Carlow Chess master competes in word championships
Adam Collins is representing Ireland at the highest level of chess in the world in Uzbekistan
RECENTLY crowned all-Ireland chess champion and Leighlinbridge native Adam Collins is representing Ireland at the highest level of team chess in the world, the Olympiad, which gets underway today, Tuesday, in Uzbekistan.
The Olympiad, held every two years, is considered the flagship team event in chess, with teams from 200 countries around the world competing against each other over the course of two weeks.
Adam (21) a former student of Leighlinbridge National School and Presentation de la Salle, Bagenalstown first took up chess as a six-year-old in primary school before he began playing competitively in 2016 when he joined Kilkenny Chess club. He is one of five players who qualified to represent Ireland at the Olympiad.
A third-year psychology student at Queens University Belfast, Adam balances his studies and practicing with his job teaching children chess. He can spend up to 40 hours a week practicing on the chessboard.
Adam is ranked as a FIDE master by the international chess federation, the third-highest ranking title a competitive chess player can achieve, behind the grandmaster and international master. He cites Maurice Buckley and Jack Lowry from Kilkenny Chess club as major influences on his career, saying they taught him a great deal when he was young.
Adam is a first-time competitor at the Olympiad and has also qualified for the 2028 tournament as a result of his all-Ireland championship win.
Alongside his senior championship, Adam has won the 2024 U19 All-Ireland title, the 2021 U16 All-Ireland title and the 2021 Irish secondary schools championship.
Those interested in tuning in to Adam and the rest of the Irish team’s games can do so by visiting the Chess.com website, where livestreams of matches will be available over the course of two weeks.
