1950 2nd Stevenson Memorial, SCCU Championship, Southsea - 12-22 April 1950 • 1949«»1951

1950 Stevenson Memorial & SCCU Championship		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Arthur Bisguier	USA	+38	+29	+13	=10	+30	=2	=5	+4	–3	+7	7½
2	Saviely Tartakower	FRA	=9	+39	+14	+5	+10	=1	–4	+7	+8	=6	7½
3	Harry Golombek	ENG	+31	=14	+20	–7	=8	+30	+13	=5	+1	=4	7
4	Jonathan Penrose (SCCU Champion)	ENG	=20	+11	+6	=22	+9	+10	+2	–1	=7	=3	7
5	Lothar Schmid	BRD	+17	+7	=22	–2	+14	+29	=1	=3	=6	+11	7
6	Efim Bogoljubow	BRD	+15	=8	–4	+26	+13	+22	–7	+18	=5	=2	6½
7	Frederick Forrest Lawrie Alexander	ENG	+23	–5	+19	+3	=22	+11	+6	–2	=4	–1	6
8	Leonard William Barden	ENG	+18	=6	=9	=11	=3	+33	=14	+22	–2	=10	6
9	Richard Hilary Newman	ENG	=2	+40	=8	+28	–4	–13	+15	+35	=10	=17	6
10	Lodewijk Prins	NED	+32	+26	+30	=1	–2	–4	=11	+20	=9	=8	6
11	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	ENG	+33	–4	+38	=8	+12	–7	=10	+30	+14	–5	6
12	Henry Vickers White Trevenen	ENG	–19	+34	+39	=20	–11	+31	–18	+29	+22	=14	6
13	Robert Graham Wade	NZL	+28	+24	–1	+35	–6	+9	–3	–14	+18	+29	6
14	James Macrae Aitken	SCO	+25	=3	–2	+21	–5	+28	=8	+13	–11	=12	5½
15	Bertram Goulding Brown	ENG	–6	=16	+40	=31	=28	=24	–9	=32	+35	+30	5½
16	Leonard Illingworth	ENG	–26	=15	–17	+23	=34	–20	+36	+39	+21	=24	5½
17	Ernst Robert Reifenberg	ENG	–5	–38	+16	=18	+26	+40	–22	=19	+28	=9	5½
18	Arthur Henry Trott	ENG	–8	–33	+42	=17	+27	+22	+12	–6	–13	+19	5½
19	Henry Holwell Cole	ENG	+12	–22	–7	=18	+32	+35	–30	=17	+20	–18	5
20	Leo Derby	ENG	=4	+42	–3	=12	–13	+16	+33	–10	–19	+32	5
21	John Poole	ENG	=39	=35	=29	–14	+38	–18	=31	+25	–16	+33	5
22	Kenneth Winterton (Dr)	ENG	+37	+19	=5	=4	=7	–6	+17	–8	–12	=23	5
23	Ralph Carter Woodthorpe	ENG	–7	+27	–28	–16	+37	=32	–35	+34	+26	=22	5
24	Francis Samuel Woolford	ENG	+41	–13	–33	=27	+25	=15	=29	=31	=30	=16	5
25	Ralph Frederick G Wright	ENG	–14	–28	=34	+40	–24	+39	=27	–21	+37	+38	5
26	William James Fry	ENG	+16	–10	=31	–6	–17	+40	=28	=27	–23	+bye	4½
27	Anthony Henry Knight	ENG	–36	–23	+37	=24	–18	+38	=25	=26	=32	=28	4½
28	Ivan Robert Napier	ENG	–13	+25	+23	–9	=15	–14	=26	+33	–17	=27	4½
29	John James O'Hanlon	IRL	+34	–1	=21	=32	+20	–5	=24	–12	+31	–13	4½
30	Philip Ashby Ursell	ENG	+42	+36	–10	+33	–1	–3	+19	–11	=24	–15	4½
31	H G Wright	ENG	–3	+32	=26	=15	=35	–12	=40	=24	–29	+36	4½
32	Mrs Rowena Mary Bruce	ENG	–10	–31	+36	=29	–19	=23	+34	=15	=27	–20	4
33	Jean Duthilleul	FRA	–14	+18	+24	–30	+36	–8	–20	–28	+40	–21	4
34	Alfred Eva	ENG	–29	–12	=25	=39	=16	=37	–32	–23	+bye	+40	4
35	Arthur T Watson	ENG	=40	=21	+41	–13	=31	–19	+23	–9	–15	=42	4
36	Joan Frances Doulton	ENG	+27	–30	–32	+41	–33	–17	–16	=42	+39	–31	3½
37	Hugh Windsor F Heneage	ENG	–22	–41	–27	+42	–23	=34	=40	+38	–25	=39	3½
38	Donald Daniel Leslie	ENG	–1	+17	–11	=19	–21	–27	+bye	–37	+42	–25	3½
39	Eric George Attenborough	ENG	=21	–2	–12	=34	+41	–25	=42	–16	–36	=37	3
40	(Edward) Douglas Fawcett	ENG	=35	–9	–15	–25	+42	–26	=37	+bye	–33	–34	3
41	Graham Powell Britton	ENG	–24	=37	=35	–36	–39	+42	-def	–def	–def	–def	2
42	Archibald Snelling Dance	ENG	–30	–20	–18	–37	–40	–41	=39	=36	–38	=35	1½

Crosstable from BCM, May 1950, p142

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The 2nd SCCU [Southern Counties' Chess Union] Congress at Southsea, 12-22 April 1950

BCM, May 1950, p141ff (Harry Golombek)

"This event, a most successful one from every point of view, was much better attended than the previous year’s. The number of competitors—well over eighty— was about double that of last year, and the number of foreign masters competing was five as opposed to the three before. If one includes Wade of New Zealand there were six; but he has been a welcome visitor here for so long that one can hardly classify him as a foreign player.

"The British contingent was also stronger and larger. This resulted in one of the most gratifying features of the Congress. Instead of having to record a melancholy succession of foreign victories—as has been my task in international tournaments in England for some years—I was able to witness, and even take part in, some heavy defeats for our visitors. This meant in turn that the prize list is not a monotonous string of foreign names, but contains two British players who were only half a point short of first prize and who both more than held their own against the foreign opposition.

This was in the chief event—the Stevenson Memorial Tournament—where there was a tie for first and second prizes between A. Bisguier (U.S.A.) and Dr. S. Tartakower (France) with 7½, and another tie for third and fourth prizes between H. Golombek (Gt. Britain), J. Penrose (Gt. Britain), and L. Schmid (Germany) with 7; just half a point outside the prize list was the German champion, E. D. Bogoljubow, with 6½.

"The S.C.C.U. championship, carrying with it the right to play in the British championship at Buxton, went to Penrose, as the leading British player; it is true that I tied with him and that no provision had been made for resolving such ties beforehand; but as I was already British Champion, it seemed unnecessary for me to put forward any claims to the lesser title, and, in any case, Penrose was ahead of on the Sonneborn-Berger system.

"It should be pointed out that Commander Britton had to leave on special duties about two-thirds of the way in the tournament and so forfeited his last four games.

"The Swiss system was not handled very well by the tournament directors; indeed, the pairings of the leaders in the last round were incorrect. Instead of Bogoljubow–Dr. Tartakower and Golombek–Penrose, Golombek should have played Dr. Tartakower and Schmid met Penrose. If, then, Bisguier had met Bogoljubow a quite different placing of the leaders might well have resulted. Still, imperfectly as it was handled, it must be admitted that the Swiss system did bring the best players to the top. But the places from seven onwards are quite unreliable and inconclusive for any ranking purposes.

"The course of the tournament was highly dramatic and changing. Not one of the first five players ever looked like running away with it, and no player was undefeated. Bisguier made most of the running at the start, and though overhauled by Penrose in the middle rounds, again went ahead until defeated by me in the penultimate round, when once more everything was in the melting pot. In the last round it was theoretically possible for no less than six players to tie for first prize. All depended on the outcome of the game between Bogoljubow and Dr. Tartakower. This bitter fight lasted some seven hours without an adjournment; Dr. Tartakower got into what looked like a lost ending, but then defended with consummate skill to make sure of the draw.

"So there was a tie for first prize. Bisguier’s play was most impressive and remarkably mature considering that he is only twenty years old. More, much more, will be heard of him in the future in international chess. Dr. Tartakower was, as always, colourful and interesting. Apart from his actual brilliant games he is a great adornment to any tournament, if it is only by reason of the never failing flow of witty comment and anecdote with which he delights his fellow masters.

"During the first week I was overburdened with literary and journalistic work, and so was in very poor form indeed; but in the next week I managed to get this more or less under control. Hence I played very much better in the last five rounds during which I scored four points, and my win against Bisguier was one of the best games I have played for some time. So I myself had no reason to be dissatisfied with the tournament.

"Now I come to the sensation of the Congress. Sensation is a strong word, but how else can one characterize the performance of a sixteen-year-old player in his first international tournament when he comes within an ace of winning first prize and when he administers resounding defeats to two grandmasters—Bogoljubow and Tartakower? All this was achieved by the London champion, Jonathan Penrose, and what is more, in the finest style, as the readers will agree when they see his games. From the little table that I give below of the performances of the prizewinners against each other it will be seen what a heavy programme Penrose had to fulfil and how well he did it. I am not given to rash predictions, but it now seems obvious that we have a player who in the years to come will more than worthily represent British chess in the international field.

		1	2	3	4	5	6	%
1	Bisguier	&;	½	0	1	½		50
2	Dr. Tartakower	½	&;		0	1	½	50
3	Golombek	1		&;	½	½		66.7
4	Penrose	0	1	½	&;		1	62.5
5	Schmid	½	0	½		&;	½	37.7
6	Bogoljubow		½		0	½	&;	33.3

"Germany seems to be producing a number of promising young masters at the moment. There are great reports of Unzicker (a disciple of Tarrasch), and now we have had the opportunity of seeing one of their leading younger players in Lothar Schmid. He has a very fine style of play and is clearly a player with a great future—though at present his physical stamina is dubious.

"It was generally expected that Bogoljubow would be a strong contestant for first prize, but it was soon clear that he was not in his best form. Though it might be said that he is not quite the man who won the great tournaments of Moscow, 1925, and Bad Kissingen, 1928, still his fine run of successes in the last few years in German tournaments has shown he retains all the powers of a great master. He himself says he never plays well in England and attributes his poor form to the dampness of the climate. Our weather would appear to be an asset after all.

"Of the mixed bunch of sixers special mention must be made of the achievement of the veteran, F. F. L. Alexander. At the beginning of the Congress strangers were wont to ask if he was any relation of C. H. O'D. Alexander, towards the end people were inquiring if C. H. O'D. Alexander was any relation of his. Despite his seventy odd years he played with an admirably lively force, scored resounding victories over Bogoljubow, and myself, and would have finished high up in the prize list if he could have kept up his fine play right to the end. Barden and Thomas, too, were players who deserved a rather higher place in view of the consistently good chess they produced throughout the tournament. Prins once again gave his fancy too free a rein. He excels in conjuring up phantoms with which he terrifies his more impressionable opponents; but all too often he himself mistakes these creatures of the spirit for real flesh and blood. The result is a fine crop of blunders enough to furnish Znosko-Borowsky with material for about ten articles on blunders in masterplay. This explains why one of the most talented masters of Western Europe failed to come higher in the table.

"On playing through the best games again it is manifest that much better chess was produced this year than last. Some of these will appear in the Games Section, meanwhile here is a selection,

"The [SCCU Under-18 Junior Championship, 12-15 April] boys’ tournament was won by P. H. Clarke, of Essex, [with a score of 5 out of 6 ¶] and the results in the two general tournaments were as follows: Section A—H. F. Gook 6½, G. A. Peck and A. H. Reeve 6, M. O'Gara 5½, P. H. Sullivan 5, A. F. Mitchell 4, G. Booth, A. Jones, E. N. Kerr, and N. Clissold 3. Section B—H. A. Melvin 7, S. H. C. Lucas 6, T. V. Parrott 5½, Sir John Walton 5, H. O. Garner 4½, O. Dixson and F. Passingham 3, Mrs. Cobbold 2, and Mrs. Seyd 0. [¶ Additional information from The Chess Bulletin, 22 April 1950, p6]

"The tournament locale was a very pleasant one indeed, being a large room in the South Parade Pier. As a diversion from hard thinking over the board one could stroll to the balcony and watch the Queen Mary or the Queen Elizabeth passing Southsea. It is to be hoped that, under the impetus of the enthusiastic and invaluable tournament secretary, W. H. Pratten, the S.C.C.U. will continue its series of Congresses at Southsea and so make that town as famous in chess history as Hastings.

"Mention, too, must be made of the never-ceasing work put in by the tournament directors Messrs Boyd and Meek. These two seemed always present at the Congress and I am still wondering when Mr. Boyd managed to eat a meal."

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CHESS, May 1950, Vol.15/176, p156

SOUTHSEA BREEZES

Southsea has offered hospitality and a hall for the British Girls’ Championship next year, from April 10th-16th "in pleasanter surroundings than St. Brides’ Institute" at Ludgate Circus, where the event was held this year. The Boys’ championship of the Southern Counties will be played at the same time.

Mr. Pratten tells us he is preparing a book of the tournament, containing all the games played by Tartakover, Bisguier, Penrose, Schmid, Golombek and one by Prins, 50 in all; cost 3s. or 3/6.

As at Wallasey, the B.C.F. fell down badly by failing to supply chess clocks promised by Mr. Chetwynd on loan.

Whereas the Swiss system proved eminently satisfactory in Birmingham, the works creaked noisily at Southsea. Tartakover was a worthy winner, having met nine of the ten next best players. Bisguier, who equalled his points score and was awarded an equal prize, met only six! Had Tartakover not drawn but lost in the last round, thus finishing second, he would have had a real grievance. There was a definite error in the last-round pairings, about which much was said at the time, but this made little difference—something had gone wrong days before.

Are eleven rounds too few for 42 players? Did the announced policy of pairing Englishmen against foreigners wherever possible strain an already delicate mechanism?

If any reader would like to tackle the labour of examining all the Southsea pairings to establish what went wrong, we’d be happy to send him the material.

One excellent idea which other congresses might well copy, is a general meeting of the competitors of all classes to discuss and criticise the general congress arrangements and consider the next congress. This year Mr. Pratten announced that the B.C.F. had asked the Southern Counties’ Chess Union to supply the masters’ accommodation and a hall for one-third of next year’s great Centenary Tournament for four English and twelve foreign masters. (Each of the three Unions is being asked for the same). Mr. Pratten announced that, to get this event, especially in connection with Portsmouth’s own "Festival of Britain" celebrations billed to start May 26th, the Corporation were willing to increase their grant to £350; the Hoteliers’ Association offered £50 worth of accommodation and the Royal Beach Hotel offered to accommodate the sixteen masters on exceptionally generous terms. The B.C.F. had estimated cost to each Union as about £500, but as Portsmouth offered a fine hall free of charge, the money would go considerably further there than elsewhere, so it was decided to hold the Stevenson memorial tournament on exactly the same plan (Swiss tournament with foreign masters) again in the ten days April 11-21 PLUS the great international event from May 26th to June 9th. LATER : We understand the B.C.F.’s Development Committee declined to accept this offer before consulting other Unions regarding their part of the venture and that Mr. Owen Dixson left their meeting in protest and has resigned from the B.C.F.

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(CHESS, June 1950, Vol.15/177, p187)

SOUTHSEA . . . AND THE B.C.F.

Dear Mr. Wood,

Only one mistake was made in the draw for the recent Stevenson Tournament in Southsea, and that was committed under great stress of work by dear old John Boyd, to whom the [Southern Counties Chess] Union cannot too strongly express its most grateful thanks for all he did to make the Tournament such an outstanding success. To err is human, etc., and a handsome apology was offered and handsomely accepted by all concerned.

Your query, are ten rounds enough for 48 players, is quite in order. I don’t think they are ; though it must be remembered that the very triumphs of our own players somewhat pointed the criticism. I am shortly submitting certain proposals to all the players which are designed to get an extra round into the Tournament and to cut out the hard “ work ” of the last two days’ play. I assure you that the organisers of this outstanding sporting fixture are most anxious to improve it.

With reference to the 1951 project in Southsea your readers will understand, I am sure, that the Publicity Manager of Southsea must get his Council’s consent before he can give the definite undertakings that the B.C.F. require. He is most anxious to get the project to Southsea and I am confident that he will succeed. I have passed all negotiations over to Mr. Chetwynd who, I am sure, will do everything he can to bring them to a successful conclusion.

I understand that the Federation is unwilling to organise a general congress during the Centenary. They probably have good reasons for this, but I hope that better will prevail. Sixteen masters playing eight games between them a day, shut up in a lovely room over the sea, may provide material for a good Tournament Book but surely our own players would like to mix with them in a General Congress! The Third Stevenson [Memorial Tournament] will be organised next year in answer to an emphatic request from the players assembled in Southsea. It was not my original intention to run two shows in Southsea within five weeks of each other : but in the entertainment world, the Customer is ALWAYS right.

I think the B.C.F. might do worse than have this engraved on its officials’ hearts . . . even if some of them die under the operation.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed) W. H. PRATTEN. Fareham, May 20th, 1950.

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On that extraordinary day when sixteen-year-old Jonathan Penrose beat Tartakower and 72-year-old F F L Alexander beat Bogoljubow, Bisguier was heard to remark: "haven't they any masters in England between the ages of 17 and 71?" (CHESS, May 1950, Vol.15/176, p169)

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File Updated

Date	Notes
1997	52 of a possible 204 games from the 2nd Stevenson Memorial, which also doubled as the Southern Counties' Chess Union (SCCU) Championship, held in Southsea, 12-22 April 1950. These games have been available here since 1997 as a zipped file.
6 December 2020	Added all the games played by Dr JM Aitken, a crosstable, viewer and BCM report written by Harry Golombek.
7 December 2020	Added one complete game - Cole-F.Alexander (rd 3), contributed by Brian Denman - and one part-game - Trott-Wade (rd 9), contributed by Ulrich Tamm. Many thanks to Brian and Ulrich.
8 December 2020	Richard James has discovered the full name of E Attenborough – Eric George Attenborough (1886-1972), whom he tells me was a Lloyds underwriter from Bushey, Herts.
4 May 2022	Added one game: A.Trott 0-1 J.Duthilleul, round 2. Many thanks to Paul Brown for sending the game.
25 September 2024	Added a part-game: A.H.Knight 0-1 A.H.Trott (rd 5).