Irish Championship 2022

Thanks Zeitnot, my post amended accordingly.

Neither Tom nor Henry played in 2014. They both played in 2015 (when they were under 1900) but not in 2016 (when they were over 1900). It's hard to blame them: everyone likes to play up, few like to play down.

Great minature by Sam Murray - the 1674 guy...demolishing former Irish Champion Eamon Keogh in 19 moves. A win like that could inspire confidence...maybe a future Irish champion in the making.

Round 7 top boards: Tarun (5) v Oisin (4); Peter Carroll (4) v Tom (4.5); Conor v Henry (both on 4); Colm (3.5) v Alex (4).

That's all the players above 50 per cent.

Eamon and Sam not playing tomorrow.

I think you're confusing brothers.

I never said I was wild on sub 1900s playing, I'm mostly annoyed you've quoted falling standards - which I think I've demonstrated is BS given the floor was never enforced as stringently as it was until recently. At the time, I voted against your motion because it would have prevented subs which prevent odd numbers.

Taking out the pandemic years, which I think is more than fair, I showed in my prior post that everyone bar subs had a qualifying rating during the previous 6 months from memory apart from the odd sub who I think is just better than a bye (and if you disagree, you always have the option to say to the arbiter before the event or next round ideally before draw is made - I'd rather a bye in the event I'm playing the sub).

In the last three years, have the organisers been less strict - yes. Players don't and haven't had this chance you talk about to get their rating up to 1900. Some of these players were under 10 when the pandemic started, some hadn't picked up a piece before 2020 and they've demonstarted significant improvement in every event they've played. Even with K40 - they can't conceivably gain 600-700 points in a single season when 75-95% of the usual events are cancelled. Its ridiculous to me that you'd consider that unfair given the circumstances. When we're back to pre-pandemic levels of events, I'm sure the organiser will revert to the same level of strictness that we were employing in 2016-2019.

As for the "sell-out", if you know what example you're talking about (which again, if I knew about, I'd be more specific - but haven't the foggiest) then you're well able to look back to see if I was involved if you're going to make accusations - the first Irish I ran (which was the first event I ran since Gonzaga in '05) was the one I ran poorly (not that I was helped by the venue): UCD in 2016.

Maybe he was but I see now both Melaughs are entered for the weekender.

I have no problem about S. Melaugh but G. Melaugh entered both the Irish Championship and the Weekday Open (in which play starts 9.30am) which seemed odd to me at the time.

In the latter he won round 1 and then dropped out (hardly fair to his first round opponent), perhaps because he realised two games in a day was too much or maybe because the opposition (bar one relatively experienced 1703) was going to be weak.

In the championship he drew two games and then withdrew after losing the third.

Maybe the ICU should have a rule prohibiting players who have withdrawn midway through the Championship from then playing the weekender; that seems to be what the original poster was implying?

When have I said that all players should have a say? News to me. You might be confusing me with the ICU constitution.

You are just lying to yourself on standards. I show you year after year where u1900s players through the 80s and 90s in every year I could find records for - and you say that standards are falling only now. Feelings vs Facts.

And your latter point just makes me laugh for the simple fact that of the thousands of members that the ICU has had in its history - every one of them that is eligible to vote at an AGM has had the chance to table that motion and no one ever has to my knowledge.

Eamon Keogh is rated 1931 FIDE, so needed no special consideration to get in.

(Incidentally, this year marks the 60th anniversary of his first championship, Derry 1962, where he scored 4.5/8 and finished 7th/16, 1 point short of sharing first. I think the 60-year span is an all-time record, by a considerable margin.)

Having a volunteer who is willing to step in as a filler is only a good thing, I think, and I personally wouldn’t count him negatively.

It’s true that that leaves 4 low-rated players rather than 3.

Diana Mats

shows as FIDE registered with Ukraine. Can someone explain why she was allowed to enter our main national championships?

I am very sympathetic to Ukrainians suffering as a result of Putins war (I even recently contacted the HR dept in my company to donate 1 months salary towards the humanitarian effort in the Ukraine) and it is very commendable that the ICU has given all temporary dislocated Ukrainian chess players now resident in Ireland free membership of the ICU but rules are rules...has she recently changed federation to IRL?

All participants must be current members of the ​Irish Chess Union (​ICU​) and all entrants to the main week-long event must be registered as IRL with FIDE.

Non-IRL players are permitted to entered the other events but may not claim the title of "Irish Champion" in any section. The titles will be awarded to the highest placed IRL player. Prize money will be awarded as stated with no distinction between IRL and non-IRL.

The only reference is in the minutes of the 2018 AGM: see https://icu.ie/system/downloads/000/000/411/a4354961a25ec63044027807c235c1d4573be36b.pdf?1567354739. They don't record the discussion (just for Motion 1 "Passed with some amendments based on discussion of motion 2.").

Based just on the wording (which is all we have officially), I'd have thought that the invitations before the event cover all purposes, including making an even number of players, but getting back to an even number of players after someone withdraws from the event is a separate category.