Britbase Updates

[Gerard Killoran]

I'm puzzled by the following game, in particular the double blunder at move 19... Qc8 20. Nf6+, when Nd6 would have won the exchange. Obviously Wainwright was not at his best in this tournament, but did he:

1. Look only at Nf6 hoping for a mate on g7?
2. See Qe6 hitting the loose Rook on a2 and not calculate further?
3. Play quickly because the first time control was 20 moves in an hour?

Or, were other moves played?

[Event "Weston"] [Site "Weston-super-Mare ENG"] [Date "1924.04.24"] [Round "7"] [White "Wainwright, George Edward"] [Black "Duffield, Cyril"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C28"] [EventDate "1924.04.19"] [Opening "Bishop's opening: Vienna game"] [PlyCount "70"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nc6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nxc3 8. bxc3 Be7 9. Ng3 O-O 10. a4 Na5 11. Ba2 b6 12. Re1 Bf6 13. Ba3 c5 14. Bc1 Re8 15. Qh5 Be6 16. Ne4 Bxa2 17. Rxa2 g6 18. Qf3 Bg7 19. Bg5 Qc8 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. Bxf6 Qd7 22. Re4 Re6 23. g4 Qc6 24. g5 h5 25. Ra1 Rae8 26. Rae1 Qd5 27. Qh3 Nc6 28. R1e3 Qa2 29. Re2 Qa1+ 30. Qf1 Qxc3 31. Rc4 Qa3 32. Re1 Nd4 33. Ra1 Qb2 34. Rb1 Qa2 35. Ra1 Qb2 1/2-1/2

[John Saunders]

I'm puzzled by the following game, in particular the double blunder at move 19... Qc8 20. Nf6+, when Nd6 would have won the exchange. Obviously Wainwright was not at his best in this tournament, but did he:

1. Look only at Nf6 hoping for a mate on g7?
2. See Qe6 hitting the loose Rook on a2 and not calculate further?
3. Play quickly because the first time control was 20 moves in an hour?

Or, were other moves played?

[Event "Weston"] [Site "Weston-super-Mare ENG"] [Date "1924.04.24"] [Round "7"] [White "Wainwright, George Edward"] [Black "Duffield, Cyril"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C28"] [EventDate "1924.04.19"] [Opening "Bishop's opening: Vienna game"] [PlyCount "70"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nc6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nxc3 8. bxc3 Be7 9. Ng3 O-O 10. a4 Na5 11. Ba2 b6 12. Re1 Bf6 13. Ba3 c5 14. Bc1 Re8 15. Qh5 Be6 16. Ne4 Bxa2 17. Rxa2 g6 18. Qf3 Bg7 19. Bg5 Qc8 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. Bxf6 Qd7 22. Re4 Re6 23. g4 Qc6 24. g5 h5 25. Ra1 Rae8 26. Rae1 Qd5 27. Qh3 Nc6 28. R1e3 Qa2 29. Re2 Qa1+ 30. Qf1 Qxc3 31. Rc4 Qa3 32. Re1 Nd4 33. Ra1 Qb2 34. Rb1 Qa2 35. Ra1 Qb2 1/2-1/2

I can see no chess reason why 19...Qc8 should have been played. The likeliest answer is that it was a transcription error and that 19...Qc7 was actually played. The oldest source I have for this game is Tony Gillam's booklet 'Hastings 1923/24 & Weston-super-Mare 1924' (published in 1995) which also has 19...Qc8. It would have been digitised from the Gillam booklet by (someone working for) ChessBase some years ago. Mega Database 2022 also has 19...Qc8. Tony Gillam's stated source for the Weston 1924 games was the Tinsley notebooks but it might be worth looking through online newspapers in case it turns up in a regional newspaper. That said, the fact that it was a fairly unspectacular game which ended in a draw makes that a long shot.

I shall add a note to the file on BritBase that Black's move 19 looks like a transcription error and that 19...Qc7 was probably played. Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

[Gerard Killoran]

I'm certain that the C. Sullivan who won the 3rd class B and the Lightning at Weston was Chris Sullivan.

C:\Users\coven\OneDrive\Pictures\Chess History\Bristol Evening Post - Saturday 01 June 1974 p.42.png

[John Saunders]

I'm certain that the C. Sullivan who won the 3rd class B and the Lightning at Weston was Chris Sullivan.

Thanks, Gerard, I'm sure you're right. I've added his forename in the relevant places. Anyone who was good enough to win a tournament in which Max Euwe finished 3rd deserves to have his full name up in lights.

[Gerard Killoran]

Winner of best game prize in this section

[Event "GBR-ch46 U15"] [Site "York"] [Date "1959.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Sandiford, Graham Kenneth"] [Black "Smith, D. G."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C14"] [Opening "French: classical variation"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Nb5 Nb6 9. Nd6+ Kf8 10. dxc5 N6d7 11. Nxc8 Qxc5 12. Nd6 a6 13. c4 f6 14. cxd5 exd5 15. Rc1 Qa5+ 16. Qd2 Qxd2+ 17. Nxd2 Nc6 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Nf5 Re8+ 20. Be2 Nb4 21. Kd1 Nxa2 22. Rc7 Rb8 23. Rxg7 Rc8 24. Nb3 a5 25. Re1 a4 26. Nbd4 Rc1+ 27. Kd2 Ne4+ 28. Ke3 Rxe1 29. Ne6+ Ke8 30. Re7# {Middlesex County Times - Saturday 19 September 1959 p.8} 1-0

[John Saunders]

Winner of best game prize in this section

Thanks for the game, Gerard, which I have added to the BritBase collection.

Hard to believe it was the best game in that section. Maybe it was the only entry...

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi John,

Maybe it was the most entertaining game, both sides attacking with Rook and Knight. Black finally wins back their piece only to get mated. If as you say, they were short of submissions I can see it get chosen.

[Gerard Killoran]

Here's a puzzle, this was one of four games left for adjudication. Somerset were losing 7-5 but tied the match and went through on board count, meaning they were awarded 3 wins and 1 draw or 2 wins and 2 draws. I can't find any report giving the result of the game below and assume it was given as a win for Bolland, but as they say, "When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me"

[Event "Gloucestershire vs Somerset"] [Site "Clifton Chess Club"] [Date "1928.12.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Mansfield, Comins"] [Black "Bolland, Percivale David"] [Result "*"] [ECO "C71"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: modern Steinitz defence"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. O-O Be7 7. Nc3 b5 8. Bb3 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Nf6 11. Nd5 c5 12. Qc3 c4 13. a3 Nxd5 14. exd5 O-O 15. Ba2 Bf6 16. Qg3 Bf5 17. c3 Re8 18. Bb1 Re5 19. Bf4 Rxd5 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 21. Bxd6 Bh4 22. Qg4 Bxf2+ 23. Kh1 Qf6 24. Qe4 Rd8 25. Be7 Re8 26. Rad1 Re5 27. Bxf6 Rxe4 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Rxf2 Re1+ 30. Rf1 Rxf1+ 31. Rxf1 Re2 {Western Daily Press - Monday 03 December 1928 p.2} *

[John Saunders]

Here's a puzzle, this was one of four games left for adjudication. Somerset were losing 7-5 but tied the match and went through on board count, meaning they were awarded 3 wins and 1 draw or 2 wins and 2 draws. I can't find any report giving the result of the game below and assume it was given as a win for Bolland, but as they say, "When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me"

[Event "Gloucestershire vs Somerset"] [Site "Clifton Chess Club"] [Date "1928.12.01"] [Round "?"] [White "Mansfield, Comins"] [Black "Bolland, Percivale David"] [Result "*"] [ECO "C71"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: modern Steinitz defence"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. O-O Be7 7. Nc3 b5 8. Bb3 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Nf6 11. Nd5 c5 12. Qc3 c4 13. a3 Nxd5 14. exd5 O-O 15. Ba2 Bf6 16. Qg3 Bf5 17. c3 Re8 18. Bb1 Re5 19. Bf4 Rxd5 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 21. Bxd6 Bh4 22. Qg4 Bxf2+ 23. Kh1 Qf6 24. Qe4 Rd8 25. Be7 Re8 26. Rad1 Re5 27. Bxf6 Rxe4 28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Rxf2 Re1+ 30. Rf1 Rxf1+ 31. Rxf1 Re2 {Western Daily Press - Monday 03 December 1928 p.2} *

Thanks for the game, Gerard, which I shall add to the BritBase collection of Mansfield games presently. BCM, January 1929, page 10, has all the individual board scores and shows that Bolland (Black) won. If BCM is to be believed, the score in the match played on 1 December 1928 was 8.5 to 7.5 in favour of Gloucestershire and not a tie. However, it seems that Somerset beat Gloucestershire by the same margin a few months previously and the two scores were added together to make an overall draw over the two matches. The final comment in BCM reads "With match all and equal figures a replay seems indicated." Replays don't often figure in modern-day chess but I have seen reference to them before in between-wars competitions.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Replays don't often figure in modern-day chess but I have seen reference to them before in between-wars competitions."

Indeed, Civil Service used replays in KO matches and even play-off matches where teams tied in the league up until the mid 50s. At one point, there was a 5-5 draw in a KO match and the teams were instructed that if they drew again, there would be a 15-board replay!

Looking at the Sandiford best game prize, it featured a nice finish, and "Best Game" prizes tend to be judged in different ways, Graham could be a bit prickly at times. Sadly, he's not around to give his views. Not having thought about GS for years, I noticed that Ray Keene included a game against Graham from his Dulwich College days in the "Article" a couple of weeks ago.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Looking at the Sandiford best game prize, it featured a nice finish, and "Best Game" prizes tend to be judged in different ways, Graham could be a bit prickly at times. Sadly, he's not around to give his views. Not having thought about GS for years, I noticed that Ray Keene included a game against Graham from his Dulwich College days in the "Article" a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of weeks ago:
https://www.thearticle.com/chess-lesson ... -iron-duke

A couple of years ago:
https://issuu.com/thegibraltarmagazine/docs/aug_21_web
(search for "keene")

[Phil Neatherway]

The article about Wellington concludes thus:-

Ray’s 206th book, “ Chess in the Year of the King ”, written in collaboration with former Reuters chess correspondent, Adam Black, appeared earlier this year. Now his 207th, “ Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius” has materialised, just in time to complement Ridley Scott’s new epic Napoleon. Both books are available from Amazon and Blackwell’s.

[John Townsend]

From what little is known, Napoleon would have been no match for the Duke of Wellington at chess, as the latter played at the United Service Club - not at all a strong club, but he played there regularly. See Edward Winter's two items, C.N. 11802 and C.N. 11809, and his feature article, Napoleon Bonaparte and Chess: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/ext ... leon.html

I'm not sure about Goethe. I recall there is chess in at least one of his plays and, of course, there is the famous "touchstone of the intellect" quote. (See C.N. 5901).

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Jon,

I used the scroll bar to page 96 for the Gibraltar Magazine link.

https://issuu.com/thegibraltarmagazine/docs/aug_21_web

The Game notes are the same and for the hat trick here https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1290168
but I've never really bothered with RDK re-hashing. I do it myself, not often, but if you have a stock game up your sleeve to get across an instructive point then why not? Usually I change the notes to fit the occasion. (add jokes or make an effort to elaborate more.) Perhaps RDK thinks what else can I add or change. If it was good enough then....

His 205th book! That's a quest for someone, get the lot.

[Roger de Coverly]

The Game notes are the same and for the hat trick here

The comments date the chessgames posting to 2004. Given the game was played back in 1961, any earlier sightings?