Chair report: Season 2023/24
Chess is a hugely valuable sport. It is deeply challenging and a sport that can be available for life. Pyschologists argue somewhat as to why it is particularly good for children. The consensus appears to be that chess invites youth to consider the consequences of their actions and promotes a degree of thoughtfulness. The consequences of a quickly played move are noted and players begin to take their time!
Our club was founded in February 2010,, with help from the Leinster Chess Union (for example, they purchased 50 chess sets for children to use) and a wish to see some chess activity out here in Dublin 15. We will celebrate our birthday next year and this season was focussed on preparing the ground for the next 15 years!
Some achievements by our club players
1 Senior teams:
Division 1: Our team in the Armstrong lost its place in Division 1 and will be in Heidenfeld Division 2 next year. In truth, it was not unexpected. Our club is intent on growing home grown Dublin 15 talent and we are simply waiting for our current crop of juniors to emerge and propel us back to Division 1 next season! Gabor Bolkeny (Captain, Coach) has singlehandedly invested time and energy in coaching the juniors. Gabor, as Captain of the top team will be rewarded next season!
Division 5: Carl ran the Division 5 team this year. It did rather well in the end, and the team is content. Owever, my own prediction that they would win promotion did not come true.
Division 6: Ravi and Philip ran two new club teams, comprising exclusively juniors, located in Division 6. It was an exciting year and they are to be congratualted. Ravi’s team came close to promotion and may be in Division 5 yet if any league adjustments arise.
2 Dublin International
John Delaney won the Dublin International (40+) event at Easter this year. Murray Liu playing in the OPEN event won a grading prize which was, as we said at the time, evidence that Murray was on fire!
3 Mick Germaine Cup
In January, our junior club side of the club fielded two teams in the Mick Germaine Cup. They played with great style in their first ever competitive events against other junior clubs. It was great fun and much thanks goes to Mariada for organising us so well.
Investment in the future
Coaching: Our club has invested heavily in coaching this year. We introduced a coaching programme and provided training for all levels in the club. Much thanks goes to Andrew O’Brien and Gabor Bolkeny who have led the coaching work, assisted by John Delaney. We hope of course, if funds allow, to continue that level of coaching in the years ahead. It is not clear yet if we can do so but it is clear there is a high demand and willing coaches so we can only see.
Referee courses: Carl Peralta, Gabor Bolkeny and John Delany were supported by the club to complete the National Arbiter (a chess referee course run by the Irish Ches Union). They join Jim and Andrew with such qualifications, so we now have significant knowldge on how to run chess events within our club. The club suported this training because looking ahead we hope to have a Chess Congress or Junior chess event out here in Dublin 15. A local event will give our players opportunities to acquire ICU and FIDe chess ratings, a building block towards selection for representational teams.
Blitz series of events
Every chess club has had to reinvent the “club night”. In an era of many chess attractions online, why attend a club night? Beyond playing league matches, what do players actually do at the club evening sessions? In 2023/24 we built on the innovation made by Carl Peralta and we held a number of Blitz (5 minute) events. These were very popular, good fun, and now look like becoming a monthly fixture for the Senior club night in years ahead.
At the junior club, Andrew O’Brien introduced a vitally important programme of coaching. We now see some 30-40 juniors all of whom are strong enough to play in full time control chess tournaments but who lack , for now, acccess to any competitions close to home in Dublin 15!
Selection for Irish and Leinster teams
John Delaney will shortly lead on Board 1 the Irish Seniors team (50+) at the Worlds Senior teams event in Poland (Krackow, July 1 to July 12).
Overview
In brief
In short, during the last year we took a lot of developmental steps: we coached our juniors; we trained our club volunteers; and we coached our adult players also , a very wecome We also purchased new chess sets and clocks at significant cost but we now have the kit we need to run a large chess club.
Membership
The club membership grew strongly in 2023/24 to mean we have some 75 junior members (of whom a third are girls) and some 30 adults.
Challenges
We do face significant challenges in the next year. Increasing costs of renting premises is a particular worry. Our membership fees have been held low for many years to ensure all can play who wish to play. With high costs and low income, we survive in part by receiving a Government grant. If that Grant falters we will face immediate difficulties.
The solution to all such worries is to think of what we do to build social capital and how important that is in our community.
My report to the AGM is therefore to ask that you work as a volunteer to ensure the club thrives in 2024/25 and that we find ways and means to raise the funds (we never need too much) to ensure we offer chess as a sport to our locality and in some small way continue to make a difference in our community and for our members.
Your vision for 24/25
It is for the AGM to think this through and work to see good things happen for the juniors and senior members.
Some ideas would be:
- run a Junior League or Series of Rapid events targetted to juniors.
- invest in coaching, by finding ways to fund the important coaching programme we commenced in 2023/24
- hold a chess tournament to celebrate our 15th Birthday in February or March of 2025
- run Monthly Blitz events for our Senior members
- Publish a programme of activities as a Club Calendar on our website to list activities of interest and value to our members
We need volunteers to allow these events to happen. I close this report by inviting that you consider helping in some way to see the 2024/25 season to be a success!
Finally: Gens una Sumus is the motto of the International Chess Federation – translated it means “We are all one family”. I invite you to work with me and your friends in the chess club next season to give real meaning to this beautiful sentiment so that we see our chess activities flourish to bring fun and joy, and gentle competition, to our family…..
John Delaney
Chair of Chess Club 2023/24
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