Chess history trivia

[Paul Cooksey]

Have you any games which Bateman won?

[Event "30th Oxford - Cambridge Varsity m"] [Site "London ENG"] [Date "1902.03.21"] [EventDate "1902.03.21"] [Round "4"] [Result "0-1"] [White "James Robinson"] [Black "Harry Bateman"] [ECO "D53"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [Source "The Field, 1902.03.29, p.475"] [PlyCount "96"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 Ne4 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 Nf6 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Bb5+ Bd7 12. Bxd7+ Qxd7 13. Qb3 c6 14. O-O O-O 15. Rad1 Rad8 16. a3 Qc7 17. e4 Nf6 18. e5 Nd5 19. Ng5 h6 20. Ne4 Ne7 21. Qg3 Nf5 22. Qg4 Qb6 23. Nf6+ Kh8 24. Nh5 Rxd4 25. Rxd4 Qxd4 26. Qxd4 Nxd4 27. Rd1 Rd8 28. Kf1 c5 29. Ng3 Rd5 30. f4 Nf5 31. Rxd5 Nxg3+ 32. hxg3 exd5 33. Ke2 Kg8 34. Kd3 Kf8 35. g4 Ke7 36. f5 g6 37. Ke3 h5 38. fxg6 fxg6 39. gxh5 gxh5 40. Kf4 d4 41. Ke4 Ke6 42. a4 h4 43. b3 b6 44. Kf4 a6 45. Ke4 b5 46. axb5 axb5 47. b4 cxb4 48. Kxd4 b3 0-1With apologies to Mr Robinson, I felt the draw told us more about Bateman's level.

[Gerard Killoran]

Nowhere near, I'm afraid...

[Event "Liverpool vs Manchester"] [Site "Liverpool"] [Date "1909.11.27"] [Round "?"] [White "Dawbarn, Climenson Yelverton Charles"] [Black "Bateman, Harry"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B34"] [Opening "Sicilian: accelerated fianchetto, exchange variation"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3 O-O 8. Nc3 d6 9. O-O Bd7 10. Qd2 Kh8 11. Rad1 Ng8 12. Bc4 f5 13. Bd5 f4 14. Bf2 Qc8 15. a3 g5 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Bb3 Rf6 18. Bd4 e5 19. Bxe5 dxe5 20. Qxd7 Qa6 21. Rd2 Bf8 22. Qd3 Qb6+ 23. Kh1 Be7 24. Qc4 Bd6 25. Rfd1 Qc7 26. Na2 a5 27. Nc3 h5 28. Na4 g4 29. Nc5 gxf3 30. gxf3 Ne7 31. Ne6 Qb6 32. Rxd6 Rg6 33. Nc5 Rag8 34. Rxg6 Rxg6 35. Rd7 Ng8 36. Qf7 Rg1+ 37. Kxg1 Qxc5+ 38. Kg2 Ne7 39. Rd8+ {Liverpool Daily Post - Thursday 09 December 1909 p.4} 1-0

[Gerard Killoran]

But when Hardcastle found it hard to castle...

[Event "St. George's Club vs Cambridge University"] [Site "London"] [Date "1904.03.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hardcastle, H. J."] [Black "Bateman, Harry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C24"] [Opening "Bishop's opening: Berlin defence"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Bg5 Nc6 5. c3 d6 6. b4 Bb6 7. a4 a6 8. Nf3 Be6 9. Nbd2 Ne7 10. h3 Ng6 11. g3 Qd7 12. g4 h5 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. gxh5 Rxh5 15. Bxe6 Qxe6 16. Nd4 Bxd4 17. Qxh5 Bxc3 18. Rc1 Bxd2+ 19. Kxd2 Qa2+ 20. Rc2 Qxa4 21. Rb1 Qd7 22. Qg4 O-O-O 23. b5 axb5 24. Rxb5 f5 25. Qxf5 Qxf5 26. exf5 Ne7 27. Ra2 b6 28. Ra8+ Kd7 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. f6 Ng8 31. Rb4 Nxf6 32. h4 Ke7 33. Ra4 Kf8 34. Ra7 Nd5 35. Ke2 Kg7 36. Kf3 f5 37. Ra1 b5 38. Rg1+ Kh6 39. Rg5 b4 40. Ke2 Ne7 41. f3 f4 42. Kd2 Nc6 43. Rg8 Nd4 44. Rh8+ Kg7 45. Rc8 Nxf3+ 46. Kd1 Nxh4 47. Rxc7+ Kf6 {"...and Black won eventually." Field - Saturday 09 April 1904 p.45} 0-1

[Christopher Kreuzer]

But when Hardcastle found it hard to castle...

[Event "St. George's Club vs Cambridge University"] [Site "London"] [Date "1904.03.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hardcastle, H. J."] [Black "Bateman, Harry"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C24"] [Opening "Bishop's opening: Berlin defence"] 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Bg5 Nc6 5. c3 d6 6. b4 Bb6 7. a4 a6 8. Nf3 Be6 9. Nbd2 Ne7 10. h3 Ng6 11. g3 Qd7 12. g4 h5 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. gxh5 Rxh5 15. Bxe6 Qxe6 16. Nd4 Bxd4 17. Qxh5 Bxc3 18. Rc1 Bxd2+ 19. Kxd2 Qa2+ 20. Rc2 Qxa4 21. Rb1 Qd7 22. Qg4 O-O-O 23. b5 axb5 24. Rxb5 f5 25. Qxf5 Qxf5 26. exf5 Ne7 27. Ra2 b6 28. Ra8+ Kd7 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. f6 Ng8 31. Rb4 Nxf6 32. h4 Ke7 33. Ra4 Kf8 34. Ra7 Nd5 35. Ke2 Kg7 36. Kf3 f5 37. Ra1 b5 38. Rg1+ Kh6 39. Rg5 b4 40. Ke2 Ne7 41. f3 f4 42. Kd2 Nc6 43. Rg8 Nd4 44. Rh8+ Kg7 45. Rc8 Nxf3+ 46. Kd1 Nxh4 47. Rxc7+ Kf6 {"...and Black won eventually." Field - Saturday 09 April 1904 p.45} 0-1

I'm actually quite impressed by that game. A real tussle. We've all had those games, haven't we, where you are the exchange up for a couple of pawns, and it all starts to go wrong...

[Christopher Kreuzer]

A chess history trivia question!

Which famous chess club closed during the First World War, with its historic Lowenthal Cup later becoming the English Counties Championship Trophy?

(Those paying attention to this thread will get this answer easily!)

[John Townsend]

St. George's Chess Club. It was founded in 1840 as an immediate consequence of the demise of Howard Staunton's Westminster Chess Club. In 1851, it was host to the first international tournament.

[John Townsend]

On behalf of which famous player was an appeal made describing him as "... nearly blind, infirm, supporting a wife and sister" and "detained abroad under the pressure of some comparatively trifling debts, contracted in his illness"?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

On behalf of which famous player was an appeal made describing him as "... nearly blind, infirm, supporting a wife and sister" and "detained abroad under the pressure of some comparatively trifling debts, contracted in his illness"?

That sounds like Captain Evans.

[John Townsend]

Yes, well done, Jon. About £200 was raised, which came too late to help Evans, though his widow did benefit. He had been living in Ostend.

[John Townsend]

Which dubious variation of the King's Gambit is named after an American art collector who frequented chess circles in Paris and London?

[MJMcCready]

That's a tough question.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

That's a tough question.

I've gone through the Falkbeer, Muzio and several other variations (e.g. Schallopp). There are a surprising number of variations in the King's Gambit. No luck so far.

[John Townsend]

Christopher, you probably haven't come to it yet. The variation may be weak - but it's immortal.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Thomas Jefferson Bryan.
The immortal game being this one in which Anderseen beat Kieseritzky after the latter employed the Bryan Countergambit (4. ... b5)
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018910

[John Townsend]

Yes, Jon, very good. For the Immortal Game, see Edward Winter's fine article:

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/immortal.html