British Championship 1907, Crystal Palace

John Saunders · Post by **John Saunders** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 2:20 pm

I've now uploaded a file of games for the 1907 British Championship in Crystal Palace...

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/190 ... iewer.html

I am grateful to Gerard Killoran and Roger Watson for their help in sourcing games. Roger found a couple of early Yates games. This was the future champion's first BCF Congress, playing in one of the lower sections. If anyone has any more games they will of course be very welcome, as is error-checking.

I've also given the 1904 file a make-over, having now checked games against what appeared in The Field. I've added two games (see below), tidied up attributions and also included crosstables of subsidiary sections.

http://www.saund.co.uk/britbase/pgn/190 ... iewer.html

Brian Denman · Post by **Brian Denman** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:54 pm

There seems to be a good number of games missing from the 1907 British Championship at Crystal Palace. I am intrigued to find my notes to the Mackenzie v Atkins game quoted, though I cannot remember passing the game on to anyone. Surely my memory is going! I enclose a few games from the lesser tournaments, though I do not have the full score of the game between Miss Gooding and Mrs Herring.

[Event "British Ladies' Ch. at Crystal Palace"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1907.08.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gooding, Miss AM"]
[Black "Herring, Mrs FD"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B20"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. Be3 a6 6. a4 g6 7. Nd5 Bg7 8. c3 O-O
9. Ne2 Ng4 10. Ng3 Nxe3 11. fxe3 e6 12. Nf4 Bd7 13. h4 Na5 14. Ba2 e5 15. Nd5
Bh6 16. h5 Kg7 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. Rc1 Qg5 19. Ne2 Qxg2 20. Rg1 Qh3 21. Kd2 Rf2
22. b4 Nc6 23. Rh1 Qf3 24. Re1 Bg4 25. bxc5 dxc5 26. Rb1 Rb8 27. Bc4 Bg5 28.
Rb3 Na5 29. Rb6 Nxc4+ 30. dxc4 Qxe4 31. Qb3 Bxe3+ 32. Nxe3 Rd8+ 33. Nd5 Bxe2
34. Rxb7+ Kh6 35. Kc1 Rf1 36. Rxf1 Bxf1 37. Rxh7+ Kg5 38. Rh5+ gxh5 {'Resigned 
by White at 55th move.' Source: Cheltenham Examiner of 11.9.1907. The
columnist adds in notes after Black's 38th move: 'Miss Gooding overlooked this
Black pawn, which was obscured by his King. The play at this point was too
quick . Of course if K x R white would win. Q - Qsq (instead of R -R5) with
the idea of Q -Q 2 ch, would have given White good winning chances, although a
Pawn behind.' [N.B. If 38 Qd1, Black still seems to win by 38...Qe2. White
would have had a greater chance of a draw by 38 Qb7, though Black could have
retained a definite advantage.]} 0-1

Gerard Killoran · Post by **Gerard Killoran** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:24 pm

From the 1907 2nd Class A tournament we have T. J. Edwards, H. Ford and B. Heastie.

The Chess Amateur - Volumes 9-10 - Page 255 has "Bradford CC. Social. " Yorks Observer Budget" says that the President (Mr. Harry Sowden) and Hon. Secretary (Mr. H. Ford) of the Bradford Chess Club entertained at tea in the Great Northern Victoria Hotel the members of the committee ..."

The same H. Ford perhaps?

T. J. Edwards is listed as being as from Bristol. Did he emigrate and become the T. J. Edwards of the Sale Chess Club, Gippsland, Melbourne?

This seems to indicate he is... http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/wint ... ava_Charge

B. Heastie of Stafford seems to have been an all-rounder. "J. Butler, the holder of the London to Brighton walking record, won the Bolton to Southport walk on August 15th, covering the 33 1/2 miles in 5hrs. 35min, 4.sec. B. Heastie, of Stafford, was second in 5hrs. 37min. 25sec" From Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, Volume 80 1903

There seems to be an indication that B. Heastie was Basil Heastie an engineer who died in 1947.

The Industrial Chemist - Volume 23 - Page 262
"We regret to announce the death on March 24 of Mr. Basil Heastie, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Chem.E., of Heron Rogers and Heastie, consulting engineers."

Brian Denman · Post by **Brian Denman** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:58 pm

According to the 1908 BCF Yearbook, H Ford was Harry Ford. There was an H Ford, who was a member of the Metropolitan Chess Club in the 1920s and 1930s. Could this be the same person?

John Saunders · Post by **John Saunders** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:01 am

Many thanks, Gerard and Brian. I have added the extra games to the file and have added forenames to Ford and Heastie. Also a few dates and round numbers have been adjusted.

Tim Harding · Post by **Tim Harding** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:31 pm

While I agree with you that in Blackburne-Michell there is a possibility the reporter took the position down wrong, I think it's more likely Blackburne missed the mate in 7 due to the time trouble mentioned in the report. However your initial position is wrong: the black pawn should be on d5 not d4.
The way he played it, he saw a mating possibility but missed the defence (3...Qb8! seems the only move).

The tragedy of this tournament was Blackburne losing a winning position against Atkins (after which he collapsed next day against Shoosmith). My book radically criticises the interpretation of the game in Coles's book on Atkins, where the author refuses to admit that his hero ever stood worse.

Blackburne-Mackenzie (which was the day after Shoosmith) is in my book. The opening sequence was 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nc3 Nc6... Blackburne (who could have been second alone had he won) was losing in the endgame but managed to draw and so tie for second.

John Saunders · Post by **John Saunders** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:48 pm

Thanks for proof-reading, Tim. I've corrected the error in the position and also added this game, kindly supplied by Gerard Killoran.

John Saunders · Post by **John Saunders** » Sat Sep 05, 2015 3:38 am

One more game found...

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British Championship 1907, Crystal Palace

British Championship 1907, Crystal Palace

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