1929 Kent Easter Congress, 30 March - 6 April, Chatham House School, Ramsgate

1929 Kent Easter: Great Britain vs Overseas Team - Scheveningen System Match

Overseas Team		GAT	FDY	THT	WW	RPM	EGS	HEP	Total	Great Britain	JRC	AR	VM	GM	GK	VS	EZB	Total
1	José R Capablanca (CUB)	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	5½	Sir George A Thomas	½	½	0	1	½	1	0	3½
2	Akiba Rubinstein (POL)	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	5	Fred Dewhirst Yates	½	½	½	0	½	0	1	3
3	Vera Menchik (CZE)	1	½	½	½	1	½	1	5	Theodore Henry Tylor	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	2½
4	Geza Maroczy (HUN)	0	1	1	½	½	½	1	4½	William Winter	0	0	½	½	0	½	1	2½
5	George Koltanowski (BEL)	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	4½	Reginald Pryce Michell	0	½	0	½	½	0	1	2½
6	V I Soultanbeieff (BEL)	0	1	½	½	1	1	0	4	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	0	0	½	½	½	0	½	2
7	E Znosko-Borovsky (FRA)	1	0	½	0	0	½	1	3	Hubert Ernest Price	0	½	0	0	0	1	0	1½
									31½									17½

1929 Kent Easter Premier A

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate Premier A		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	William Gibson	&;	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	5½
2	John Arthur James Drewitt	1	&;	½	1	½	½	½	1	5
3	Ludwig Rellstab, snr	½	½	&;	1	½	½	1	1	5
4	Amédée Gibaud	0	0	0	&;	0	1	1	1	3
5	Daniel Noteboom	0	½	½	1	&;	0	½	½	3
6	Adrián García Conde	0	½	½	0	1	&;	0	½	2½
7	John Harold Morrison	0	½	0	0	½	1	&;	½	2½
8	Henry Holwell Cole	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	&;	1½

1929 Kent Easter Premier B

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate Premier B		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Charles William Fallows	&;	1	0	1	½	½	1	1	5
2	Richard Edward Lean	0	&;	1	0	1	0	1	1	4
3	Philip Ashby Ursell	1	0	&;	1	½	1	½	0	4
4	Alfred Mortlock	0	1	0	&;	0	1	1	½	3½
5	Edward William Osler	½	0	½	1	&;	0	½	1	3½
6	Theodore Magnus Wechsler	½	1	0	0	1	&;	0	1	3½
7	(Francis) Percival Wenman	0	0	½	0	½	1	&;	1	3
8	"A Knight"	0	0	1	½	0	0	0	&;	1½

1929 Kent Easter First Class A

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate First Class A		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	John Crittenden Thompson	&;	1	1	0	1	½	1	1	5½
2	William Montagu Brooke	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	½	4½
3	W A Davidson	0	1	&;	0	½	1	1	1	4½
4	Miss Alice Elizabeth Hooke	1	0	1	&;	0	½	0	1	3½
5	Ernest Godwin Spears	0	0	½	1	&;	0	1	½	3
6	Miss Emily Eliza Abraham	½	0	0	½	1	&;	0	½	2½
7	J V Jameson	0	0	0	1	0	1	&;	½	2½
8	Frederick Winter Markwick	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	&;	2

1929 Kent Easter First Class B

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate First Class B		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Mrs Edith Martha Holloway	&;	½	½	1	1	0	1	1	5
2	Charles George Spicer	½	&;	1	½	0	1	1	1	5
3	(Alfred) Rupert Neale Cross	½	0	&;	0	1	½	1	1	4
4	Albert H Hart	0	½	1	&;	½	0	1	1	4
5	S J Osborn	0	1	0	½	&;	1	½	1	4
6	W Barker	1	0	½	1	0	&;	1	0	3½
7	Rev. Charles Fenton Bolland	0	0	0	0	½	0	&;	1	1½
8	Charles Henry Taylor	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	&;	1

1929 Kent Easter First Class C

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate First Class C		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Hugh George Excell	&;	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	5½
2	Edward Sabdul Hussian	½	&;	0	1	½	1	1	1	5
3	Leslie Edward Vine	1	1	&;	0	½	1	1	½	5
4	Cecil Hunter Reid	0	0	1	&;	½	1	1	1	4½
5	Ernest Fowler Fardon	0	½	½	½	&;	0	½	½	2½
6	Mrs Agnes Bradley Stevenson	0	0	0	0	1	&;	½	1	2½
7	Miss Mary Ann Eliza Andrews	0	0	0	0	½	½	&;	1	2
8	George Clifford Brown	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	&;	1

1929 Kent Easter First Class D

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate First Class D		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Eric Henry K Beecher	&;	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	5
2	Mrs Edith Mary Ann Michell	1	&;	1	½	½	½	½	1	5
3	Samuel John Holloway	0	0	&;	0	1	1	½	1	3½
4	Berkeley Hermann Lohmann	½	½	1	&;	0	½	½	0	3
5	Hon. Arthur James Beresford Lowther	0	½	0	1	&;	0	½	1	3
6	Willington Lucette Wakefield	0	½	0	½	1	&;	1	0	3
7	Mrs Amy Eleanor Wheelwright	0	½	½	½	½	0	&;	1	3
8	Ernest Emerson Stockens	½	0	0	1	0	1	0	&;	2½

1929 Kent Easter Second Class

1929 Kent Easter, Ramsgate Second Class		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Richard William Barnes Clarke	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
2	John Keeble	0	&;						1	5
3	Henry Stanley Shelton	0		&;					1	4
4	Olga Menchik	0			&;				1	3½
5	C G Nock	0				&;			1	3½
6	J C Burgess	0					&;		1	2½
7	T G Griggs	0						&;	1	2½
8	Henry Monmouth Basing Paulet	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

Kent Section A: (1-2) A E Baker, Mrs. M Healey 4½/7; (3-5) Frank Miles Argrave, Mrs. Rosa Annie Banting (née Vines), Douglas Enty Budge 4; (6-7) C T Curzon, M Fleming 3; (8) John E Coleman, 1.

Kent Section B: (1-2) Mrs. A Chase, Mrs Florence Jane Fish 6/7; (3) A J Peck 5; (4-5) Miss Hilda Yvonne Cole, Miss E Pannell 3½; (6) J Still 2; (7-6) Dr. Margaret Benson, W H Glasson 1.

Schoolboys' Tournament (under 18): (1) Herbert John Eric Poupard 6½/7; (2-3) Ronald H J Malone, D Myatt 5½; (4) C A Reynolds 4; (5) William Eric Dallas 3; (6) M A Whitaker 2; (7) L E Fulford 1; (8) F H George 0.

Schoolboys' Tournament (under 15), Section 1: (1) J S Wilson 7/7; (2) S R Johns 5; (3-5) F Allen, M Cheesmore, A Johnson 4; (6-7) C Bugden, Bernard Maurice Kemp-Gee 2; (8) J A Gardner, 0.

Schoolboys' Tournament (under 15), Section 2: (1) R Ledger-King 6½/7; (2) T G Watson 4½; (3-4) J B Guy, F Scoates 4; (5-6) R A May, R Thornton 3; (7) D White 2; (8) P Mepsted, 1.

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BCM, April 1929, ppn 125-128 & BCM, May 1929, ppn 170-174

KENT CHESS CONGRESS AT RAMSGATE

Punctually at 9-15a.m.,on Saturday, March 30th, the Mayor of Ramsgate, Alderman T. N. Prestedge, C.C., declared the Congress open, and shortly afterwards play commenced.

Play was held in the gymnasium of the Chatham House School, which made an excellent hall for the occasion; with R. H. S. Stevenson in charge, it is needless to say all the arrangements, both as to comfort of players and spectators, were excellent.

Naturally the so-called "Team Practice Tournament" attracted the greatest number of spectators. In this, seven foreign masters are to play against seven British players.

The foreigners in order of the draw are : Señor J. R. Capablanca, the ex-Champion; G. Koltanowski, the Belgium Champion [an error which was corrected the following month]; Maroczy, of Hungary, well known to most players in England, and especially to the members of the Hastings Chess Club; Miss Vera Menchik, the World's Lady Champion, a resident of Hastings, a Russian by birth; A. K. Rubinstein, of whose prowess in the game all chessplayers know; V. Soultanbeieff, a Russian, now living in Belgium; and E. Znosko-Rorovsky, also a Russian, but now resident in Paris.

Against these are to be pitted R. P. Michell, H. E. Price, E. G. Sergeant, Sir George Thomas, T. H. Tylor, W. Winter, and F. D. Yates, the British Champion—these also in the order of the draw.

In the first round Capablanca opened with 1 P—QB4 and at the the adjournment neither side could claim any advantage, but on resumption by forcing an exchange of Queens, the ex-Champion found a Rook and Pawn ending, at which he is an especial expert, gave him a winning advantage, which all Michell's resources were unable to stem.

Maroczy opened with the Ruy Lopez against Sergeant, but could make no impression on his careful defence, and the game drifted to a drawn position, which was agreed to shortly after resuming.

Koltanowski in a Queen's Gambit declined brought off a smart win against Price with a fine King's side attack.

The surprise of the round was, however, the triumph of Miss Menchik over Sir George Thomas, who recently won the City of London Championship for the eleventh time. This was another Q's P, which became very close, and Sir George manoeuvred his Knights, apparently aimlessly, and paid the penalty of having no definite plan.

Rubinstein went to work slowly, gradually piling up strategical advantages till Tylor, just on time, resigned, no material to the bad, but a hopeless game, that must have crumbled to pieces in a few moves.

The most spectacular game was that between Znosko-Borovsky and Yates. This was also a Q P, and attack was met with counter attack, eventually Yates worked a Pawn to the seventh rank and caused his opponent's resignation.

The Premier, Section A, which is considerably stronger than B, there was one change, Isidor Gunsberg, now quite a veteran, felt that reporting was sufficiently hard work, and L. Rellstab took his place, and defeated J. H. Morrison. W. Gibson, the Scottish Champion, beat A. Gibaud, the French Champion, while H. H. Cole drew with Conde, as did D. Noteboom with J. A. J. Drewitt. In Section B, Knight took the place of B. Barton Eckett, while P. W. Sergeant is unwell, P. A. Ursall [sic] came up from First Class, of which there are no less than four sections of eight, besides one of Second Class, two for Kentish players, and three for school boys, nearly 120 in all. A record!

In the evening a reception was held by the Mayor and Mayoress, and a picturesque display of living chess was given by the schoolboys, clad in red, or white, with ornamental caps, indicating their chess rank. The smallest boys were the Pawns, and wore skull caps. The large board was coloured green and yellow.

The boys had been well drilled, and moved smartly at the word of command of the players, who were seated on umpire chairs as are used at tennis meetings.

In the first game Lord Dunsany mated his opponent, Major Montague Jones, who was too intent on forking his opponent's King and Queen and neglecting his own safety. Señor Capablanca mated Sir George Thomas in fifty-four moves in the second game. The last game was between Miss Vera Menchik, the World's Lady Champion, and Councillor B. H. Lohmann, who succeeded in lowering her colours, no mean feat nowadays.

There have been quite a large number of spectators, including C. S. Howell, who will be remembered as having brought off a fine win in the Britain and America Cable Match v. R. P. Michell, in a Möllar attack of the Guioco [sic] Piano, which was played over the board, as he was in England at the time.

In the second day's play Price, with the move, played the Queen's Pawn Opening, and followed Capablanca's Queen's side Fian-chetto, with the same movement on the opposite wing, an ill considered sacrifice of a Pawn on the 13th move, weakly followed up, led to the disintegration of his position, and his resignation on the 38th move. Maroczy defended with the French Defence against Sir G. A. Thomas, and made an ingenious, but unsound offer of a Knight on Q B 5, which if taken at once, would have led to his getting the superior game, but Sir George by threats on the King's side weakened Maroczy's position, and eventually the piece had to go without any disadvantage to Sir George.

Rubinstein, by cleverly building up his position, gradually pressed Winter back, got control of the centre, and his attack yielding him two passed Pawns, Winter gave up a hopeless task, after resumption.

Sergeant v. Koltanowski, a Philidor's Defence, seemed slightly in the former's favour, as he had a promising attack at the expense of a Pawn, but the game eventually was given up as drawn.

Yates won a Pawn in a Sicilian Defence, Alekhine's variation tacked on, i.e., 2..., Kt—K B 3, but had to forego castling, playing weakly later, he gave up two Pawns to preserve his two Bishops, regained a Pawn later and a draw seemed to be the most likely result.

T. H. Tylor got a good game v. Miss Menchik, also a Sicilian, but of regular form, Castling Q R he had a promising King's side attack, but delayed it too long, and being forced to defend against a counter attack on his Castled King, the game looked likely to end a draw.

The best game of the round was Michell v. Znosko-Borovsky, a Queen's Pawn, in which Michell always seemed to have a slight advantage, but was ingeniously met. Michell Castled on the Queen's side and carried out a successful King's side attack, after some exciting play, which brought about his opponent's resignation on the 32nd move.

In Premier Tournament "A" Gibson brought off a pretty win v. Morrison, and Rellstab playing ingeniously repelled Gibaud's King's side attack, eventually tying up his opponent's King completely, and forcing the win of a piece. Drewitt and Cole gave nothing away to one another, and a draw was the legitimate result of much manoeuvring. Conde had a difficult game to defend against Noteboom's Queen's Pawn Opening, and was still going at a late hour.

In Section "B" Lean won ingeniously v. "A Knight" Fallows beat Mortlock. Wechsler and Osler drew, and Wenman drew with Orsell. [sic]

Most of the spectators, other than those who never desert Capablanca's board, were gathered round Rupert Cross, the blind boy. A nice King's side attack should have brought him a won game, but he transposed two moves, which made all the difference, as was also the case with Mrs. Holloway's attack against Rev. C. F. Bolland, in her case the neglect of playing P—Q6 to enable the force of her B at Q B 4 to be felt gave the latter the chance of
Q—Q 3 blocking the Pawn.

KENT CHESS CONGRESS AT RAMSGATE.

Continuing our report from page 128 of last month's issue we must say, that with regard to the Team Practice Tournament we are a little disappointed with the show made by our British representatives, who were only able to score 17½ points against 31½. However, considering the strong international character of the foreign team and the fact that the majority of the games were well-contested our players won prestige, if not points, and the novel tournament fully justified itself.

Capablanca could only draw against Sir George Thomas, F. D. Yates, and T. H. Tylor, and Rubinstein had to share points with Sir George Thomas, F. D. Yates, R. P. Michell and H. E. Price—a fair British haul.

The outstanding personal success of the Congress, without doubt, was achieved by Miss Vera Menchik. To come unscathed through such a contest, to show such a modest yet marked confidence and to rival the best of our men in skill, has put the woman champion among the "masters" and, in view of her youth, greater fame may be in store. She enjoyed some measure of luck, perhaps, against Sir George Thomas, and especially against H. E. Price, but even her difficulties proved her power.

Capablanca and Rubinstein were undefeated, but were well extended in several games, and Koltanowski, the Belgian expert, lost no game. Maroczy, the ever-popular, played very interesting chess, losing only to Sir George Thomas owing to a sealed-move blunder. Soultanbeieff took things very seriously, but Znosko-Borovsky showed a Parisian light-heartedness in sporting a mascot.

Of the British players, Sir George Thomas did best, being the first to stem Capablanca's run of victories. The others played, steadily, though Winter seemed slightly below form.

In the Premier Tournament, Section A, W. Gibson, the Scottish champion, played extremely well, losing only to J. A. J. Drewitt in the last round. Drewitt and Rellstab were undefeated, and Gibaud, the French champion, probably played the most brilliant chess of the whole congress. Noteboom, a very youthful Dutchman, had several protracted games and is a player of much promise. Conde's lack of regular practice told against him, and Morrison and Cole were also lower than expected.

Several promising young players figured in Section B of the Premier Tournament, C. W. Fallows, of Newcastle, in particular, showing excellent form. Ursell, of Birmingham; Mortlock, of Hastings; and Wechsler, of London, are all young and did well against such experienced players as Lean, Osler, and Wenman. Osler narrowly missed a higher place and Lean could not refrain from his customary brilliant, but unsound, combinative play.

The First Class Tournament proved very popular and had to be run in four sections. J. C. Thompson won Section A with comparative ease, though W. M. Brooke, the veteran Kent player, and W. A. Davidson, were close behind. F. W. Markwick, the Essex secretary, was quite out of form and had a most ill-omened start byr losing the first game of the whole Congress in thirteen moves.

Mrs. Holloway, and Mrs. Michell, the well-known London lady players, tied for first place in their respective sections, and H. G. Excell, the Bank of England match captain and North London member, scored a fine success in Section C. Rupert Cross, the blind boy, started badly in his section, but finished with a creditable score. Next to Capablanca his board was always a chief point of attraction with the "gallery."

Mrs. Stevenson did not do herself justice, but this was probably due to the fact that she helped considerably in the working of the congress. S. J. Holloway was busy on behalf of the F.I.D.E. Life Membership scheme but managed to win third prize in his section.

The Second Class Tournament was won by R. W. B. Clarke with a clean score of 7 wins, J. Keeble, the famous problemist, securing second prize.

The Kent Tournament was a triumph for the ladies, Mrs. Healey tieing with A. E. Baker in Section A and Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Fish sharing the honours in Section B. Mrs. Healey provided the most remarkable game of the congress losing her Queen by an oversight on the eighth move and yet mating her opponent on the fifteenth.

The Schoolboy's Tournament was exceptionally interesting. There were no defaults and the fact that only three games were drawn out of eighty-four showed how lively the play must have been. Quick returns marked this tournament, and to keep the boys busy several unofficial knock-out tournaments were arranged and conducted by Miss Tylor, a sister of the Team Tournament player.

One Simultaneous exhibition was held by Rubinstein who won twenty games and lost one to J. R. Fleming.

The unqualified success of the Congress was chiefly due to the excellent work done by Messrs. R. H. S. Stevenson and B. O. Anson and to the generous support accorded by the Mayor and Corporation of Ramsgate.

In our account of this congress last month we erroneously described G. Koltanowski as "the Belgian champion." It is, of course, E. Colle who is Belgian champion, as he successfully defended his title last February.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
7 January 2025	First uploaded. 49 games from the GBR v Overseas scheveningen event plus 13 games from other sections. Crosstables and results.
11 January 2025	Added the game Rellstab 1-0 Gibaud, Premier A, rd 2. Many thanks to Ulrich Tamm for contributing the game.