The Irish Intervarsity Championship 2026 took place on February 28th, 2026, hosted by Technological University Dublin on their Aungier Street Campus in collaboration with the Irish Chess Union.
This year’s event was an unrated 7-round rapid tournament (15+10), with a strong emphasis on participation and bringing university players together from across the island of Ireland. The championship was officially opened by TUD Chairperson Adam Purcell, ICU Chairperson Desmond Beatty, and Varsity Officer Sarah Scott. The tournament was expertly overseen by Chief Arbiter FA Ivan Baburin.
A total of 124 players took part on the day, with particularly strong representation from University College Cork and hosts Technological University Dublin. Impressively, colleges from all four provinces of Ireland were represented, a fantastic reflection of the continued growth and inclusivity of university chess nationwide. Players enjoyed a free pizza lunch, and a total prize fund of €800 was distributed across Open and Women’s prizes, alongside prizes for Best Unrated and Best Overall University.
Full standings for the event can be found here.
A full photo album of the event will be released soon and can be found {here}.
The 2026 edition of the Irish Intervarsity Championship was a tremendous success, celebrating not only competitive excellence but also the community spirit of Irish university chess. With record participation and nationwide representation, we hope next year's event can continue in the same stride.
Prize Winners
Open
- FM Oleg Artemenko – Griffith College Dublin
- FM Adam Collins – Queen's University Belfast
- Jan Thomas Nordgreen – University of Galway
Women
- WFM Lara Putar (also joint 3rd overall) – Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
- Sarah Scott – Technological University Dublin
- Beril Bayark – MTU Cork
Additional Prizes
- Best Unrated: Liam Twomey – University College Cork
- Best Overall University: University College Cork