Britbase Updates

[Matt Mackenzie]

Sorry if I have missed something obvious, but what is White's winning line after 54....h4?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

One amusing line is:
54. ... h4 55. axb6 h3 56. b7 h2 57. b8=N+ Kc8 58. d7+ Kd8 59. Kd6 h1=Q 60. Nc6+ Qxc6+ 61. bxc6 g4 62. c7#

[Ian Thompson]

One amusing line is:
54. ... h4 55. axb6 h3 56. b7 h2 57. b8=N+ Kc8 58. d7+ Kd8 59. Kd6 h1=Q 60. Nc6+ Qxc6+ 61. bxc6 g4 62. c7#

It's worth noting in that line that if you insert 55. gxh4 gxh4, it's then only a draw, presumably because Black has a perpetual check when there are no longer pawns on g3 and g5 to shield the white king from checks.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Ah yes, the underpromotion is nice. Not that easy to work out OTB of course, did Black resign because of adjourment/adjudication I wonder.

(though there are other possibilities; if 57....Kd8 White needs to find 58 Ke6! to win - or if 58....Kc7 [after 57....Kc8] then 59 b6+!)

Fascinating endgame actually

[John Saunders]

We now have all the moves of the following game - from Amos Burn's column:

[Event "BCF-ch 9th"] [Site "Richmond"] [Date "1912.08.12"] [Round "1"] [White "Griffith, Richard Clewin"] [Black "Gibson, William"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D00"] [Opening "Queen's pawn game"] 1. d4 d5 2. e3 c5 3. Nf3 e6 4. Bd3 Nf6 5. O-O Nc6 6. b3 cxd4 7. exd4 Bd6 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Ne5 Nb4 10. Be2 Qc7 11. c4 Rd8 12. Nd2 Ne4 13. Nef3 f5 14. c5 Bf4 15. g3 Bh6 16. a3 Nc6 17. b4 Ne7 18. Nxe4 dxe4 19. Ne5 Nd5 20. Bc4 Bd7 21. Qb3 Be8 22. Rfe1 Qe7 23. f3 exf3 24. Qxf3 Qf6 25. Re2 Qg5 26. Bc1 Qh5 27. Bxh6 Qxh6 28. Qf2 Bh5 29. Nf3 Rf8 30. Rae1 Rae8 31. Rxe6 Rxe6 32. Bxd5 Bf7 33. Bxe6 Bxe6 34. Qe3 Qxe3+ 35. Rxe3 Bd5 36. Nd2 f4 37. Re5 Bc6 38. d5 Bb5 39. Re7 fxg3 40. hxg3 Re8 41. Rxe8+ Bxe8 42. Ne4 Bf7 43. Nc3 Kf8 44. Kf2 Ke7 45. Ke3 Kd7 46. Kf4 Kc7 47. b5 b6 48. d6+ Kd7 49. cxb6 axb6 50. Ke5 Bc4 51. a4 h5 52. Nd5 Bxd5 53. Kxd5 g5 54. a5 {Liverpool Courier and Commercial Advertiser - Friday 13 September 1912 p.7} 1-0

Many thanks, Gerard, I've posted this on the 1912 British Championship page on BritBase.

[Gerard Killoran]

Some new and one update...

[Event "GBR-ch 22nd"] [Site "Ramsgate, Chatham Hse Sch"] [Date "1929.08.08"] [Round "6"] [White "Abrahams, Gerald"] [Black "Morrison, John Harold"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B00"] [Opening "KP: Nimzovich defence"] 1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 f6 4. Bd3 g6 5. f4 Nh6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. c3 Qd7 8. h3 Bf5 9. g4 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 f5 11. g5 Nf7 12. Nbd2 e6 13. b4 b6 14. Nb3 a5 15. bxa5 Nxa5 16. Nxa5 Rxa5 17. Nd2 Be7 18. Nb3 Ra4 19. h4 h6 20. h5 hxg5 21. fxg5 Bxg5 22. Bxg5 Nxg5 23. Qg3 Qe7 24. h6 Kd7 25. Rg1 Ne4 26. Qxg6 Qh4+ 27. Kd1 Qxh6 28. Qf7+ Kc6 29. Rg6 Qh1+ 30. Kc2 Rxa2+ 31. Rxa2 Rh2+ {Evening News (London) - Wednesday 14 August 1929 p.7} 0-1

[Event "GBR-ch24 Major Open"] [Site "Worcester"] [Date "1931.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Golombek, Harry"] [Black "Znosko-Borovsky, Eugene A"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C50"] [Opening "Giuoco Pianissimo: Canal variation"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. Nd5 Qd8 9. c3 O-O 10. h3 Ne7 11. O-O Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Bb6 13. d4 Qf6 14. Qd3 g5 15. Rad1 c6 16. Bb3 Rd8 17. Rd2 c5 18. Bd5 cxd4 19. cxd4 Rb8 20. Rc1 g4 21. hxg4 Bxg4 22. Nh2 Be6 23. Bxe6 Qxe6 24. d5 Qg6 25. Qh3 Kh7 26. Rd3 Rg8 27. Rf3 Rbf8 28. Rf5 Rg7 29. Kh1 f6 30. g4 Kg8 31. Kg2 Rc7 32. Rxc7 Bxc7 33. Kf3 Ba5 34. Nf1 Kf7 35. Rh5 Qg7 36. Rxh6 Qg5 37. Rh7+ Ke8 38. Qh5+ Qxh5 39. gxh5 f5 40. exf5 Rxf5+ 41. Ke2 Bb6 42. Ne3 Rg5 43. h6 Kf8 44. f3 Bd4 45. Rxb7 Rh5 46. h7 e4 47. fxe4 Rh2+ 48. Kd3 Be5 49. Nf5 a5 50. Nd4 a4 51. Ne6+ Ke8 52. Ng5 Rxb2 53. Rxb2 Bxb2 54. Kc4 Kf8 55. Ne6+ Kf7 56. Kb5 a3 57. Kc6 Be5 58. h8=Q Bxh8 59. Kxd6 Kf6 60. Nd8 Kg7 61. Ke7 Kg6 62. d6 Bf6+ 63. Ke8 Kg5 64. e5 Bxe5 65. Nf7+ Kf5 66. Nxe5 Ke6 67. d7 {Evening News (London) - Wednesday 26 August 1931 p.7} 1-0

[Event "GBR-ch24 Major Open Reserves"] [Site "Worcester"] [Date "1931.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Crockett, Stephen Harding"] [Black "Ritson Morry, William"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E43"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian: Fischer variation"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7 6. Bd2 O-O 7. Be2 d6 8. Nb1 Bxd2+ 9. Nbxd2 Ne4 10. O-O f5 11. Qb3 Nd7 12. Rac1 Ndf6 13. c5 Bd5 14. Bc4 dxc5 15. Rfd1 c6 16. Ne5 cxd4 17. Bxd5 cxd5 18. exd4 Nxd2 19. Rxd2 Ne4 20. Rdc2 Qg5 21. Qh3 Rf6 22. Nd7 Rh6 23. Rc8+ Rxc8 24. Rxc8+ Kf7 25. Ne5+ Ke7 26. Qa3+ Nd6 27. Qxa7+ Kf6 28. Rf8+ {Evening News (London) - Thursday 27 August 1931 p.7} 1-0

and the definitive version of...

[Event "GBR-ch24 First Class A"] [Site "Worcester"] [Date "1931.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Craddock, James Marston"] [Black "Watson, Arthur T."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B03"] [Opening "Alekhine's defence: exchange variation"] 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. exd6 exd6 6. Nc3 Bf5 7. Qf3 Qc8 8. Bg5 f6 9. Bf4 Nc6 10. Qe3+ Be7 11. c5 Nb4 12. O-O-O N6d5 13. Qg3 Nxf4 14. Qxf4 O-O 15. a3 Nc6 16. Nd5 b6 17. Bc4 Kh8 18. Nf3 bxc5 19. Rhe1 Bd8 20. Nh4 Bd7 21. Ng6+ {Evening News (London) - Monday 24 August 1931 p.7} 1-0

[John Saunders]

Some new and one update...

and the definitive version of...

Many thanks, Gerard. I've posted the new/amended games at BritBase...

1929 British Championship
1931 British Championship

[Brian Denman]

Regarding the Craddock v Watson game (1931) the Newcastle Evening Chronicle version of 19.8.1931 tells us that this game was played in the second round. Given that the First Class 'A' event was of eleven rounds, I take this to mean that the game was played on 11th August.

[John Saunders]

Regarding the Craddock v Watson game (1931) the Newcastle Evening Chronicle version of 19.8.1931 tells us that this game was played in the second round. Given that the First Class 'A' event was of eleven rounds, I take this to mean that the game was played on 11th August.

Good point, Brian, thanks. I have added round and date details of this game to the online PGN file.

[Gerard Killoran]

from 1932

[Event "GBR-ch25 Major Open Reserves"] [Site "Whiteleys, London"] [Date "1932.08.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ritson Morry, William"] [Black "Crockett, Stephen Harding"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D52"] [Opening "QGD: Cambridge Springs defence, Argentine variation"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 c6 6. Nf3 Qa5 7. Nd2 Bb4 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Bh4 e5 10. dxe5 Ne4 11. Rc1 Bxc3 12. bxc3 Nxe5 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Ng6 15. Bg3 Bf5 16. Qf3 Qa3 17. Rd1 Qxc3+ 18. Rd2 Rad8 19. Qd1 Rd7 20. c5 Rd5 21. Bd6 Rd8 22. Ke2 Nf4+ 23. exf4 Re8+ 24. Be5 Rexe5+ {Evening News (London) - Thursday 01 September 1932 p.7} 0-1

[Event "BCF-chW 25th Play-off Match/Tourney"] [Site "London"] [Date "1932.09.08"] [Round "1"] [White "Michell, Edith Mary Ann"] [Black "Stevenson, Agnes Bradley"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D02"] [Opening "Queen's pawn (including Queen's gambit, Dutch, Catalan) openings"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c6 3. e3 f5 4. c4 e6 5. Nc3 a6 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. a3 Nf6 9. O-O Bd6 10. Bd2 Bd7 11. Ne1 g5 12. g3 h5 13. Nf3 Ne4 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Ne1 h4 16. Qe2 g4 17. Ng2 hxg3 18. fxg3 Ne7 19. Nf4 Bxf4 20. Rxf4 Bc6 21. Rf2 Rc8 22. Qd1 Qb6 23. Rb1 Nd5 24. Ne2 Rh7 25. Nf4 Kd7 26. Nxd5 Bxd5 27. Bb4 Qc6 28. Bd2 Qb5 29. Bc3 Bb3 30. Qd2 b6 31. Qe2 Bc4 32. Qd1 Bd3 33. Rc1 a5 34. b4 a4 35. Bb2 Rc4 36. Rxc4 Qxc4 37. Kg2 Kd6 38. Qh1 Kd5 39. Qc1 b5 40. Rd2 Rc7 41. Qe1 Qc6 42. Qf2 Qd6 43. Qe1 Rc4 44. Qf2 Qc7 45. h4 gxh3+ 46. Kxh3 Qh7+ 47. Kg2 Qh6 48. Kg1 Rc8 49. Qe1 Rh8 50. Rg2 Qh1+ 51. Kf2 Qxe1+ 52. Kxe1 Rh1+ 53. Kd2 Bf1 54. Rf2 Rg1 55. Rh2 Rxg3 56. Rh8 Rg2+ 57. Kc3 Bd3 58. Rd8+ Kc6 59. Rc8+ Kd7 60. Rc5 Rc2# {Evening News (London) - Tuesday 13 September 1932 p.7} 0-1

[Event "BCF-chW 25th Play-off Match/Tourney"] [Site "London"] [Date "1932.09.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Stevenson, Agnes Bradley"] [Black "Hooke, Alice Elizabeth"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C64"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: classical defence (4.c3)"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 a6 5. Ba4 b5 6. Bc2 Nf6 7. b4 Ba7 8. h3 Bb7 9. d3 O-O 10. Bg5 d6 11. g4 h6 12. Bh4 d5 13. Nbd2 d4 14. cxd4 Bxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Nb3 Qd6 17. a3 Nxc2+ 18. Qxc2 Rac8 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. Ke2 Rfd8 21. Nc5 Ba8 22. h4 Rd6 23. Rag1 Qd8 24. g5 Qe7 25. Qc1 h5 26. Rg3 Rcd8 27. f4 exf4 28. Qxf4 Rc6 29. Rf1 a5 30. Rgf3 Rf8 31. Re3 axb4 32. axb4 Qd6 33. Ref3 Qxf4 34. Rxf4 Rd6 35. Ke3 Bc6 36. d4 Rdd8 37. d5 Bd7 38. Ra1 Be8 39. Ra7 c6 40. Kd4 g6 41. Ke5 cxd5 42. exd5 Rb8 43. Rf6 Kg7 44. Rfa6 Kg8 45. Kf6 Rc8 46. Rb6 Kh8 47. Raa6 Rd8 48. Ke7 Rxd5 49. Kxf8 Re5 50. Rb8 Re2 51. Rxe8 Rxe8+ 52. Kxe8 {Evening News (London) - Monday 26 September 1932 p.7} 1-0

[John Saunders]

Many thanks again, Gerard.

I have added these games to the BritBase collection...

1932 British Championship

[Gerard Killoran]

I'm afraid there's more to come...

[Event "BCF-ch 26th"] [Site "Hastings"] [Date "1933.07.31"] [Round "1"] [White "Colman, Eugene Ernest"] [Black "Cross, Alfred Rupert Neale"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E30"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian: Leningrad variation"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 c5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. e3 Qa5 7. Bxf6 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qxc3+ 9. Nd2 gxf6 10. Rc1 Qa3 11. d5 exd5 12. cxd5 Ne5 13. Qc2 d6 14. Bb5+ Bd7 15. Bxd7+ Kxd7 16. Qf5+ Kc7 17. O-O Qxa2 18. Ne4 Qxd5 19. Rfd1 Qe6 20. Nxd6 Qxf5 21. Nxf5 b6 22. Rd6 Nd7 23. Rcd1 Rhd8 24. R6d2 Nf8 25. Nd6 Rd7 26. Nb5+ Kc6 27. Rxd7 Nxd7 28. Rd6+ Kxb5 29. Rxd7 a5 {Evening News (London) - Thursday 03 August 1933 p.7} 0-1

[Event "BCF-ch 26th"] [Site "Hastings"] [Date "1933.08.08"] [Round "8"] [White "Golombek, Harry"] [Black "Cole, Henry Holwell"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A34"] [Opening "English: symmetrical variation"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nf3 f5 6. d3 Be7 7. O-O Nf6 8. Bg5 O-O 9. Ne1 Be6 10. Nc2 Qd7 11. Ne3 h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Ned5 Rae8 14. Rb1 Bd8 15. e3 Kh7 16. b4 cxb4 17. Nxb4 Nxb4 18. Rxb4 b6 19. Qa4 Qf7 20. Nb5 Bd7 21. Qxa7 Bxb5 22. Qxf7 Rxf7 23. Rxb5 Ra7 24. Ra1 g5 25. a4 Rf7 26. Rd1 f4 27. exf4 gxf4 28. Be4+ Kg7 29. Kg2 h5 30. Bf3 fxg3 31. fxg3 Kg6 32. d4 Rf6 33. dxe5 dxe5 34. Rbd5 Rff8 35. Rd6+ Bf6 36. Be4+ Kg7 37. Rxb6 Re7 38. Rb7 Rff7 39. Rdb1 h4 40. Rxe7 Bxe7 41. Rb7 Bd8 42. Rxf7+ Kxf7 43. gxh4 Ke7 44. h5 Kd6 45. Kf3 Kc5 46. Kg4 Kxc4 47. Kf5 Kd4 48. h6 {Evening News (London) - Saturday 12 August 1933 p.7} 1-0

[John Saunders]

I'm afraid there's more to come...

The more, the merrier. Many thanks, Gerard. I've added them to the BritBase collection...

1933 British Championship

[Gerard Killoran]

1935 with my suggestion for move 38, however the notes by Conde state that both players were in time trouble. Reshevsky was a notorious time trouble addict, but the Knight was en prise after move 40.

[Event "BCF-ch 28th Major Open"] [Site "Great Yarmouth"] [Date "1935"] [Round "?"] [White "Garcia Conde, Adrian"] [Black "Reshevsky, Samuel"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D30"] [Opening "QGD Slav: Semmering variation"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 c5 7. O-O Be7 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 cxd4 10. exd4 dxc4 11. Nxc4 b6 12. Rc1 Bb7 13. Nce5 Rc8 14. Qe2 Nb8 15. Rxc8 Bxc8 16. Rc1 g6 17. Qc2 Nd5 18. a3 Bb7 19. b4 a6 20. Be4 b5 21. Qe2 Qb6 22. Nd3 a5 23. Nc5 axb4 24. axb4 Nf4 25. Qe3 Bxe4 26. Qxe4 Nd5 27. Qe1 Rd8 28. Ra1 Bf6 29. Ne5 Bxe5 30. dxe5 Nc6 31. Bc3 Qc7 32. Nd3 Nxc3 33. Qxc3 Qd7 34. Rd1 Qd5 35. Re1 Qc4 36. Qxc4 bxc4 37. b5 Nd4 38. Nb4 {38. Kt-B5 was the printed move, but then 42. Ke3 would leave the Knight en prise for several moves.} 38... Nxb5 39. Kf1 g5 40. Ke2 Kg7 41. Rc1 Rc8 42. Ke3 Kg6 43. g4 c3 44. Nd3 Rc4 45. h3 Nc7 46. Ne1 Nd5+ 47. Kd3 Rc8 48. Ng2 Ra8 49. Ne3 Nf4+ 50. Ke4 Nxh3 51. Rxc3 Ra4+ 52. Rc4 Nxf2+ 53. Kf3 Rxc4 54. Nxc4 Nd3 55. Ke4 Nc5+ 56. Kf3 Kg7 57. Ke3 Kf8 58. Kd4 Nd7 {'And Black won on the 72nd move.' Evening News (London) - Tuesday 23 July 1935 p.9} 0-1

[John Saunders]

1935 with my suggestion for move 38, however the notes by Conde state that both players were in time trouble. Reshevsky was a notorious time trouble addict, but the Knight was en prise after move 40.

Looks like a sensible emendation. Many thanks: I've uploaded to BritBase...

1935 British Championship

... note that I've changed the tournament titles to GBR-ch rather than BCF-ch (eventually I'll change all of them thus except for the handful of non-championship BCF Congresses). I've also removed stub games from the download.

I've twigged that Gerard's latest batch of games are mostly from the London Evening News, so it would seem that more editions of this newspaper have recently been added to the online newspaper archive. It had an extremely good chess column back in the 1930s and is well worth a search. I found a new Sultan Khan game earlier today...

[Event "Sultan Khan Simul"] [Site "London, Empire Social Club"] [Date "1931.10.14"] [Round "?"] [White "Sultan Khan"] [Black "St John-Brook, Huxley"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B74"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "1931.10.14"] [EventType "simul"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nb3 O-O 9. Be3 Be6 10. f4 Na5 11. Nd4 Bc4 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. cxd3 Nd7 14. Nf3 h6 15. Qd2 Kh7 16. h4 Nf6 17. f5 Ng4 18. Rae1 Nc6 19. Kh1 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 Ne5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. d4 Bg7 23. g4 Qd7 24. h5 g5 25. e5 dxe5 26. dxe5 Qc6+ 27. Kh2 a6 28. Qd3 Rad8 29. Qc2 Kg8 30. Re2 b5 31. a3 Rd4 32. Kg3 Rfd8 33. Rf3 Qc4 34. f6 Rxg4+ 35. Kf2 Qd4+ 36. Ree3 exf6 37. exf6 Bxf6 38. Ne4 Be5 39. Qc6 Qxb2+ 40. Ke1 Rg1+ {Source: Evening News (London), 24 October 1931 (n.b. date of the simul was posted in the Evening News (London) for 14 October 1931)} 0-1

... and a minor game from Hastings 1932/33...

[Event "Hastings Major C 1932/33"] [Site "Hastings"] [Date "1932.12.28"] [Round "1"] [White "Michell, Edith Mary Ann"] [Black "Jellie, Ernest Montgomery"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D05"] [PlyCount "36"] [EventDate "1932.12.28"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. e3 Bb7 4. Nbd2 e6 5. Bd3 d5 6. O-O Bd6 7. c3 Ne4 8. Ne5 Bxe5 9. dxe5 f5 10. exf6 Qxf6 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. Bc4 Nd7 13. Qg4 Ke7 14. Bd2 Ne5 15. Qe2 Rad8 16. Rad1 Qh6 17. Bb3 Nf3+ 18. gxf3 exf3 {Source: Evening News (London), 29 December 1932} 0-1