National Club Championships 2012

This event and the associated qualification for the European Club Cup have been the source of endless controversy since Galway first played in 2005. I could run an entire blog on the various machinations of this one event!

Galway has on occasion been in the eye of the storm. We used to get a free pass into this event when other teams had to win their provincial league. Connaught had only one senior chess club team so we would look forward to our one and only outing in the year. In fact it was the exact same scenario as with the Galway hurlers free pass into the All Ireland hurling semi final for many years. The fallout of much begrudgery against Galways right to play was an open event where any team can play as long as the average rating of the team was above 1600.

For anybody present at any NCC since 2005 you’d have to laugh at any question of Galways right to play. For a start we have always had a team with a fair chance of finishing 1st or 2nd. And then there’s the fact that every year we are the only team whose players all live and work in the geographical area the club represents. Holding to the spirit of the founders of the event is important to the club.

8 of the most talented Galway players will once again line out next weekend (28th – 29th April 2012) in the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare, Co. Limerick.

Pop in if you are in the area and check this site for live updates.