This year was very challenging for all members of the ICU committee. The Irish Chess Union organized the Glorney & Faber Cup (4 Nations chess championship). The tournament organizer Pat Fitzimons was an excellent host and the organization of the tournament was perfect. The results of our teams were very good. I organized the coaching for our best juniors and I hope that we will have a budget for coaching next year as well.
The coaching budget was 2500 euro. 600 euro went to Alex Lopez who was the coach for our juniors at WYCC in Greece last year. The rest of the money was spent on coaching our best juniors elected for Glorney & Faber Cup. I am very thankful to our coaches IM Mark Quinn, David Fitzsimons, Karl Mc Phillips and Peter Cafolla. They all were very dedicated and motivated to coach our best juniors and the parents and players were delighted. I would like that coaching for next year's Glorney and Faber Cup starts in January 2012 which will give us more time for better preparation.
With huge help of Mr.Kevin O'Connell we have organized the Coaching Seminar for our Club Instructors. It was a great success for 28 participants. The plan is to organize coaching infrastructure in Ireland. In October 2011 all participants will be informed about their result and they will receive their certificate and their contact details will be published at ICU web site. We should recognize the 3 titles for Irish Coaches, SI - school Instructor, CI - Club Instructor and AI - Academy Instructor which will open the door for our coaches to get Fide titles. In 2012 I hope that Ireland will have at least 3 Fide Instructors or ever Fide trainers.
This year our juniors made us very proud. I will mention just some of them. Ryan Griffiths become a Fide Master and he is the 2nd Kilkenny junior to take the title before age of 18. Diana Mirza achieved a great result in Mureck EU Championship finishing 3rd in Under 14 section. Sorry for not mention achievements of all our amazing juniors. The standard of Irish juniors is higher every year and this is good for our future. The ICU next year should be more aggressive with promotion of chess for children and we have to increase number of girls playing chess.
The ICU should be the main promoter and organizer of the Inter Schools tournaments in Ireland. Our biggest problem which should be addressed next year is Child protection policy. At the moment due to lack of money in schools and parents' budgets we have to find a way to organize cheap, safe and effective Inter School tournaments. The news that Transition Year will be scrapped is not helping at all with major problem to keep children playing chess. I met the Minister of Education last year and we had a good constructive chat about chess in schools. This year I have met Minister Phil Hogan twice and I am waiting for some funding for junior chess.
With Mr. Kevin O'Connell I have started the Online Inter School tournament in Kilkenny and teachers, parents and players were very happy. There are many benefits of online chess for our juniors and they are - 80 children can participate and play other kids all over Ireland, UK and France; it is safe and cheap (no traveling); it can be done anytime; school teams will play more games; coaching can be provided anywhere in Ireland; It was free of charge.
Finally I will not mention in report anything that I have done in Chess School Polimac Kilkenny as this has nothing to do with my Office at ICU.
As a member of the Selection Committee I have enjoy in transparent, hard and fair work by all colleagues.