Royal Lopez Chess Club, Co Meath, Ireland

New Season

2008-10-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

As Royal Lopez start their new season in the Leinster League Division 3 after three straight championship victories. We are again looking out for new members and talent to join the club, and this year we are looking to add a second team into the Leinster League to provide and outlet for experienced and novice players alike. This season has seen the largest influx of new members since we started the club at all levels - and this is something we hope to build on as we build on the success of the last 3 years.

New members welcome on Monday nights from Monday November 10th at 7.30.

Królewskiej szachy klub zaprasza do gry za najbardziej udany zespół w naszym hrabstwie. Również teraz mamy drugi zespół utworzony w niższej lidze - więc możemy pomieścić zarówno silna i słabszych graczy graczy - wszyscy są mile widziane

2008/2009 Season

2008-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

The club will re-open for the 2008/2009 season on Monday September 8th @ 7.30.

While your waiting you can always take a look at some chess openings

3 Championships in a row

2008-03-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Its almost unbelievable, but Royal Lopez Senior Team have claimed their 3rd Leinster League championship, and third automatic promotion in a row. In the most dramatic fashion imaginable the team from a small Meath Village -many of whom had never played chess prior to playing in the local team- overtook the largest chess club in the country in the final round of matches by the smallest possible margin, a half point, by 38.5 points to 38.

Going into the last round of six matches, Ratoath were two full points behind Phibsboro, and effectively an additional half point behind having lost the head to head vs Phibsboro in somewhat controversial fashion earlier in the season. Therefore Ratoath Royal Lopez had to overcome a 2.5 point deficit out of a possible six games for both teams in the last round to claim the trophy. 'Neither easy nor indeed likely' was one commentators realistic assessment of our chances before the last round commenced.

Ratoath played Balbriggan while Phibsboro played the Curragh in the last round. The critical factor that turned the contest in Ratoaths favor was the uttlerly unexpected and bizarre non appearance of Phibsboro's board 6 who appart from forfeiting his game (this getting a game score of zero) also incurred a one point penalty deduction for his team, effectively costing his team two points and leveling the scores at the start of board play - meaning that league would decided on the results of the games in the last round.

In scenes of high drama, which required 3 hours of technical deliberation, adjudication and rulebook consultation - involving league controllers, tournament directors, even an international arbiter the league declared and then redeclared for Ratoath, Phibsboro and then Ratoath again. But at the end, when the dust from the rulebooks had settled, it was the dogged Meath team who came through.

'In the end we won because we refused to accept 2nd place no matter how far behind we were going into the last round, in the end team discipline and organisation decided it.' - Captain David Eccles commented on the remarkable David vs Goliath victory.

*****************************NB**************************
The club is keen to add additional talent to the player pool for both seniors and juniors, as we endevour to enter an additional 2nd team into the leinster leagues. All persons interested are invited to the club on monday nights (when the club resumes after the bank holidays on the 31st of March) or alternativey to contact
Laura Keating on 01 - 825 0293
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Community Games Winners

2008-02-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Ratoath Royal Lopez junior team have won the Meath U16 Community Games for the first time. The Ratoath team with an average age of just 12, overcame a similarly young Julianstown team 4.5 to 0.5 in the county final at Whitecross School Julianstown. The final result did not reflect the close nature of the majority of the games, but in the end Ratoath's greater experience (Ratoaths 3rd year in the competition, and only Julianstowns first) gave them an edge in a couple of close endgames.

The organisation of the final, and in particular the hospitality shown by the parents, organisers and patricipants in Julianstown was greatly appreciated and really conveyed what the community games is all about.

The winning team who will now represent their county are

Yaroslav Baturov (Captain)
Elliot Gould
Tim Ryan
Lydia Rooney
Cian Mc Tearnan
Conor O Hare
Mark Rutherford

Alas ...

2008-01-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

This month, January 2008, will forever more be remembered with sadness by all those associated with chess in Ireland.

On New Years day we learned of the tragic loss of the immensely likeable and talented 19 year old Irish Chess Union Chairman -and former underage international- Phillip Hogarty. Phillip was a bright and rising talent. He had a passion for the game and the development of the game which is rare today. Irish chess is much the poorer for his most untimely departing.

Today we hear about the loss of arguably the most gifted chess player ever, Bobby Fischer. Born into humble circumstances in Chicago, he taught himself chess and became US chamption at 14, achieving Grand Master status at 15. In 1972 he became the 11th world champion amid somewhat bizarre circumstances in Reykjavik age 29.

While Bobby's victory was hailed as a great triumph for the West over the East at the height of the cold war, Bobby saw his victory as a personal triumph over opponents whom he respected. He refused to become a propaganda weapon for the US, in much the same way that Borris Spassky and later Gary Kasparov also refused to be pawns for the Soviet cause. Fischer's views won him few friends at home and he became an exile for the remainder of his life.

Bobby suffered from mental illness in his later life and his anti-American views, and his increasingly anti-semitic views (both of Bobby's parents were of Jewish descent) were reported in the press, his public comments became ravings which cast a shadow over his legacy.

But for all his faults and they are many, he is still held with the deepest regard among all chess players who appreciate his natual talent, his unique dedication to improvement and his ruthless competitive play which was always matched by his dignity and the upmost respect he showed for his opponents, away from the board.

Bobby and Phillip we will miss you both. Chess has lost two of its kings.

The games of Bobby Fischer can be viewed by clicking the spinning knight at the top right of this page (requires Java).

Einstein, chess & half dead cats

2008-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

When Hitler came into power in 1933 a number of eminent Jewish scientists fled including Einstein. Einstein who had been a keen chess player in his youth fled Germany and was given permanent residence in the United States. He accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

The director of the Institute was Dr. J Robert Oppenheimer, famous for leading the secret Manhattan project which developed the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer was also a chess player. Only one game between Einstein and Oppenheimer played at Princeton appears to have surived. Played in 1933 Einstein (white) uses the Ruy Lopez opening after which our club is named.
Einstein vs Oppenheimer.

Dr Emanuel Lasker the second chess world champion and friend of Einstein fled Berlin at same time. Einstein later wrote the preface to Lasker's biography in particular praising Laskers commitment to humanitarian causes.

Another friend of Einsteins, Nobel prize winning Jewish Physicist Erwin Schrödinger fled Berlin too and later became the very first Director of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, which was originally modeled on Princeton and continues research in theoretical physics and other areas today. Schrödinger is probably best known for a whimsical thought experiment he created to describe the absurdity of quantum states at larger scales.

His famous thought experiment focussed on his cat (Schrödinger's cat) who in 'theory' could be both alive and dead at the same time. If this was not enough someone with far too much time in their hands more recently invented Schrodinger's chess, where pieces are randomised and covered at the start of the game and can display different properties until their final state is observed.

Truly the human imagaination is limitless.

On a related note another German Jew, Wolfgang Heidenfeld, fled the Nazis and after some years moved to Ireland and played Chess for Ireland with distinction for many years. Wolfgangs son Mark is a current Ireland International. The Leinster League Division 2 Trophy, the Heidenfeld Trophy is named in Wolfgangs memory.

"Chess grips its exponent, shakling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom and independence of even the strongest character cannot remain unaffected." Albert Einstein

Different Approaches ...

2007-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Chess is a game of understanding and creativity. Understanding enough in a position to be able to find or sense the correct balance between attack and defense. The great creatives in the game could conjure fantastic sacrifies that delight and amaze and achieve victory thorough vision and brilliance. Players such as first (unofficial) world champion Paul Morphy, the magician of Riga Mikhail Tal, Gary Kasparov & Judit Polgar produced spectacular games all throughout their careers.

Other players prefer to turn games into turgid trench warfare, and achieve victory by removing advantageous squares from their opponent. As if they are attempting to starve enemy forces of oxygen, or entrap them in their coils like a constrictor. Players in this category include the founder of scientific chess Wilhlem Steinitz, Tigran Petrosian and Anatoly Karpov. Their patient and deep approach is very difficult to break, and behind their so called 'quiet moves' many a cleverly set trap can hide, as Tal once said "Karpov's intentions become understandable to his opponents only when salvation is no longer possible."

Of course chess is also a game where, over the centuries, less scrupulous 'innovators' have sought victory through other means, from leading chess players hiding inside so called chess machines such as 'The Turk' in the 18th century, to the concealment or use of computers or mobile communication devices in the modern era. The lengths some people will go to pursue pyrhic victories never ceases to amaze, here Paul Merton tries such an audacious approach with just a touch of humour..

How to beat grandmasters..

2007-03-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Virtually all chess players seek to improve their game, primarily through practice and study. Like any discipline it takes time and effort, which is too much for some people. While everyone can improve very rapid progress in the game is forte of the young. If an adult player goes from novice to expert in a short space of time, well, there is usually another less nobel explanation.

One of the most famous cheats in chess history pertains to a novice adult chess player who appears from nowhere and suddenly starts beating top players (including grandmasters)in simultaneous exhibition games, using a very simple and obvious ruse .. Surprisingly there are still some top players to be found who fall for the age old simul (simultaneous exhibition) con.

Here, is a modern and well presented interpretation of the classic con from the entertaining Derren Brown. He explains the trick at the end .. (but as a chess player you will already have worked it out long before that !!).

(Requires Macromedia Flash)

Royal Lopez in BA Take Off

2007-02-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

With just two games to go, Royal Lopez have moved into a commanding lead in the British Airways League. Only a minor disaster will now prevent the Meath team achieving a second league title and promotion in successive seasons. However the battle for second place is very much alive with a close battle between Dunshaughlin's Classic Kings and Portmarnock. It looks very much like the second and final promotion place will not be decided until the 26th of march when the final round matches of all the Leinster Leagues will be played.

Updates on all the Leinster Leagues can be found on Peter Scotts excellent website

Kilkenny Chess Congress 2006

2006-11-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

The 30th Annual Kilkenny Chess Congress was run over the weekend of November 24th to 26th. There were four competitions in total. Two were held in the Club House Hotel while the top events were held across the street in Butler House.

British no1. and world no9. Michael Adams GM (2735) was surprisingly beaten by Mark Hebden GM in the Masters section, and had to make do with 2nd place overall.
For a full report on the masters competition (courtesy of the ICU) click here

Far more pleased with his second place (and indeed himself) was Edward Doyle of Royal Lopez, who managed a very creditable 5 out of 6 score (in the Challengers section) taking joint second place in his first ever tournament. Two of his games from the latter rounds of the competion can be seen below. click here Basic analysis of the games here provided by Chessmaster 10th edition.

Club Opening 2006/2007

2006-09-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

The club opens once again on the 4th September 7.30 Ratoath Community Center.

All welcome.

New Member Enquiries: Laura Keating 01 - 8250293

AGM to be held also on the 4/Sept @ 8.45

Benefits of chess

2006-08-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

There is a common perception that chess is a preserve of brighter children, but all academic research evidence shows the opposite. Chess skills can be acquired by anyone, and in fact just about everyone can reach a level of good proficiency. To the contrary of common wisdom research consistently demonstrates that children who develop chess skills actually 'become brighter', i.e. they measurably improve in other areas such as Languages and Maths after developing chess skills. Chess seems to help children become bright( or brighter), not the other way around. Why this happens is not so easy to explain, but what we are certain of based on all research, is that it does happen and the results are often dramatic, especially for those assessed to be at the lower end of the academic scale at the outset.

These assessments are normally made against basic measures of intellectual ability (such as IQ) or measures of attainment such as test scores, over time. Other studies point to social benefits from participating in chess as a team sport, and learning to deal with the challenges of competition. Much of the benefits of chess (IQ, Memory, Social adjustment) are realised in all persons who play chess regularly, but the benefits are greatest for children.

Below are some of the key measruable findings of research efforts and a few of the hundreds of articles that are freely available which detail the benfits of chess for children (and indeed all of us).

o Raise intelligence quotient (IQ) scores
o Strengthen problem solving skills, teaching how to make difficult and abstract decisions independently
o Enhance reading, memory, language, and mathematical abilities
o Foster critical, creative, and original thinking
o Provide practice at making accurate and fast decisions under time pressure, a skill that can help improve exam scores at school
o Teach how to think logically and efficiently, learning to select the ‘best’ choice from a large number of options
o Challenge gifted children while potentially helping underachieving gifted students learn how to study and strive for excellence
o Demonstrate the importance of flexible planning, concentration, and the consequences of decisions
o Reach boys and girls regardless of their natural abilities or socio-economic backgrounds

Article by Dr Peter Dauvergne
Time Magazine Article
NYC School program

Photo of some winners from the 2005 Munster Junior Championships (courtesy Irish Chess Union)

Properly taught, a student can learn more in a few hours than they would find out in ten years of untutored trial and error.
-Emanuel Lasker

2006 Chess Olympiad Update

2006-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thirteen year old Poornima Menon (opposite) has emerged as Irelands brightest young chess talent at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin. The youngest person ever to represent her country at senior level, Poornima finished the Olympiad on an incredible 6 out of 10 points. This score earns her the chess title Womens FIDE Master (WFM) only the second Irish woman ever to earn the title. Poornima who is a school student in Kilkenny, and has only been playing chess for three years. She moved to Ireland from India with her family two years previously.

In the mens competition Alex Barburin led the way once again, producing some strong performances to maintain Irelands solid record in recent Olympiads.

Overall the mens team finshed a creditable 56th of out of 149, and the women 78 out of 108.

For full ICU update click here

Bodley Presentation

2006-05-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Royal Lopez Senior team, recieving their Bodley Cup presentations from Peter Scott of the Leinster Chess Union. Left to right, Mark Gould, Michael Keating, Edward Doyle, Peter Scott(LCU), David Eccles(Capt.), Eugene Boyle, Peter McMahon.

Not in picture (a casualty of the Cork Rail Strike) Ernie McIlroy.

Community Games & Killane Shield Updates

2006-05-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

Junior Update
Royal Lopez Junior Team have finished as runners up in the 2006 Meath Community Games in their first season. Beaten in the final by a significantly older and more experienced Dunshaughlin team, this years competition will serve as a basline for further progress in the competition in the coming years. Well done to all involved, to the winners Dunshaughin, the organisers, and of course our own silver medalists.

Senior Update
Royal Lopez rampaging first season has ended.

The senior team recorded only their second loss of the season at the semi-final stage of the Killane shield. Beaten 3.5 to 1.5 over two nights by Rathmines, the Dubliners experience and depth prooved too much in the end. Rathmines who were joint runners up in the Ennis Shield this season (three divisions above Royal Lopez) finally put a stop to Royal Lopez season long upward march. So ended the impossible dream of winning every available trophy in our first season. Our best wishes to Rathmines in the final.

This season has produced some excellent performances and memories not to mention Awards for senior and juinor teams alike.

The focus of the summer now turns to our own internal club championships (Senior & Junior) and the preparation of all teams for next seasons competitions.

Well done to all members, and we look forward to repeating our success next season.

Ratoath Community Centre Open Day

2006-04-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

Members of Royal Lopez Chess Club Senior & Junior teams will be attending the Ratoath Community Centre Open Day on Sunday April 30th 2006.

New members always welcome.

Bodley Cup 2005/2006 - Champions

2006-04-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Royal Lopez have won the 2006 Bodley cup. Coming into the last round they were 4.5 points behind Classic Kings of Dunshaughlin, but a complete sweep (5-0) away win over a much improved Bray & Greystones (who recently lost to Classic Kings by a narrow 3-2 margin) was enough to seal the silverware for Royal Lopez in their maiden season.

This is a fantastic achievement for all members and players of the small but growing (in numbers and stature) Meath club. Royal Lopez would like to thank their supporters and sponsors, especially Meath VEC for their generous assistance in their first season.

Where to display the trophy is now a hot topic, with a number of prominent candidate locations in the village being proposed.

Royal Lopez would like to thank all the particpating teams in the Bodley Cup, and in particular Classic Kings who were very worthy opponents, and unfortunate in the end to loose by such a narrow margin, and wish them well in their future development and progress.

Killane shield draw & FIDE create surprises

2006-04-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Royal Lopez have progressed to the Quarter Finals of the Killane shield without dropping a single point in their match against the higher divsion Dun Laoighre. However the quarter final draw produced some astonished faces (see picture opposite) when it was announced. The Royals have been rewarded with "an away tie with .... Classic Kings of Dunshaughlin". This will be the third meeting of the two Meath teams in a single season, and sets up an interesting conclusion to the season. Next year the organisers will asked to introduce a seeding system like that of the UEFA Champions League to only allow the Meath teams meet in the final (which of course is where they both belong).

In other news a major milestone has passed this week as Gary Kasparov is no longer officially the highest rated FIDE player. In fact he has been completely removed from FIDE rankings altogether. Quite literally hero-to-zero in one step. Kasparov who was undoubtedly the greatest ever world champion and an esteemed ambassador and benefactor for many laudable causes has decided to devote all his efforts to political activities in his native Russia. Kasparov will be praying (see picture opposite) his latest efforts produce something of the magic he has worked on the chess scene for the last three decades.

Winning is not success. Losing is not failure.

2006-03-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

An intrinsic (some would say neccessary) aspect of all competitive sport is that there are winners and losers. Everyone likes to be a winner, nobody likes to be the looser, but everyone is at some point. Loosing sucks, loosing hurts. Despite our common experiences reactions to winning and loosing are far from uniform and in fact how we react to a victory or defeat is more important than the actual victory or defeat itself.

In individual competitions (such as chess) when you loose a match there is nowhere else to look for (or attribute) the cause of your defeat. While winning or loosing a particular chess match has no bearing on future success in any aspect of your life (or even future your chess success) how an individual chooses to interpret victories or defeats, will according to sport and industrial psychologists have a bearing on future success in both life and sport.

For some a negative emotional reaction to a defeat is a sign of 'hunger' or strong motivation to win, but this same behavior can also -simultaneously- indicate a reaction to a percieved threat to self esteem(fear of failure), which can manifest itself in negative even counter productive ways.

It is an important aspect of any sports coaching to help a competitor with the correct and positive interpretation of any victory or defeat (often called attribution psychology). It is arguably even more important in intellectually intense competitions such as chess, when active brains meander towards post mortems in unpredicable ways which can loose sight of the bigger picture.

Studies have consistently shown in a variety of fields ranging from professional sport, entreprenuership and even academic attainment, that a defining characteristic in long term success is the ability to percieve wins and losses as merely "learning experiences". The correct attitude to both helps construct and maintain a balanced and healthy mental framework (some call it an emotional intelligence) in the face of those occasional knocks that challenge us all from time to time.

References
Attribution psychology in sport
EI in sport coaching
The right attitude in chess

"A merry heart doeth good like medicine." --Proverbs 17:22

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task."
Vince Lombardi, American football coach

Meath VEC - Youth Grant Award

2006-01-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Royal Lopez Chess Club have recieved a 2006 Youth Grant Award from Meath VEC. This grant recognises the role the club can play in providing accessible, inclusive and rewarding activities for the young (and some older!) people of the county.

Everyone at the club expresses their thanks to the VEC for their generous support. The grant will be used to support the clubs activities in developing chess talent in the county of meath, through the development and delivery of a chess educational and partipation program for the county in 2006.

Club Championship Game

2006-01-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well its far from a classic, and the opening in particular invites some serious questions of both sides. But just to prove that the technology works, here is a club championship game from the 5th of November. David E as white, beats Ed D fairly comfortably . Annotation courtesy of Chessmaster 10th Edition.

Club Championship match Nov 05

(You may need java installed to view this correctly)

Ed is at pains to point out that he has improved considerably since this game and the CC06 can not come quickly enough.

Bodley Cup Update

2005-12-04T06:03:00.000-08:00

At halfway here is the current league table