Kilkenny Schools Chess Championships 2025
The Inaugural Kilkenny Schools Chess Championships will take place on Friday 28th March 2025 at the O’Loughlin Gaels GAA Club in Kilkenny City during school hours from 9.30am – 2.00pm.
The tournament is organized by myself (IM Mark Quinn) and Shane McCabe. Both Shane and I are professional chess coaches and long-standing members of Kilkenny Chess Club. I founded Chess Bud Ireland in 2019 and am coach to the National Junior Chess Squad. Shane spent seven years teaching chess in companies and schools in London before recently returning to his native Kilkenny.
This event has been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from Kilkenny Chess Club.
This team tournament is open to Primary and Secondary Schools in Kilkenny City and County.
Each team should comprise of 6 players and each school can enter up to two teams. Any school which would like to enter a third or fourth team will be able to do so, subject to space being available in the playing venue. The registration fee for each team of 6 players participating is 40 Euros. The fee for registering two teams is 80 Euros etc.
The format of this event is designed to help primary and secondary school kids who are dedicated to chess to develop their chess talent and gain the skills and confidence they will need to participate in rated over-the-board tournaments for themselves, their school, their club or country.
It is a well-known fact in the chess world that the only way to improve one’s chess is to analyse one’s games. To be able to do this, you have to be able to keep an accurate score of your games.
The practice of recording one’s chess moves and the abilities to play with a chess clock and to manage one’s time when confronted with a problem are essential skills that benefit every chess player – regardless of their age – on and off the board. Once a chess player has mastered these fundamental chess skills, they are fully qualified to become members of any local, national or international chess club or chess community should they wish to do so. They will be fully qualified to enjoy the world of chess for the rest of their lives, either as an observer or participant. Even if participants in this team tournament never gravitate towards tournament or club chess, the fact that they will have learnt or practiced how to record their games or experimented with or mastered using a clock is a life skill that they can take away from the experience when representing their school in this event.
In the run-up to this event, Shane and I will provide assistance and advice to any school competing in this tournament to make this process as seamless as possible for the players who will be representing their school. There is no onus on any participant to record their moves or use a chess clock. They are encouraged to do so in the run-up the event and on the day of the event. But the decision whether to record their moves or use a clock is ultimately theirs and theirs alone.
Shane and I would encourage each school participating in this event to purchase some chess clocks from the Irish Chess Union, who sell clocks at cost price. Alternatively, students in the chess club can use free chess clock apps on their parents’ phones at home to get practice using clocks. Students can also sign up to free lichess or chess.com accounts and play practice matches with their friends or school mates at the time control we are using in this event.
One of the benefits of playing longer games with clocks or playing a game with a duration of between 20-50 minutes is that it raises the quality of play and gives players the chance to slow down their thought processes leading to heightened tactical awareness and a higher level of strategic thinking. The time given to analysis at the end of each round is designed to encourage kids to interact with each other, to exchange ideas with each other, to learn from each other and ultimately to mentor each other.
Tournament Format:
- A Team Chess Tournament involving Teams of six players from Primary and Secondary Schools in Kilkenny City and County.
- Four rounds.
- One hour allotted to each round.
- Games are played to a finish.
- At the beginning of each round, participants will be given the option to use clocks.
- If both players in any individual pairing are happy to use chess clocks, a clock will be provided. The time control will be 15 minutes per player with a 10 second increment. The vast majority of games will finish in 30 minutes leaving 30 minutes for players to analyse with their opponents in the Analysis Area.
- If only one player in any match pairing wants to use a clock, a clock will not be used. In that scenario, the players will be given 50 minutes to complete their game, at which point Mark & Shane will adjudicate the position and declare a result. The tournament controllers decision is final.
- Teachers accompanying each of their respective teams will be required to liaise at the beginning of each match to make sure both players agree willingly to use clocks and no pressure is put on any participant by the opposing team or one of their own team members to use a clock if they do not wish to.
- Students will be provided with scoresheets and encouraged to write down their moves. They are under no obligation to do so, but there will be several special prizes for ‘Best game’, ‘Best combination’, ‘Best Battler’ & last but not least a ‘Jack the Giant Killer Prize’ for the player who draws with or defeats a much higher-rated opponent. Each of these winning games will be analysed by Mark and Shane and will – in some shape or form – either as a complete game or tactical puzzles etc. feature in an edition of the Chess Bud Bulletin.
- In order to be eligible for one of the aforementioned ‘brilliancy prizes’ a student must record their game and submit a copy of their scoresheet to the tournament controllers after each round. The Senior Members of Kilkenny Chess Club will assist Mark and Shane in awarding these prizes.
- A dedicated analysis area will be set up in the playing venue where participants will be encouraged to analyse their games with their opponent once their game is over. Time will be allotted between rounds for game analysis, which will be assisted by IM Mark Quinn and Shane, as well as teachers and team-mates.
- The top placed Secondary School Team will be awarded medals and trophies and the title of Kilkenny Secondary Schools Chess Champions 2025
- The top placed Primary School Team will be awarded medals and trophies and the title of Kilkenny Primary Schools Chess Champions 2025
- The top scoring players of each board (i.e. boards 1-6) will receive board prizes.
- There will be a special award for the top overall performance by an individual participant. This award will be decided by the Bucholz ranking and scoring system.
This team tournament represents a potential stepping stone for talented and passionate chess players towards club and tournament chess.
We understand that many principals and teachers who promote and facilitate chess in their schools are not chess players themselves. Shane and I will be happy to give direction, advice and assistance to all schools interested in participating in this event.
If you have further questions, feel free to write to us at mark@chessbud.ie
At this stage, Shane and I would welcome expressions of interest from schools which think they might like to participate.
We would be grateful if you could fill out the registration form below. And we will place you on the tournament mailing list.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Kindest regards.
IM Mark Quinn & Shane McCabe
