British Championship Southport 1905

[John Saunders]

Many thanks, David. I have added the games to the file.

I have also found the following:

[Event "BCF-ch 2nd"] [Site "Southport"] [Date "1905.08.16"] [Round "3"] [White "Atkins, Henry Ernest"] [Black "Gunston, William Hewison"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C43"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "1905.08.14"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "11"] [EventCountry "GBR"] [SourceDate "2015.08.11"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 d5 {... etc (moves according to Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 17 Aug 1905)} 4. Nxe5 Nxe4 5. Bd3 Be7 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. f3 Nf6 9. c3 O-O 10. Qc2 h6 11. Be3 Re8 12. Qf2 Rb8 13. b3 Nh5 14. Re1 f5 15. f4 Bd6 16. Nd2 g5 17. g3 g4 18. Nf1 Nf6 19. Bd2 Be6 20. Ne3 Ne4 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Kg2 Qf6 23. Rh1 h5 24. h3 Kg7 25. Bc1 Qf7 26. Bb2 Be7 27. Rad1 Bf6 28. c4 Rbd8 29. Qd2 Qg6 30. hxg4 hxg4 31. Qa5 Qf7 32. Nxf5+ Bxf5 33. Qxf5 Qg6 34. Qxg6+ Kxg6 35. Ba1 e3 36. Rhe1 Re4 37. Kf1 Rh8 38. Kg2 e2 39. Rd2 Rhe8 {("KR-K sq" - technically should be the other rook but I think it was this one - JS)} 40. Kf2 Rh8 {("R(K5)-K sq" but the move I have given is the only one consistent with what follows - JS)} 41. Bb2 ({If} 41. Rdxe2 {(Ambiguous "RxP")} Rh2+ 42. Kf1 Rexe2 {(Ambiguous "RxR")} 43. Rxe2 Rh1+ {, "winning the bishop" is the note in The Field - which seems to confirm the game moves as shown - JS} ) 41... Rh2+ 42. Kg1 Rh3 43. Kf2 Rh2+ 44. Kg1 {Source: The Field, 19 Aug 1905} 1/2-1/2

... and added it to the download.

[Roger de Coverly]

I have also found the following:

I'm aware that the latest initiatives are a consequence of the digitisation of local newspaper archives. What strikes me though from that vanished world pre-1914 is the extent of the coverage of the national championships with seemingly every local paper having a correspondent recording how their local representatives fared. In the UK at least , "chess as a reported sport" has longevity going back to Victorian times, so if papers wanted local sporting heroes, there was a limited selection of activities.

Being able to retrieve games from what you might presume the equivalent of the under 150 section is quite impressive.

[Gerard Killoran]

Another find, this time a last round game when Atkins had already secured the title.

[Event "BCF-ch 2nd"] [Site "Southport"] [Date "1905.08.25"] [Round "11"] [White "Atkins, Henry Ernest"] [Black "Ward, William"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B24"] [Opening "Sicilian: closed"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nge2 d6 6. d3 Nf6 7. h3 O-O 8. Be3 Rb8 9. Qd2 a6 10. O-O b5 11. Bh6 Ne8 12. Bxg7 Nxg7 13. f4 Nd4 14. Nd1 Nxe2+ 15. Qxe2 e6 16. Ne3 f5 17. Kh2 Bb7 18. g4 fxe4 19. dxe4 d5 20. exd5 exd5 21. g5 Qd6 22. Ng4 Rbe8 23. Qd2 Nh5 24. Kg1 Bc6 25. Rf2 d4 26. Bxc6 Qxc6 27. Re1 Rxe1+ 28. Qxe1 Re8 29. Qd2 Qe4 30. f5 Qe1+ 31. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 32. Kg2 gxf5 33. Rxf5 Re2+ {Leeds Mercury, August 26, 1905} 1/2-1/2

[Event "BCF-ch 2nd"]
[Site "Southport"]
[Date "1905.08.25"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Atkins, Henry Ernest"]
[Black "Ward, William"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B24"]
[Opening "Sicilian: closed"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nge2 d6 6. d3 Nf6 7. h3 O-O 8. Be3
Rb8 9. Qd2 a6 10. O-O b5 11. Bh6 Ne8 12. Bxg7 Nxg7 13. f4 Nd4 14. Nd1 Nxe2+ 15.
Qxe2 e6 16. Ne3 f5 17. Kh2 Bb7 18. g4 fxe4 19. dxe4 d5 20. exd5 exd5 21. g5 Qd6
22. Ng4 Rbe8 23. Qd2 Nh5 24. Kg1 Bc6 25. Rf2 d4 26. Bxc6 Qxc6 27. Re1 Rxe1+ 28.
Qxe1 Re8 29. Qd2 Qe4 30. f5 Qe1+ 31. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 32. Kg2 gxf5 33. Rxf5 Re2+
{Leeds Mercury, August 26, 1905} 1/2-1/2

[John Saunders]

Many thanks for this, Gerard. I have added this game to Britbase.

Apologies for my productivity rate dropping over the past few weeks. I've been working on some other projects; hope to have more time for Britbase soon.

[MJMcCready]

Thank you for your efforts Gerard. great post with some great games. I note that the closed Sicilian in the Blackburne Ward was as dull 100 years ago as it is now!