And then there were five …

The position at the top of the Winter League is getting even more congested.  Going into round 6 last Thursday, four players were tied in the lead: Joona Kiiski, Carlos Silva, Conall Hegarty, and Henryk Raczkowiak.  They were paired against each other, and both games were hard-fought draws; this spectator thought that white was slightly better in both, but the black players defended well and held on for their half points.  Meanwhile Felix Calleja had a fine win against Gerardo, so he now joins the leading group.  This is the closest finish there has ever been in this tournament, and it will all come down to the final round on 10 April, although a play off on a later Thursday is now probably the bookies’ favourite.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • NEWS

    • Rapidplay: Thursday 28 September
      On Thursday 28 September we will host the first session of our Autumn Rapidplay tournament. Each player will have three games during the evening, and will have 15 minutes to make all … Read more
    • Thursday 21 September: Adult Beginners’ Night
      Galway Chess club’s season continues with an evening particularly for adult beginners on Thursday 21 September. If you think of yourself as a beginner at chess, and would like to … Read more
    • Blitz Tournament: Thursday 14 September
      Galway Chess Club’s 2023-4 season will open with a blitz tournament in our usual venue of upstairs in the Galway Bridge Centre , St Mary’s Road. Entry is from 7.00 … Read more
    • Galway Rapidplay 2023
      The 2023 Galway Rapidplay was held on Saturday 17 June. There was an unprecedented interest in playing in this tournament, and we had to close entries four weeks before the … Read more
    • Galway Rapidplay: Saturday 17 June
      The annual Galway Rapidplay will be held this year on Saturday 17 June in the Galway Bridge Centre.  You will need to enter in advance; you can do that from … Read more