The Irish Chess Union

Four teams contested the 2006 National Club Championships in Galway on the weekend of June 24-25:

• Rathmines, the current Armstrong Cup holders, representing Leinster
• Ennis, the current Munster Champions
• Galway, as well as being our hosts for the competition, were representing Connacht
• Kilkenny, an appointed fourth team in accordance with the current rules

The top seeded team, Kilkenny really powered their way to first place on 12 points from 18, taking with it the first of the two available qualifying places for the European Club Championship in Vienna, Austria in October.

There was fierce competition for the second place between Ennis and Galway. Unfortunately, Rathmines could not muster their strongest team and so were really out-gunned. Ennis (the second seeds, lead on board one by Gawain Jones IM) were unexpectedly beaten in round one by Galway in an amazing match and although Chess is not normally a game with which one associates "home advantage", it seemed to be a huge factor this weekend. Galway performed well and went on to clinch the second slot in the European's by the slimmest of margins form a much more highly rated Ennis.