Photography: ChessNI

Greenisland FC launches Chess Club

Friday June 11, 2021

Greenisland Football Club (GFC) has launched a brand new chess club! It is set to open on Friday 11th June and will meet on Friday nights for children up to 12 year of age from 7pm-8:30pm and for teenagers and adults from 8:30pm to 10pm. Please note there are restrictions of only 25 people allowed in the clubhouse so please book in advance if you are wishing to attend. All ages and abilities are welcome. For under 18s, parents should stay in the clubhouse with their children. 

The chess club will be run by local resident Chris Dorrian who organised a popular blitz event at the Greenisland Baptist Church in February 2020. With over 40 players competing, including pupils from Carrick Grammar, it helped put Greenisland on the chess map! Demand for local chess has increased during the pandemic and Chris looks forward to welcoming newcomers on Friday nights. 

A risk assessment has been carried out for indoor chess at Greenisland Football club. Chess boards will be spaced out at one per table for social distancing, players will need to wear a face covering indoors and windows/doors will be kept open for ventilation. Gloves should also be worn when playing games. Anyone with Covid symptoms or living with someone with a cough, fever, loss of smell or taste, needs to avoid coming to the chess club. When arriving, you will need to sign in with contact details (chess parents will do this on behalf of Under 18s). Or you can email in advance to GFC Chess Co-ordinator Chris Dorrian at greenislandfcchess@gmail.com

To launch the new chess club, Chris arranged an outdoor blitz championship at the clubhouse picnic tables on Sunday 16th May. Social restrictions were still in place on this date so only 14 players were allowed to compete. The event was opened with a warm welcome by Laurence Gilloway (Community Outreach Worker at GFC). The players enjoyed two and half hours of chess fun in the sunshine. Congratulations to the six prize-winners, each scooping a little trophy:

Champion: Mandar Tahmankar (5.5/6)

2nd Place: Danny Roberts (5/6)

3rd Place: Gareth Annesley (4/6)

Under 1700 Grading Prize: Ross Harris (4/6)

Under 1420 Grading Prize: Dexter Harris (3/6)

Under 1200 Grading Prize: Ethan Cole (2.5/6)

The event was submitted to the Ulster Chess Union (UCU) afor rating and the club are very keen to host an indoor UCU-rated event in the near future. 

We hope Greenisland Football Club becomes a magnet for local chess talent and attracts many locals to the game. The current aim is to build up the club during the 2021/2022 season and then enter a team in the Belfast & District Chess League during the 2022/2023 season.

We wish Chris every success on this exciting new venture...

B. Jamison, Director, ChessNI

Players at the outdoor tables of Greenisland Football Club. Photography: ChessNI

Sunday 16 May 2021

A special outdoor blitz

Tiny trophies for the prize-winners

Sunday 16 May 2021: Final standings

Prize-winners:

Champion: Mandar Tahmankar (5.5/6)

2nd Place: Danny Roberts (5/6)

3rd Place: Gareth Annesley (4/6)

Under 1700 Grading Award: Ross Harris (4/6)

Under 1420 Grading Award: Dexter Harris (3/6)

Under 1200 Grading Award: Ethan Cole (2.5/6)

Round 1: Dexter Harris (left) v Robbie Wright. Photography: ChessNI

Round 1: Calum Glendinning (left) v Gareth Annesley. Photography: ChessNI

Danny Roberts v Gareth Annesley. Photography: ChessNI

Chief Arbiter (left) presenting the champion Mandar Tahmankar with his prize. Photography: ChessNI

Players ranked by UCU blitz ratings:

Greenisland Outdoor Chess Blitz

12:30pm to 3:15pm

Sunday 16 May 2021

Check-in at 12:30pm

Take seats at 12:40pm for Round 1 commencing

Prize-giving: 3:10pm to 3:15pm

Trophies:

Champion, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, Under 1700 Grading Award, Under 1420 Grading Award,

Under 1200 Grading Award

Please note, this event is not FIDE-rated. It will be submitted to UCU for ratings therefore grading prizes will be based on UCU ratings.

Rounds:

6 rounds of 5+5

Programme:

Software: Swiss Master 5.7, with tie-breaks in the following order: Median Buchholz, Buchholz and Progressive.

Rules:

FIDE rules will apply. Mobile phones must be switched off. Phones making any type of noise will result in the player automatically losing their game.

If your opponent makes an illegal move, pause the clock, call the arbiter over. You will be awarded 1 extra minute if the Arbiter agrees an illegal move was made. You will win the game if your opponent makes a second illegal move in the same game, provided you still have mating material left on the board, otherwise the game is declared drawn.

Entry fees

If possible please pay your £3.50 entry fee in advance to Chief Arbiter B. Jamison by online bank transfer, PayPal or Revolut. Alternatively please bring exact amount on the day.

The football club normally charge for the use of their premises but they are kindly allowing us free use of the picnic tables and this enables us to keep the entry fee very low for this special event. So please bear in mind when normal over-the-board chess returns, entry fees will be £10-£15 for one day events.

Drinks available to purchase

The football club will have hot and cold drinks available to purchase. We also have access to the toilets. The car park is fairly large but still best to arrive early to get parked in time.

Remember gloves + a face covering (covering mouth and nose)

Examples of acceptable face coverings while seated at board:

Location:

Greenisland Football Club, 100 Glenkeen Ave, Carrickfergus, BT38 8ST

If travelling by train, the football club is a 9 minute walk from Greenisland Train Station. It takes 17 minutes to travel from Belfast Lanyon Place to Greenisland Train Station.

We only have space for 14 players so if you would like to play, please book a spot super fast and do not share this event with anyone else beforehand. We are not allowed spectators, only the parents of chess players.

Outdoor playing area: