Chess in Rural Ireland (part 2)

by Alina l'Ami
2/18/2014 – With the issues of the unusual weather, the picturesque village, the friendly (over-friendly?) people and Alina's new favorite beverage settled, its time to focus on chess. We bring you part two of the Bunratty Chess Festival report in which Gawain Jones was certainly unstoppable with a smashing 5.5/6. Also a couple of interesting videos of the knock out blitz...with beer!
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The Bunratty Chess Festival was held in the beautiful surroundings of the Bunratty Castle hotel. The tournament boasted of over 300 participants and attracted grandmasters from all over Europe. The top seed of the event was Korneev from Spain but he was closely followed by Greenfeld, Hebden, Jones, Lalic, Baburin and others.

Not bad for a tiny village

A simple search on the FIDE list would make you wonder if this sentence had any truth to it; after all Gawain Jones is higher rated on that list than Korneev. The tournament interestingly and unusually used local rating for their pairings, so Irish ratings were the norm!

Alan Greenfeld had some issues over the board in this event

Even though things went smoothly for the grandmasters on the first round, that was certainly not the case in the second. Hebden lost a full point while Lalic and Korneev dropped half, the latter probably could consider himself lucky to have retained the draw at all.

Tournament organizer Gerry Graham giving some last minute instructions

Baburin has been Ireland's #1 player since the construction of Bunratty Castle

The skittle's room: the hotel's library

Quite a cozy place to look over the game

However the hotel lobby also had its charms!

Small details created a pleasant atmosphere

At the end of the day it was Gawain Jones that dominated the event. An impressive 5.5/6 left no room for doubt on who was the best player at the event.

Gawain Jones took clear first a full point ahead of the field

Jiri Stocek is always in a good mood, no matter what tournament he is playing or how he is doing

Jones and his winners trophy

The blitz tournament was of course incredibly popular

Thanks to Damien Lavery we found two videos of the blitz tournament, which was a knock out event. In the second video you can see a familiar face with her new friend!

There's hardly something more inspiring for a blitz event. Or a normal one, as Sam Collins proved!

Your reporter and photographer, Alina L'Ami, in an unusual selfie

Here are the final standings, and be on the lookout for the dates of the next Bunratty Festival on its official website.

Rank Name Score Rating TPR W-We
1 GM Jones, Gawain C. 5.5 2535 2833 +1.80
2 GM Greenfeld, Alon 4.5 2549 2571 +0.23
3 GM Lalic, Bogdan 4.5 2538 2518 -0.06
4 IM Collins, Sam E. 4.5 2440 2565 +1.03
5 GM Korneev, Oleg 4.0 2643 2480 -1.00
6 GM Hebden, Mark 4.0 2543 2461 -0.38
7 GM Stocek, Jiri 4.0 2529 2500 -0.15
8 GM Baburin, Alexander 4.0 2458 2479 +0.31
9 IM Heidenfeld, Mark 4.0 2365 2489 +0.86
10 Aguera Naredo, Javier 4.0 2360 2481 +1.03
11 WGM L'Ami, Alina 3.5 2398 2347 -0.17
12 IM Bates, Richard 3.5 2375 2243 -0.88
13 De Verdier, Michael 3.5 2345 2353 +0.13
14 Wall, Gavin 3.5 2318 2303 +0.01
15 FM Fitzsimons, David 3.5 2303 2253 -0.25

Note: Irish ratings used

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1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 5.Qd2 Nd7 6.Nf3 b5 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0-0 c5 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.b4 Nxd3 11.cxd3 Rc8 12.Rac1 Nf6 13.Bh6 0-0 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.Rcd1 Rfd8 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Ng3 Rc7 18.Qg5 Bc8 19.d4 h6 20.Qf4 Rc4 21.a3 Bg4 22.h3 Bxf3 23.Qxf3 Rxd4 24.Qe3 e5 25.Ne2 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Korneev,O2643Rawlinson,A21311–02014B06Bunratty Masters1
Stejskal,D2129Greenfeld,A25490–12014A00Bunratty Masters1
Wall,G2318O'Connor,J21221–02014C02Bunratty Masters1
O'Donnell,C2122Lalic,B25380–12014C55Bunratty Masters1
Jones,G2535Murray,D21121–02014E86Bunratty Masters1
Aoustin,A2082Stocek,J25290–12014B09Bunratty Masters1
Baburin,A2458Quinn,R20811–02014E62Bunratty Masters1
Murphy,O2059Collins,S24400–12014C41Bunratty Masters1
L'Ami,A2398Moynihan,K20511–02014A80Bunratty Masters1
Fox,A2044Bates,R23750–12014B23Bunratty Masters1
Mannion,S2375Gonzalez,A20401–02014C75Bunratty Masters1
Maroroa,S2031Rendle,T2369½–½2014C03Bunratty Masters1
Aguera Naredo,J2360Cafolla,P19661–02014B33Bunratty Masters1
Bourached,A1965De Verdier,M23450–12014E45Bunratty Masters1
Fitzsimons,D2303Fehr,J19541–02014C15Bunratty Masters1
Keogh,E1919Short,P22450–12014D02Bunratty Masters1
Kalinins,V2207Lyons,B18881–02014B14Bunratty Masters1
Mulligan,S1815Orr,M21910–12014B34Bunratty Masters1
Chevannes,S2164Thee,B18090–12014D36Bunratty Masters1
De Verdier,M2345Korneev,O2643½–½2014A29Bunratty Masters2
Greenfeld,A2549Mannion,S23751–02014D20Bunratty Masters2
Lalic,B2538Aguera,J2360½–½2014E91Bunratty Masters2
Short,P2245Jones,G25350–12014E73Bunratty Masters2
Stocek,J2529Wall,G23181–02014A85Bunratty Masters2
Orr,M2191Baburin,A24580–12014D53Bunratty Masters2
Collins,S2440Fitzsimons,D23031–02014B22Bunratty Masters2
Thee,B1809L'Ami,A23980–12014B52Bunratty Masters2
Bates,R2375Kalinins,V22070–12014A43Bunratty Masters2
Hebden,M2543Heidenfeld,M23650–12014A41Bunratty Masters2
Rendle,T2369Healy,T18551–02014C43Bunratty Masters2
Rawlinson,A2131Fox,A2044½–½2014E05Bunratty Masters2
Moynihan,K2051Chevannes,S21641–02014D35Bunratty Masters2
Gonzalez,A2040Stejskal,D21291–02014B20Bunratty Masters2
O'Connor,J2122Bourached,A19651–02014E46Bunratty Masters2
Cafolla,P1966O'Donnell,C2122½–½2014A96Bunratty Masters2
Murray,D2112Keogh,E19190–12014B23Bunratty Masters2
Fehr,J1954Aoustin,A20820–12014E94Bunratty Masters2
Quinn,R2081Mulligan,S18151–02014C17Bunratty Masters2
Lyons,B1888Murphy,O20590–12014A04Bunratty Masters2
Baburin,A2458Greenfeld,A2549½–½2014A40Bunratty Masters3
Jones,G2535Collins,S24401–02014A22Bunratty Masters3
L'Ami,A2398Stocek,J2529½–½2014E32Bunratty Masters3
Kalinins,V2207Lalic,B2538½–½2014B21Bunratty Masters3
Korneev,O2643Rendle,T2369½–½2014C03Bunratty Masters3
Heidenfeld,M2365De Verdier,M2345½–½2014C15Bunratty Masters3
Aguera Naredo,J2360Bates,R23751–02014B86Bunratty Masters3
Mannion,S2375Quinn,R2081½–½2014C60Bunratty Masters3
Wall,G2318Moynihan,K20511–02014C55Bunratty Masters3
Fitzsimons,D2303Gonzalez,A2040½–½2014C50Bunratty Masters3
Murphy,O2059Short,P22450–12014C17Bunratty Masters3
Orr,M2191Maroroa,S2031½–½2014A25Bunratty Masters3
Keogh,E1919O'Connor,J2122½–½2014A45Bunratty Masters3
Aoustin,A2082Thee,B1809½–½2014B52Bunratty Masters3
O'Donnell,C2122Hebden,M25430–12014C55Bunratty Masters3
Healy,T1855Rawlinson,A21311–02014E63Bunratty Masters3
Fox,A2044Cafolla,P1966½–½2014A58Bunratty Masters3
Chevannes,S2164Fehr,J1954½–½2014D07Bunratty Masters3
Stejskal,D2129Lyons,B18881–02014B01Bunratty Masters3
Bourached,A1965Murray,D2112½–½2014D85Bunratty Masters3
Greenfeld,A2549Jones,G25350–12014A48Bunratty Masters4
Stocek,J2529Aguera Naredo,J2360½–½2014E71Bunratty Masters4
Kalinins,V2207Baburin,A2458½–½2014B03Bunratty Masters4
Collins,S2440L'Ami,A23981–02014B22Bunratty Masters4
Short,P2245Korneev,O26430–12014D47Bunratty Masters4
Lalic,B2538Heidenfeld,M23651–02014A92Bunratty Masters4
Rendle,T2369Wall,G23181–02014A83Bunratty Masters4
De Verdier,M2345Mannion,S2375½–½2014A30Bunratty Masters4
Hebden,M2543Keogh,E19191–02014D30Bunratty Masters4
Quinn,R2081Fitzsimons,D23030–12014B33Bunratty Masters4
Gonzalez,A2040Orr,M21910–12014B20Bunratty Masters4
O'Connor,J2122Healy,T18551–02014E86Bunratty Masters4
Maroroa,S2031Aoustin,A2082½–½2014B06Bunratty Masters4
Thee,B1809Stejskal,D21290–12014B52Bunratty Masters4
Bates,R2375Murphy,O20591–02014B52Bunratty Masters4
Mulligan,S1815Fox,A2044½–½2014C59Bunratty Masters4
Cafolla,P1966Rawlinson,A21310–12014E92Bunratty Masters4
Murray,D2112O'Donnell,C21221–02014C47Bunratty Masters4
Fehr,J1954Bourached,A19650–12014A04Bunratty Masters4
Jones,G2535Stocek,J2529½–½2014E42Bunratty Masters5
Korneev,O2643Kalinins,V22071–02014C40Bunratty Masters5
Baburin,A2458Lalic,B2538½–½2014E43Bunratty Masters5
Aguera Naredo,J2360Collins,S24400–12014C89Bunratty Masters5
Rendle,T2369Hebden,M25430–12014C55Bunratty Masters5
Fitzsimons,D2303Greenfeld,A25490–12014B51Bunratty Masters5
L'Ami,A2398O'Connor,J21221–02014E38Bunratty Masters5
Orr,M2191De Verdier,M2345½–½2014A20Bunratty Masters5
Stejskal,D2129Bates,R23750–12014B50Bunratty Masters5
Mannion,S2375Short,P22450–12014C91Bunratty Masters5
Heidenfeld,M2365Aoustin,A20821–02014C59Bunratty Masters5
Wall,G2318Maroroa,S20311–02014C54Bunratty Masters5
Rawlinson,A2131Gonzalez,A20400–12014E06Bunratty Masters5
Healy,T1855Murray,D21120–12014A38Bunratty Masters5
Bourached,A1965Quinn,R2081½–½2014C01Bunratty Masters5
Moynihan,K2051Mulligan,S18151–02014A57Bunratty Masters5
Fox,A2044Thee,B1809½–½2014B31Bunratty Masters5
Keogh,E1919Chevannes,S21641–02014D02Bunratty Masters5
Lyons,B1888Cafolla,P1966½–½2014B30Bunratty Masters5
Murphy,O2059Fehr,J19540–12014C17Bunratty Masters5
Korneev,O2643Jones,G25350–12014B76Bunratty Masters6
Collins,S2440Hebden,M2543½–½2014C85Bunratty Masters6
Greenfeld,A2549L'Ami,A23981–02014E62Bunratty Masters6
Stocek,J2529Baburin,A2458½–½2014D31Bunratty Masters6
Lalic,B2538Rendle,T23691–02014A04Bunratty Masters6
Bates,R2375Wall,G2318½–½2014C47Bunratty Masters6
Heidenfeld,M2365Orr,M21911–02014B31Bunratty Masters6
Short,P2245Aguera Naredo,J23600–12014E73Bunratty Masters6
De Verdier,M2345Kalinins,V2207½–½2014A04Bunratty Masters6
Murray,D2112Fitzsimons,D23030–12014B23Bunratty Masters6
O'Connor,J2122Moynihan,K2051½–½2014C85Bunratty Masters6
Gonzalez,A2040Keogh,E19191–02014B20Bunratty Masters6
Thee,B1809Mannion,S23750–12014C52Bunratty Masters6
Maroroa,S2031Stejskal,D21290–12014B52Bunratty Masters6
Aoustin,A2082Bourached,A19651–02014B52Bunratty Masters6
Quinn,R2081Fox,A20440–12014C29Bunratty Masters6
Rawlinson,A2131Lyons,B18880–12014E06Bunratty Masters6
Fehr,J1954O'Donnell,C21220–12014D12Bunratty Masters6
Cafolla,P1966Healy,T1855½–½2014E93Bunratty Masters6
Mulligan,S1815Chevannes,S2164½–½2014B12Bunratty Masters6

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Alina is an International Master and a very enthusiastic person in everything she does. She loves travelling to the world's most remote places in order to play chess tournaments and report about them here on ChessBase! As chance would have it Alina is also an excellent photographer.

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