyone going to play at Bray's new Christchurch venue: bring your thermal underwear, scarf and a warm hat!

Ciaran

Tim Harding wrote: »

Bray 3 Trinity 5. Unfortunately we had to field two reserves.

Warning to anyone going to play at Bray's new Christchurch venue: bring your thermal underwear, scarf and a warm hat!

I didn't know Bray had a new venue. Leinsterchess and Bray's website still have the Esplanade hotel listed. Is this a parish hall or something at the church?

Tim Harding

Ciaran wrote: »

I didn't know Bray had a new venue. Leinsterchess and Bray's website still have the Esplanade hotel listed. Is this a parish hall or something at the church?

It's a prefab behind the Church of Ireland. I am not sure if all their matches will be there, maybe only Saturdays? You would have to ask the local players.

checknraise

Gonzaga 7.5 Kilkenny .5 and Gonzaga 7 Rathmines 1

macelligott

Round 3
St. Benildus 2-6 Elm Mount

cdeb

Ah jayz. What happened there? It all looked level enough when I left - granted, we were 1-0 down, but thought we looked better in a couple of the others and worse in others, but overall it was looking close enough.

Maybe I didn't look closely enough!

macelligott

Postponed game Round 1. Gonzaga v Elm Mount. Board 1. Sam Collins beat David Fitzsimons. Final score Gonzaga 5.5-2.5 Elm Mount

Tim Harding

This afternoon round 4 match: Trinity 5 Balbriggan 3. We had to field two reserves again, both of whom got good positions but eventually drew. Anyway it's an improvement for us on last year when we only drew 4-4 away. But it's pretty clear we are not going to be in contention for the title.

I have now played my three games to qualify for the NCC so GM Sebastian Maze had better watch out.
He ducked my challenge last time round; will he come to Dublin next March?

Tim Harding

The LCU website now has all results for rounds 1-3 except the round 1 postponed game Daly-Brady. Has it been played?
Does anyone know whether ICU will send the results to FIDE for rating in November or do they have to wait for that game?
(It probably doesn't affect me much personally as two of my three opponents so far are unrated by FIDE so presumably those games will only be rated by ICU.)

I see it's Blanchardstown v Gonzaga tonight.

checknraise

Gonzaga 7 Blanchardstown 1

EnPassant

checknraise wrote: »

Gonzaga 7 Blanchardstown 1

Elm Mount's meagre 2.5 against Gonzaga is looking better every day ...

Tim Harding

Looks like the Armstrong will again be decided with two rounds to go. Elm Mount are indeed in a strong position for runner-up, for which their round 5 match against Trinity will be decisive perhaps.

Until Gonzaga's second team gets promoted (two years away?) the whole thing will remain pretty boring.

cdeb

Tim Harding wrote: »

Until Gonzaga's second team gets promoted (two years away?) the whole thing will remain pretty boring.

Probably true, but hardly Gonzaga's fault.

It's up to other clubs to catch up and make things interesting again.

Those clubs with more active junior sections - Gonzaga, Benildus, Blanch and Rathmines in particular - are starting to see this translate into a stronger Armstrong presence, at the expense of clubs like Phibsboro and Kilkenny, who don't have the players coming through any more (though I believe Kilkenny in particular are rectifying this again down the lower divisions). And then there's other clubs who are rising through the divisions as well of course - Enniscorthy, Skerries, Naomh Barróg, etc. I'm sure I've missed a couple too.

So strong junior set-up => strong Armstrong team, and maybe even an Armstrong B team, which makes sense. Gonzaga have set quite a target, but it's up to other clubs to try reach it, and restructure their club nights and events if necessary.

wine and final destination

Anyone know what the story is with the Elm Mount and Bray game as its scheduled for the same week as the ECC where Bray are playing?

Tim Harding

wine and final destination wrote: »

Anyone know what the story is with the Elm Mount and Bray game as its scheduled for the same week as the ECC where Bray are playing?

A little birdie told me Bray have withdrawn from the ECC and indeed they no longer appear on the list of provisional participants:
http://euroclubcup2016.com/participants/

So I guess the Armstrong match will go ahead as scheduled?

Meanwhile I see on the LCU site that the unplayed top board game between Bray and Benildus is now listed as "Void" which possibly means it is scored 0-0 because of not being arranged by a deadline? Or perhaps some board member can enlighten us about this?

cdeb

The Armstrong has been rated now, so either a result had to be entered in order to send the ratings in, or else it simply has been deemed way too late.

I think Bray were looking from the outset to play in early November, but I don't know were we agreeing with that or what was happening.

macelligott

I can confirm that The Round 4 Elm Mount v Bray match will be played on Monday 7th as scheduled.

Tim Harding

cdeb wrote: »

The Armstrong has been rated now, so either a result had to be entered in order to send the ratings in, or else it simply has been deemed way too late.

I think Bray were looking from the outset to play in early November, but I don't know were we agreeing with that or what was happening.

I reckon ICU had to score the game 0-0 in order to complete the round and be able to submit rounds 1-2 for FIDE rating on time. Maybe a lesson there for teams in future who seek postponements.

cdeb

Kilkenny 3½-4½ St Benildus

wine and final destination

Any update on dublins game from saturday or elm mount bray last night?

EnPassant

Elm Mount 4.5 Bray 3.5

Rathminor

Dublin 7 Dun Laoghaire 1

cdeb

Jayz. Dublin are flying.

Also, I make it that there's a half point between the bottom five teams, with Phibsboro and Blanch a small bit ahead but with a match extra played. Going to be very tight for the two relegation spots, it seems.

HaraldSchmidt

So far, Gonzaga 4 Dublin 3, with one game to be played this coming week, Carl Jackson vs Martin Schmidt. Eddie O'Connor smashed Henry Lee with a very nice piece sac. Certainly very unexpected, as was Gonzaga switching their boards 1 and 2. Sneaky, but within the 150 point rule!

wine and final destination

Tight match alright! Eddie is having a great season! Any word on the bray game or benildus match?

cdeb

Benildus beat Rathmines 6.5-1.5

wine and final destination

Gonzaga 5-3 Dublin

macelligott

Armstrong Round 5 TCD 5.5 - 2.5 Elm Mount

checknraise

Gonzaga 6.5 Dun Laoghaire 1.5