BEA Cup
The BEA Cup (British European Airways Perpetual Chess Trophy) is a team event, the fifth division of the Leinster Leagues, since it started in the 1972/73 season.
British European Airways Perpetual Chess Trophy with original base, with new (2024) base and new (2024) BEA Divisional Trophy. Pics: JL.
The cup itself was presented to the LCU by British European Airways on November 22, 1972.
While the number of teams taking part has varied, from the 1980s on each section of the BEA has consisted of twelve teams of five players each.
Every team plays each other team once over eleven rounds. At the end of each season two teams are promoted to the O'Hanlon Cup,
division 4. Originally the BEA Cup comprised one section and the two lowest teams were relegated to the Bodley Cup,
division 6. In recent years, the BEA has comprised two sections, the BEA North and the BEA South, divided geographically.
During these seasons three teams were promoted from the BEA following playoffs, while 3 or 4 teams were relegated to the Bodley which also expanded to two sections.
In the 2023/24 season the Bodley was expanded to three sections: North, South and Central. In 2024 the BEA Divisional Trophy was awarded for the first time,
to the runners up in the playoffs between the winners of the BEA N and BEA S sections.
Players have to be registered with the Irish Chess Union
and all games are rated by the ICU, and in 2024/25 for the first time matches will be rated by FIDE.
Winners
The BEA Cup was first awarded in the 1972/73 season. From the engraved cup and IRLChess[1] the winners
at the end of each season were as below.
- 1973 Ierne
- 1974 Phibsboro
- 1975 Cavan
- 1976 Elm Mount
- 1977 Clontarf
- 1978 Dublin County Council
- 1979 Phibsboro
- 1980 Skerries
- 1981 Finglas
- 1982 Dublin
- 1983 Kilkenny
- 1984 St. James
- 1985 Kilkenny
- 1986 Wicklow
- 1987 Phibsboro
- 1988 Crumlin
- 1989 Tallaght
- 1990 Phibsboro
- 1991 Rathfarnham
- 1992 Elm Mount
- 1993 Finglas[2]
- 1994 Athlone
- 1995 ?
- 1996 Fairview
- 1997 Guinness
- 1998 Bray
- 1999 ?
- 2000 UCD
- 2001 ?
- 2002 Jobstown and Drogheda
- 2003 ?
- 2004 Castle
- 2005 St. Benildus
- 2006 Longford
- 2007 Royal Lopez
- 2008 Dublin University
- 2009 Dublin
- 2010 Celbridge
- 2011 Cavan
- 2012 Ballinasloe A
- 2013 Phibsboro
- 2014 Round Tower
- 2015 Gonzaga
- 2016 Enniscorthy
- 2017 Blanchardstown
- 2018 UCD
- 2019 Portmarnock
- 2020 Finglas, Kilkenny
- 2023 UCD
- 2024 Master Chess Club (W), DCU (D), Dublin A (P)
Abbreviations: W = winner, R = runner-up, also promoted, P = promoted, perhaps after playoffs, D = winner of BEA Divisional Trophy from 2024 on.
No leagues were held in 2020/21 or 2021/22 due to Covid restrictions. In other years above which are not followed by a team name, the BEA Cup was held but no information is yet available regarding the winner. When play was suspended in March 2020, due to Covid, Finglas were awarded the title as the highest average score per match in the BEA North, while Kilkenny were best in the BEA South. No playoffs could be held.
No leagues were held in 2020/21 or 2021/22 due to Covid restrictions. In other years above which are not followed by a team name, the BEA Cup was held but no information is yet available regarding the winner. When play was suspended in March 2020, due to Covid, Finglas were awarded the title as the highest average score per match in the BEA North, while Kilkenny were best in the BEA South. No playoffs could be held.
References
- BEA Cup. IRLchess - Irish chess history & records. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- Gibson, John (16 Jun 1993). "Leinster Chess Union League Controller's Report for 1992/93 by Jack Killane page 7 (re 1993)".
Source
John Loughran. Originally written for Wikipedia in 2024.
Please send corrections and updates to John Loughran on skerrieschess.com/contact.