QUB Staff Common Room
Belfast 12- 13 May 2001
The alternative attractions of sensationally good weather and the FA Cup Final produced a small field for the Ulster Team Championship. With the awkward number of 5 teams the usual knockout format was abandoned. Instead the teams agreed to play a round-robin rapidplay qualifier with the top two teams going through to the final. The same scoring system as is used in the Belfast and District Leagues was adopted - game points plus 2 points for a won match and 1 point for a drawn one.
North Belfast continued their all-conquering form from the Leagues, dropping only half a point in their first two matches. However the juggernaut was stopped in its tracks by Fisherwick A in Round 3. When Fisherwick A then shared the spoils with RVH in Round 4, they were already assured of qualifying. Fisherwick A had the bye in Round 5 and North Belfast with a 6-1 win over QUB in the final qualifying round actually headed the final standings.
The final was a double-round event with the standard three-hour session. Both finalists were without some of the players who had helped them qualify. North Belfast were harder hit with their usual Boards 1 and 3 David Houston and Adrian Skelton out and Stephen Morgan only available for the morning round. However team captain Bernard McCaughey found two useful replacements in Nicholas Pilkiewicz and John Masterson. Fisherwick A were missing new recruit and former Ulster and Irish champion Ray Devenney, who had made his debut for them in the qualifying stage.
The morning session was shared 2.5 points each, with North Belfast perhaps a shade lucky to share the points after Stephen Scannell escaped with a draw against Kieran Greer on Board 1. In the second round each side got a win on the board, McCormick winning for Fisherwick and Donaghy for North Belfast. Then Scannell eventually agreed a draw with Greer after making herculean efforts to grind out a win in a bishop -v- knight ending. The last two games went down to the final minutes with Pilkiewicz and McCaughey (finally picking himself !) producing the goods for North Belfast.
The Plate, with games having a two-hour playing session, was won by RVH.
Qualifying tournament standings
Team NB FisA RVH QUB FisB Total
North Belfast X 2.0 6.5 6.0 7.0 21.5
Fisherwick A 5.0 X 3.5 5.5 5.0 19.0
RVH 0.5 3.5 X 5.5 7.0 16.5
QUB 1.0 1.5 1.5 X 5.0 9.0
Fisherwick B 0.0 2.0 0.0 2.0 X 4.0
Plate standings
Team RVH QUB FisB Total
RVH X 6.0 5.0 11.0
QUB 1.0 X 6.0 7.0
Fisherwick B 2.0 1.0 X 3.0
Final Round 1
North Belfast 2.5:2.5 Fisherwick A
S. Scannell (W) 1/2 K. Greer (B)
N. Pilkiewicz 1/2 J. Cairns
S. Morgan 1:0 G. McCormick
J. Masterson 1/2 N. McFarland
M. Donaghy 0:1 B. Thompson
Final Round 2
North Belfast 3.5:1.5 Fisherwick A
S. Scannell (B) 1/2 K. Greer (W)
N. Pilkiewicz 1:0 J. Cairns
J. Masterson 0:1 G. McCormick
B. McCaughey 1:0 N. McFarland
M. Donaghy 1:0 B. Thompson
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