1970 Irish Chess Championship, Great Hall, Queen's University, Belfast, 11-19 July

1970 Irish Chess Championship		Fed	Affiliation	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Paul G Henry	IRL	Ulster	b21+	w11+	b2+	w10+	b5+	w3=	b6+	b8+	b4-	7½
2	Maurice Kennefick	IRL	Munster	b23+	w7+	w1-	b4+	b10+	w8=	b3=	w6=	b5+	6½
3	Frank Coll	IRL	Ulster	b18+	w6+	b5-	w20+	w8=	b1=	w2=	b9+	w12+	6½
4	Mark Kiernan	IRL	Leinster	w15=	b13+	b18+	w2-	b7-	w10+	b12=	b11+	w1+	6
5	Desmond de Loughrey	IRL	Leinster	w13=	b9+	w3+	b14+	w1-	b18=	b8=	w7+	w2-	5½
6	John L Moles	IRL	Ulster	w16=	b3-	w13+	b12+	b18+	w7+	w1-	b2=	b8=	5½
7	Gerald McCurdy	IRL	Ulster	w24+	b2-	w22=	b9+	w4+	b6-	w11+	b5-	w15+	5½
8	Arthur Pinkerton	IRL	Ulster	b20+	w10-	b17+	w11+	b3=	b2=	w5=	w1-	w6=	5
9	William E McDevitt	IRL	Connacht	b12=	w5-	b21+	w7-	b13+	w17+	b10=	w3-	b19+	5
10	William J Collins	IRL	Ulster	w19+	b8+	w14+	b1-	w2-	b4-	w9=	b12-	b18+	4½
11	Ray Devenney	IRL	Leinster	w22+	b1-	w15+	b8-	w19+	b14+	b7-	w4-	b13=	4½
12	David D Bryant	IRL	Ulster	w9=	b14-	w16+	w6-	b22=	b23+	w4=	w10+	b3-	4½
13	David Blair	IRL	Ulster	b5=	w4-	b6-	w24+	w9-	w20+	b17+	b14=	w11=	4½
14	Desmond Marrinan	IRL	Ulster	b17+	w12+	b10-	w5-	b20+	w11-	b19=	w13=	b16=	4½
15	R J Elwood	IRL	Ulster	b4=	w17-	b11-	b16=	w23-	w22+	b24+	w21+	b7-	4
16	William J Torrens	IRL	Ulster	b6=	w18-	b12-	w15=	b24+	w19=	b22=	w20=	w14=	4
17	Jack Killane	IRL	Leinster	w14-	b15+	w8-	b19-	w21+	b9-	w13-	b24+	w23+	4
18	T Evans	IRL	Ulster	w3-	b16+	w4-	b22+	w6-	w5=	b21=	b19=	w10-	3½
19	William Lewis	IRL	Leinster	b10-	w23+	b20-	w17+	b11-	b16=	w14=	w18=	w9-	3½
20	Martin F Drew	IRL	Leinster	w8-	b24+	w19+	b3-	w14-	b13-	w23+	b16=	b21-	3½
21	Arthur Cootes	IRL	Ulster	w1-	b22-	w9-	b23+	b17-	w24+	w18=	b15-	w20+	3½
22	Christy Hanley	IRL	Leinster	b11-	w21+	b7=	w18-	w12=	b15-	w16=	b23-	w24+	3½
23	J Barnett Steen	IRL	Ulster	w2-	b19-	w24-	w21-	b15+	w12-	b20-	w22+	b17-	2
24	E A Thomas	IRL	Ulster	b7-	w20-	b23+	b13-	w16-	b21-	w15-	w17-	b22-	1

Crosstable pieced together from reports in the Belfast Telegraph. Some results have had to be deduced and/or adjusted from known final scores.

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BCM, September 1970, p263

The Irish Championship 1970 - Queen's University, Belfast, July 11—19

By W. LEWIS

The last time Queen's had staged the event, in 1966, the title was won by John Moles, then a schoolboy of 16, and he was the pre-tournament favourite this year, particularly after his successes in the Dublin Easter tournament and the Mulcahy Memorial in Cork at Christmas. However Moles started inauspiciously, being held to a draw in his first game by 13 year old William Torrens, one of the Methodist College team which reached the semi-finals of the Sunday Times Schools competition; and losing in the second round to Frank Coll, the new Ulster champion. This gave Paul Henry, the joint favourite, a clear start and he had maximum points after five rounds. In the 6th Henry drew with Coll, and the 7th was the vital game with Moles, now only one point behind. Moles had white, and Henry had the temerity to adopt the French defence against an opponent who is assisting in the preparation of a book on the subject for English publishers. There was much avoiding of established lines by both players, and at the adjournment an ending had been reached of Rooks, a Knight and six pawns each but with Moles having some winning chances. Henry is a determined defender, however, and on the resumption Moles spent much time in pursuit of the win. Approaching the second time control a temporary sacrifice of a pawn brought Henry's cramped pieces to life, the initiative changed hands, and it was all over. This ended the race, even though Henry needlessly lost his last game, against Kiernan, by an uncharacteristic blunder.

The new Irish champion, at 19, is the second youngest title holder, and has been knocking at the door for some years. In Cork, in 1967, he tied with Heidenfeld for 1st place, but lost the title through the application of a mathematical formula (the ICU have now given up the practice) and last year Henry tied with Moles for 2nd place, a ½ point behind Patterson. Henry's best games at Belfast were his wins against Moles and Kennefick, both of which went to seven hours, and in which Henry was defending for 6h 45m. There was a tie for 2nd place between Frank Coll and Maurice Kennefick of Munster. Coll, a 26 year old school teacher from Omagh, is clearly Ireland's most improved player, and he went through the tournament undefeated. Kennefick, a student from University College, Cork, is another improving player and seems to have benefited from his chess holiday in Dresden last summer. The final prize was won by Mark Kiernan, formally of Dublin and now living in London, who had an up and down tournament as only the Swiss system can provide. Just outside the prize list, and in equal 5th place, were Desmond de Loughrey, John Moles and Gerry McCurdy. De Loughrey had his best tournament for some time; while Moles handicapped himself by a bad start, and for the second year running found himself in the position of having to beat Henry in a vital game, and overpressing his chances. McCurdy, soon to take up an appointment with a University in France, seemed to be out of practice.

The tournament arrangements were in the capable hands of Albert Long, Ulster's honorary secretary, and Gerry Murray of the Queen's club; and enthusiasts from Ballyclare, just north of Belfast, are printing a bulletin of selected and annotated games.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
28 August 2006	Original upload of 28 games (including 7 stubs) as a zipped PGN.
23 September 2025	Added a crosstable.