Amstrong Cup 2016/17

Tim Harding

What happened in the Phibsboro-Dun Laoghaire relegation crunch match?

ishidaogo

4-3 to DL

Rathminor

Final score
Dublin University 5.5 Rathmines 2.5

Tim Harding

LCU are now applying the usual temporary deduction of points to get teams to register players with the ICU:

http://www.leinsterchess.com/lcu1617/div1/table.htm

However, it looks as if Dublin will take some catching for the runner-up medals. Trinity still have a chance as we play Dublin in March, but even if we get ahead it may not be enough as we play Gonzaga last.

Sharkey47

It makes a complete nonsense of the league table and should be reversed. The relegation battle is really interesting , not that you can tell from the scrambled league table.

Tim Harding

Sharkey47 wrote: »

It makes a complete nonsense of the league table and should be reversed. The relegation battle is really interesting , not that you can tell from the scrambled league table.

This always happens in February. I gather Trinity's fees are all paid now, and maybe other clubs have paid up now but maybe LCC are behind in being informed or just haven't got round to updating the table.

Does anyone know the Saturday results, Gonzaga-Phibsboro and Dublin-Bray?

checknraise

Gonzaga 7 Phibsboro 1 and Dublin 4.5 Bray 3.5

Tim Harding

checknraise wrote: »

Gonzaga 7 Phibsboro 1 and Dublin 4.5 Bray 3.5

Phibsboro are pretty much doomed to relegation then and Gonzaga nearly home.

Some points have been restored on the table. The picture in the fight for second to fifth places and to avoid 11th will become clearer when round 8 is completed. The other relegation place is likely to be fought out to the very end.

Past_Pawn_99

Blanch 1.5 - 4.5 Trinity with two games to play next week.

macelligott

Armstrong Round 8: Rathmines 3.5 - 4.5 Elm Mount

ishidaogo

DL 3.5 St B 3.5 drawn

Tim Harding

The first two matches of round 9 were due to be played today:
Balbriggan-Phibsboro and Kilkenny-Rathmines.
Can somebody please post the results here?

I heard that Trinity won their two postponed games v Blanchardstown.

So here is the situation after 8 completed rounds, assuming that Blacnchardstown eventually recover the 1 point deducted (for an unregistered player?) and Phibsboro recover the 17.5 points withheld on the table at
http://www.leinsterchess.com/lcu1617/div1/table.htm

Gonzaga 52.5
Dublin 43.5
Trinity 42
Elm Mount 38.5
Benildus 34

Rathmines AND Bray/Greystones 26.5
Kilkenny 25.5
Dun Laoghaire 25
Balbriggan 23.5
Blanchardstown 22
Phibsboro 19.5

Rathminor

Kilkenny 6.5 Rathmines 1.5

Tim - I think your comment above on the one point deduction being reinstated relates to Balbriggan rather than Blanchardstown

Tim Harding

Rathminor wrote: »

Kilkenny 6.5 Rathmines 1.5

Tim - I think your comment above on the one point deduction being reinstated relates to Balbriggan rather than Blanchardstown

Yes, you are right. Thanks for the correction.
The ICU ticker is also now showing Balbriggan 5.5 Phibsboro 2.5

So the revised points now are:

Gonzaga 52.5 [to play Benildus on Wednesday]
Dublin 43.5
Trinity 42 [Dublin meet Trinity on Tuesday]
Elm Mount 38.5 [playing Blanchardstown tomorrow]
Benildus 34
Kilkenny 32 (after NINE rounds)
Balbriggan 29 (after NINE rounds)
Rathmines 28 (after NINE rounds)
Bray/Greystones 26.5 [playing Dun Laoghaire on Wednesday]
Dun Laoghaire 25
Blanchardstown 22
Phibsboro 22 (after NINE rounds)

So Phibsboro looked doomed with the other relegation spot likely to await the last few games of the last round to decide, because Rathmines play Blanchardstown in round 11.

macelligott

Thanks, Tim, for the analysis.
There is definitely still a lot to play for in the final rounds of the Armstrong this year. While first and last places look settled there is "competition" for the second relegation place and for second place overall.

Tim Harding

macelligott wrote: »

Thanks, Tim, for the analysis.
There is definitely still a lot to play for in the final rounds of the Armstrong this year. While first and last places look settled there is "competition" for the second relegation place and for second place overall.

Runners up get medals so it's certainly something to strive for if you like collecting stuff for the mantelpiece.

Are you sure you want your second team to get promoted from the Heidenfeld? Having two teams in the Armstrong puts a strain on a club I think.

cdeb

Elm Mount are looking unlikely to be promoted at this stage. 5 points behind with 3 games to go is a fair gap.

macelligott

Tim, We are happy to let St. Benildus have the honour of having two Armstrong teams :-)

macelligott

Armstrong Round 9:
Elm Mount 5-3 Blanchardstown

Tim Harding

Yesterday's results appeared on the ICU ticker: Gonzaga won 6-2 against Benildus and Dun Laoghaire beat Bray 5-3, so leapfrog them in the table. Dublin consolidated second place by holding Trinity to 4-4. I don't have individual results for any of these matches. I note Phibsboro defaulted board 8 in their latest match.

The LCU table still shows Balbriggan are deducted 1 point for registration and Phibsboro deducted nearly all their points.
If these are eventually restored the standings will look like this after the completed nine rounds:

Gonzaga 58.5
Dublin 47.5
Trinity 46
Elm Mount 43.5
Benildus 36
Kilkenny 32
Dun Laoghaire 30
Bray/Greystones 29.5
Balbriggan 29
Rathmines 28
Blanchardstown 25
Phibsboro 22

(This is assuming the points for defaults will NOT be restored.)

Tenth round pairings (in order of when they are due to be played) are:

Dublin-Elm Mount, Rathmines-Balbriggan and
Blanchardstown-Kilkenny on 11 March.
Phibsboro-Benildus on 20 March
Dun Laoghaire-Trinity on 22 March
Gonzaga-Bray on 25 March.

If Gonzaga win that match by 5.5-2.5 or better they win the Armstrong, but in reality they will need much less as Dublin and Trinity are unlikely to win their matches 8-0.
Phibsboro will be hoping Gonzaga whitewash Bray to keep their hopes of surviving alive until round 11. It could happen.
Rathmines and Balbriggan have a chance of securing themselves against relegation by scoring a heavy win (putting the other in jeopardy) or drawing 4-4 to make both virtually safe. Not that I am making any improper suggestion of course... Blanchardstown will want that to be a proper match with a clear winner.

Effectively round 11 (after Easter) is only of interest as deciding the runner-up spot and the second relegation spot.

Tim Harding

The table is now updated on the LCU website after nine rounds:

http://www.leinsterchess.com/lcu1617/div1/table.htm

All teams except Phibsboro have their points restored. We can take it they are doomed if they cannot be bothered to register the player(s) concerned.

Three matches from Round 10 are being played tomorrow; two of them are very relevant for the fight to avoid relegation and the other to the battle for second place:
Rathmines v Balbriggan
Blanchardstown v Kilkenny
Dublin v Elm Mount

I thought matches were not suppose to be played the same weekend as tournaments but I think Galway announced their dates only after the fixture list was arranged.
The rest are the week after next.

cdeb

The leagues avoid clashes with LCU approved tournaments. So Leinster events and big weekenders like Bunratty and Kilkenny. Other ones (like galway) can clash as otherwise there wouldn't be enough weekends for the leagues. Teams are free to reschedule of course

Past_Pawn_99

Blanchardstown 2.5 - 5.5 Kilkenny

Rathminor

Rathmines 5 Balbriggan 3

cdeb

So that's Blanch effectively relegated then, to join Phibsboro.

EnPassant

Dublin 5.5 Elm Mount 2.5

macelligott

Leinster chess web site is slow to update results in Divisions 1 & 2 :-(

cdeb

Phibsoro 2-6 St Benildus.

Pushes Phibsoro to the very edge. Though if Gonzaga whitewash Bray, the final round Bray v Phibsoro match could maybe be meaningful yet

ishidaogo

DL 4.5 TCD 3.5
Trinity lost for the the first time this season to a revivied Dun Laoire
Hearns, O'Gorman T and Courtney won.
The other 5 were drawn including 3 opposite colour bishops endings.

Tim Harding

ishidaogo wrote: »

DL 4.5 TCD 3.5
Trinity lost for the the first time this season to a revivied Dun Laoire
Hearns, O'Gorman T and Courtney won.
The other 5 were drawn including 3 opposite colour bishops endings.

Thanks for the result since I left after my game. In defence of our team, I should say:
a) We were missing two of our first team regulars (glad to hear the subs got draws).
b) We arrived in the middle of a terrible rainstorm on one of the coldest nights of the year.
c) No keyholder arrived up to let people in until about 7.10 - three of the visitors and some of the home team had to stand in the rain for at least ten minutes.
d) There was absolutely no heating in the playing room (though, curiously, heat did come on eventually in the lobby). Obviously this was the same for everyone but the home team would have been more used to it.

That's the second time this season I have had to play at an absolutely freezing venue (Bray was the other). This really isn't good enough in the 21st century.

Probably this is the last time I will play an evening match in the leagues.