The Leinster Leagues are amateur chess team competitions run by the Leinster Chess Union (LCU) in the province of

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

in Ireland. The competitions include the Armstrong Cup, which is reputed to be the oldest Irish team league competition. Played every year since 1888, the Armstrong Cup is one of the longest running chess leagues in the world.

League structure

The leagues include a number of divisions, with promotion and relegation between divisions at the end of each season. As of the July 2023, the Leinster Leagues consisted of seven divisions: * Division 1 - Armstrong Cup * Division 2 - Heidenfeld Trophy * Division 3 - Ennis Shield * Division 4 - O'Hanlon Cup * Division 5 - BEA Cup * Division 6 - Bodley Cup * Division 7 - O'Sullivan Cup The LCU is affiliated to the

Irish Chess Union The Irish Chess Union (ICU; ) is the governing body for chess in Ireland (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) since its formation in 1912. ICU is a member of FIDE since 1933 and the European Chess Union. The ICU promotes chess in Irel ...

(ICU).

Knockout cups

The leagues normally start in late September and continue until early May. After this, clubs may put forward teams for three knockout competitions, from among players who played in the leagues. These competitions include the: *Branagan Cup - for players from divisions 1 and 2 *Killane Shield - for players who played in divisions 3 and below *William Brennan Trophy - for players rated below 1500

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.leinsterchess.com Team chess competitions in Ireland