Irish Chess Championship 2023

When was this NOT the case?

On the other issue of tie breaks? Well there has been too many chopping and changing for my liking in more recent years and I have not been able to keep up and sort of lost interest.

It used to be that if two players had the same score then they shared, while if it was three or more players (last seen in 1996 I think – excluding both 2004 when you won it joint with an English player who was ineligible to win the title, and 2012 when the third player, from Estonia who was also ineligible to win the title) Then (1996) there was some sort of a tie break system used to determine who got the title.

In that particular year I was one of the three (as I was in 2012) and was only told after the tournament was over that there was such a tie break and I was not the winner. At least the prize was shared equally (correctly). At the time it all just seemed a bit “Oirish” and just another cock-up of sorts. I was happy just to have actually won my first Irish Ch after years of winning just about every other tournament on the calendar and many times over.

Truth be told I never liked the idea that a national title of Irish Champion be shared, as the very definition of a “Champion” being

“a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition.” among other definitions no doubt.

Notwithstanding that it does seem a bit harsh if two players end up on the same score after what is a grueling chess contest and one has to lose out. I can see and understand why they had the system of sharing for these reasons, but while I would not feel too strong either way and do accept the merit of your argument about sharing the title. I think my preference would that there should be a playoff for both the title, and with it, the Olympiad place that comes with (correctly) wining an Irish Ch.

Only one such place per year makes sense or is in the greater good to my way of thinking (max two potential Olympiad places per team secured this Irish Ch route).

A play off should be simple and easy to arrange and done on the basis of two 15 minutes games with 10 second increments. In the event of no clear winner then literally there should be a toss of a coin and that be the end of it. Absolutely no blitz play off needed or wanted. Then it is just farce and totally inappropriate as a means to decide a title of Normal, Real,Classical chess.

To those who would say that no Normal, Real,Classical chess title should be decided by a fast chess play off of any kind. I agree in principle and for the many good reasons offered, not least of which being that it is a very different game and discipline and just imagine deciding a marathon race that had seen a tie by having a 1500 M or sprint playoff the next day or hours later?

However in the case of an Irish Ch title playoff, in which there are practical considerations, instead of a toss coin then two game rapid match is a compromise which allows some chess skill and elements decide matters and players know all this going into an event and short of that, a toss coin just to have an actual Champion (singular) is better than sharing.

When asked how many times I have won the Irish Ch it is perhaps amusing to note that I often respond saying 7 times BUT six Irish titles, while at the same time I don’t have much pride or regard for the 2012 win and although I shared the title with the other most successful winner with the most titles that year, I regard my 1996 win as far better and feeling like I was an Irish Champion that year much more than in 2012.

I also never regarded the 2007 win by Stephen Brady and Brian Kelly as meaningful or even legit, even though technically it is. As many will know, it was not really a proper Irish Ch at all that year and the two had totally different sets of opponents which, though seeing them end up on the same score, the farcical nature of things (not the fault of either player) rendered the whole spectacle a bad joke and absurdity.

Neither actually even winning the tournament, whereas by contrast the following year at least Alexander Baburin, playing in what was his first and only ever Irish Ch at the time, (also his only ever Irish Ch win since) did manage to win the tournament jointly with an Israeli GM and be the sole deserved winner of the title of Irish Ch.

As another curious aside it was also the very last time I lost to Alex and one of his best ever wins against me. Despite many games since then, every game since being a draw (often, mostly [not always] fighting and interesting games that brought out the best in both of us) which, after all these years, is indeed curious.

After the farce of the 2012 Irish ch, the rules were changed and the event made back into a proper national Irish Championships ever since. It has got better and better and allowing for flaws, has tended to be a great event which Irish chess can be proud of and thankful for. It is an excellent example of the potential value and prestige of a proper Irish Championships which attracts and showcases often our very best players regularly.

Surviving the Panicdemic and the Covid lunacy intact has been a fantastic tribute to and achievement by the ICU and compares favorably with our neighbors. So we have to give credit where and when it is due. The issue of mixing things up and making things more complex than they need be is unfortunate and I agree that the whole tie break thing is not ideal and could do with making it much more simple?

2012 also. There were 3 players on the same score at the end and one was not eligible to be Irish Champion so it was Brady - Daly sharing the title. The rules thankfully were changed thereafter and we have had proper Irish Championships ever since.

Only blight on this (minor and in effect inconsequential, relatively speaking) was last year when a player totally ineligible to play and not IRL, was absurdly allowed or invited to play.

That was a mistake and should, and need never have happened. Lessons learned hopefully and no repeat ever again in the future. The Championships has been a great success for years now thanks to the fine efforts of various people in the ICU and the fantastic sponsorship of Gary O Grady and Blackthorne International Transport.