Michael Bradley 1971 - 2025

Michael Bradley arrived in Cork Chess Club in the mid 2000s as an absolute beginner and full of enthusiasm. His improvement was swift and impressive and he was soon a formidable opponent. The energy he put into learning and playing chess was more than matched by the energy he put into the club and very soon he was Club Chairman. He threw himself into running the club and the annual Cork Congress, drumming up interest and keeping numbers high in the club and the congress very successfully. He was involved in the administration of the club in some form almost without break from 2006 until the present day.

Michael was great fun, both on and off the chessboard. He was always the first to volunteer himself for the best spoiling of a winning position award, or the most spectacular blunder award, but he converted plenty of his winning positions, and swindled himself out of plenty of lost games too. The crowning achievement of his chess playing career was when he won the strong Galway Congress 2014 Major section outright, winning all of his games.

He played fun, sharp, exciting chess and was proud of his extremely low draw rate. He was always on the lookout for a gambit, something to throw the position out of balance and gain initiative. If Michael had black and you played d4 he’d roll out his beloved Benko. If he had white and you played the KID he’d throw in an aggressive g4 early on, or if you played the Caro he’d play the Fantasy Variation.

Right up to the end Michael was contributing to Cork Chess Club, officially as Team Captain, and unofficially with his presence and good humour. He was playing good uncompromising chess as usual this season, and he currently stands in joint first position in the Club Championship.

We will all miss him greatly, Cork Chess has lost a true honest servant and a good friend.

We send our condolences to Una, Claire and all his family.