Armstrong Cup

The Armstrong Cup is the oldest Irish team league competition and has been played every year since 1888, perhaps giving it a claim on the longest running chess competition in the world. The Club is named after William Armstrong BL (1849-1899)[1] who presented the cup in its first season[2] It is organised by the Leinster Chess Union and is division one of the Leinster leagues. Each team comprises 8 players, and the league comprises 12 teams. Each year the bottom two clubs are relegated, and the top two clubs from the second division Heidenfeld Trophy are promoted. The winners of the Armstrong Cup go forward to participate in the National Club Championships run by the Irish Chess Union. As well as being graded by the ICU, games in the Armstrong Cup are submitted for rating by the International Chess Federation FIDE.

In 1971 the League was divided into top 6 teams who played each other home and away, the remaining teams formed the new division two named the Heidenfeld Trophy with the older Ennis Shield league competition becoming the third division of the Leinster leagues. In the early 1980s the LCU experimented with having a preliminary round and then dividing the league into 2 section however it returned to the league format.

Winning Clubs

1889-1899

1900-1901

1910-1919

1920-1929

1930-1939

1940-1949

1950-1959

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-Present

Number of Wins by Club

Club Wins Years
Dublin 32 1910, 1913, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966. 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1981
Sackville 17 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907,1908, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1926, 1929, 1932, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1957
Rathmines 10 1895, 1898, 1946, 1978, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2006, 2007, 2012
Kevin Barry + 7 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
Phibsboro 7 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
Dublin University 6 1891, 1896, 1897, 1900, 1945, 2014
University College Dublin 6 1959, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980
Blackrock/Booterstown ++ 5 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1936
Collegians +++ 4 1964, 1972, 1975, 1979
Eoghan Ruadh +++ 4 1954, 1956, 1962, 1968
Clontarf 3 1890, 1953, 1955
Colmcille 3 1937, 1940, 1943
Crumlin 3 1997, 1998, 2001
Bray 2 1990, 2000
Gonzaga 2 2015, 2016
Raheny 2 1982, 1983
City 1 1894
Dundrum ++++ 1 1985
Elm mount 1 2010
Kilkenny 1 2011
Kingstown 1 1893
Phoenix 1 1890
Rathfarnham 1 1995
St. Benildus ++++ 1 1994

Italics indicate clubs which are defunct or no longer active.

+ Kevin Barry Chess Club previously called North City Chess Club played in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, disbanded in 1992.

++ Bootherstown(Blackrock) evolved into Blackrock Chess Club and played in the Carnegie Library in Blackrock, the club is now defunct.

+++ 1981 Eoghan Ruadh (who played in Merchants Quay, Dublin) and Collegians merged to form Vikings Chess Club, Collegians continued on as a Chess and Go Club.

++++ St. Benildus and Dundrum Chess Club merged, so perhaps their victories should be counted together

References

  1. William Armstrong www.irlchess.com
  2. Armstrong Cup Irish Chess History
  3. Leinster Leagues LCU Website
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