1924 West of England Congress, 19-25 April, Weston-super-Mare Town Hall

1924 West of England Major Open

1924 West of England Major Open		Fed	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Max Euwe	NED	Netherlands	&;	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	7½
2	Sir George Alan Thomas	ENG	London	½	&;	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
3	Eugene A Znosko-Borovsky	FRA	Paris	0	½	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6½
4	Edmund Spencer	ENG	Liverpool	0	1	0	&;	0	½	1	1	1	1	5½
5	John Arthur James Drewitt	ENG	Hastings	½	0	0	1	&;	½	½	1	½	1	5
6	Cyril Duffield	ENG	Bristol	0	0	1	½	½	&;	0	0	1	½	3½
7	Joseph Henry Blake	ENG	London	0	0	0	0	½	1	&;	0	1	1	3½
8	Capt. Percivale David Bolland, M.C.	ENG	Weston-super-Mare	½	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	½	0	3
9	Arthur John Mackenzie	ENG	Birmingham	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	&;	1	2
10	George Edward Wainwright snr	ENG	Wiltshire	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	0	&;	1½

1924 West of England Open

1924 West of England Open		Fed	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Richard Edward Lean	ENG	Brighton	&;	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	7
2	George Wright	ENG	York	0	&;	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	7
3	William Henry Watts	FRA	London	0	0	&;	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	6
4	Ernest John Price	ENG	London	1	0	½	&;	½	0	1	1	½	1	5½
5	John Harold Morrison	ENG	Leeds	1	0	½	½	&;	1	½	0	½	1	5
6	George Tregaskis	ENG	Bristol	0	0	0	1	0	&;	1	½	1	1	4½
7	William John Berryman	ENG	Yorkshire	0	1	0	0	½	0	&;	½	½	½	3
8	Herbert Parsons	ENG	Bristol	0	0	0	0	1	½	½	&;	1	0	3
9	Joshua Jackson	ENG	Yorkshire	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	&;	½	2
10	Sydney Gerard Howell-Smith	ENG	London	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	&;	2

1924 West of England Major Open at Weston-super-Mare
Top row, left to right: Sir George Thomas, Capt. Percivale D Bolland, John A J Drewitt, Max Euwe, Edmund Spencer
Bottom row, left to right: Joseph H Blake, Arthur J Mackenzie, Eugene A Znosko-Borovsky
Photo: Western Daily Press, 21 April 1924, page 6

Other Sections

First Class A: (1) Francis Herbert Terrill (Birmingham) 8½/9; (2) Ronald Melville Norman (Weston-super-Mare) 6; (3-4) Patrick Charles Littlejohn (Rugby), Leslie Edward Vine (Bridgwater) 5½; (5) Samuel John Holloway (Bromley) 4; (6-7) Cmdr. Robert Douglas Graham (Bridgwater), Patrick Humphrey Sullivan (Dartford) 3½; (8-9) Mrs Amabel Nevill Gwyn Sollas (née Jeffreys, Oxford), C A Mann (Leeds) 3; (10) Stephen Poulson Lees (London) 2½.

First Class B: (1) Percival John Lawrence (Reading) 7½/9; (2) F A Richardson (London) 7; (3-4) Mrs. Agnes Bradley Stevenson (London), Rev. Ernest Walter Poynton¹ (Bath) 5½; (5) Hiram James Horace Cope (Ilfracombe) 5; (6) George Clifford Brown (Worcester) 4; (7) Samuel Waterman Viveash (Bristol) 3½; (8) Ernest Fowler Fardon² (Birmingham) 3; (9) Edward Buddel Puckridge (Kent) 2½; (10) Francis Frederick Finch (Bristol) 1½.
¹ BCM gives E W Poynter but this is a typo for Poynton - JS.
² Ernest Fowler Fardon (1876-1957) had a brother called Edwin Fowkes Fardon (1878-1946)! And, of course, references always appeared showing initials only, so we cannot be 100% certain that Ernest was the chess player of the two, and maybe even both of them played. However, there is some evidence that the chesser was Ernest. He left some money to a chess organisation in his will, and there was an E F Fardon playing in a section at the 1952 BCF Congress by which time Edwin was dead.

Second Class A: (1) Reginald Charles Noel-Johnson (London) 8½/9; (2) Dr E H Smith (London) 8; (3-4) Alfred Clifford Falkner¹ (Surrey), Ernest George Rodway (Weston-super-Mare) 5; (5-6) Miss Emily Eliza Abraham (Herne Bay), G Costigan (Oxford) 4½; (7) W J Matthews (Bristol) 3½; (8) Arthur Samms Fish² (London) 2½; (9) Roger Oswald Platt (Gloucester) 2; (10) Miss M Andrews (London) 1½.
¹ BCM gives R C Falkner but this is a misprint. The Times, 28 April 1924, correctly gives A C Falkner - JS.
² Arthur Samms Fish (1856-1931), husband of Florence Jane Fish who played in the 3rd Class B section.

Second Class B: (1) Harry/Henry Ward (Croydon) 7½/9; (2) Charles Henry Taylor (London) 6½; (3) S J Osborn(e) (London) 6; (4) A Oakley (Birmingham) 5; (5) William Edgar Gough (Shifnal) 4½; (6) F W Trent (Worcester) 4; (7) Hugh Price (Bristol) 3½; (8) Alfred Herman Reeve (Bucks) 3; (9-10) Mrs Rosa Annie Banting (London), Charles Solomon (Bath) 2½.

Third Class A (8 competitors): (1-3) John E Coleman (Essex), W Barker (Wolverhampton), Duncan Clarke (Worcester) 5/7; (4-5) Herbert William Tidball (Birmingham), Herbert John Salter¹ (Bromley) 4; (6) Mrs Lizzie Vine (née Goring, Bridgwater) 3; (7-8) Miss Pannell (London), Mrs Chase (London) 1.
¹ BCM gives J H Salter but I think this should be Herbert John Salter, who was hon.sec. of Bromley CC at the time.

Third Class B (8 competitors): (1-2) Christopher Sullivan (Bristol), Walter G Boys (London) 6/7; (3-5) Miss Hilda Florence Chater (Bromley), W H Eyles (Birmingham), Miss Kate Eyre (Cheltenham) 4; (6) Miss Lillie Eveling (Margate) 2; (7-8) Mrs Florence Jane Fish¹ (née Lee, London), Rev. Walter Harvey (Northamptonshire) 1.
¹ Florence Jane Fish, née Lee (1867-1958), wife of Arthur Samms Fish who competed in the 2nd Class A section.

Lightning Tournament: (1) Christopher Sullivan (Bristol); (2) Hiram James Horace Cope (Ilfracombe); (3) Max Euwe; (4) Dr. E H Smith.

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BCM, May 1924, ppn 177-183 (n.b. unusually, this unattributed BCM report was written as if in 'real time')

CONGRESS AT WESTON.

The second chess congress in the West of England was opened at the Weston Town Hall on Saturday morning, April 19th, by E. S. Stradling, the chairman of the Urban District Council, who expressed the hope that the festival would be a permanent biennial event. The first, held in 1922, was famous for the magnificent way in which J H Blake, the veteran, as many younger players count him, upheld the fame of British chess, coming out at the head of affairs, above such well-known masters as G Maroczy and B Kostich, and other British players like Sir G A Thomas and F D Yates.

After the brief opening proceedings play commenced. In the Major Open tournament the draw and results were as follows:

Round 1, Saturday morning, 19 April 1924			Opening
Znosko-Borowski	1-0	Drewitt	French Defence
Thomas	½-½	Euwe	Sicilian
Blake	1-0	Mackenzie	Ruy Lopez
Wainwright	0-1	Spencer	QP
Bolland	1-0	Duffield	Max Lange

At one time it looked as if Euwe would lose. Sir George won a Pawn, and also had apparently the better game, with two passed Pawns; he however got short of time, and, making a bad move on his 38th, enabled Euwe to force a draw.

Drewitt played weakly, after a good defence for some time, mostly due to clock trouble. Mackenzie made an oversight v. Blake. Wainwright sinned against principles, going Pawn hunting, and the Queen’s Knight’s Pawn at that and paid the penalty. Duffield lost touch in the maze of the Max Lange which should be avoided if not well known.

Round 2, Saturday evening, 19 April 1924			Opening
Mackenzie	0-1	Thomas	QP
Euwe	½-½	Drewitt	Sicilian
Blake	1-0	Wainwright	Sicilian
Spencer	1-0	Bolland	Zukertort
Znosko-Borowski	0-1	Duffield	Ruy Lopez

Mackenzie v. Thomas was a very complicated game, but Mackenzie lost his way, and emerging from the melée a piece to the bad resigned on the 28th move. Euwe was again fortunate to draw for all along he had a trifle the worst of it.

Blake won the exchange off Wainwright, and the latter having no compensation, gave up the struggle. Znosko-Borowski lost his Queen for a Rook in the middle game by an oversight, and should have no chance of drawing. Spencer won the exchange off Bolland, and should win on resumption.

Blake has started well with two wins to his credit, and Sir George Thomas with 1½, and Spencer with two probable points makes one hope for another British victory.

The adjourned game from the second round between Spencer and Bolland was won by the former on the 60th move. Znosko-Borowski was unable to retrieve his error in his game v. Duffield and resigned on the 46th move.

In the Open Tournament Lean beat Berryman and Jackson, and Watts, Jackson and Tregaskis. The other players are Wright, Howell Smith, Parsons, Morrison and E. J. Price.

Round 3, Monday, 21 April 1924			Opening
Spencer	0-1	Znosko-Borowski	Zukertort
Drewitt	½-½	Duffield	Four Knights
Thomas	1-0	Blake	Ruy Lopez
Wainwright	0-1	Euwe	Four Knights
Bolland	½-½	Mackenzie	Bishop's

Spencer, in a complicated game got a piece imprisoned and resigned on the 39th move. Drewitt’s Four Knights with 4 P—Q 4 resembled a Scotch Game; he won a Pawn but could not make headway, and Duffield by sacrificing a Bishop, secured a draw by perpetual check. Sir George played the attack in the Ruy Lopez, after 5.., Ktx P and 9.., B—K 2 with 10 Q Kt—Q 2, Castles ; 11 Q—K 2, the latest discovery, and by relentless pressure on the isolated Queen’s Pawn drove Black’s pieces back, and eventually won the King’s Knight’s Pawn, and then got Blake into a mating net on the King’s side. This gave him the lead. Wainwright allowed his opponent a King’s side attack by opening up the King’s Rook’s file, and Euwe won smartly. Bolland complicated matters to such an extent that both players were in time trouble, but Mackenzie was left at the adjournment with what should be a won game.

Round 4, Monday evening, 21 April 1924			Opening
Thomas	1-0	Wainwright	Ruy Lopez
Znosko-Borowski	1-0	Bolland	Four Knights
Blake	½-½	Drewitt	Scotch
Euwe	1-0	Duffield	Giuoco Piano
Spencer	1-0	Mackenzie	Zukertort

Wainwright won two pieces for a Rook, with a good game, but he mismanaged affairs, and missed a draw, as pointed out by Euwe at the conclusion of the game; a lucky win for Thomas. Znosko-Borowski outplayed his opponent. Blake could make no impression on Drewitt’s defence. Duffield overlooked the loss of a piece in the opening and resigned on the twelfth move!

In the Open Tournament W. H. Watts has won all his four games. R. E. Lean has scored 3.

Round 5, Tuesday, 22 April 1924			Opening
Duffield	1-0	Mackenzie	QP
Spencer	1-0	Thomas	Zukertort
Euwe	1-0	Blake	QP
Wainwright	0-1	Znosko-Borowski	Zukertort
Bolland	0-1	Drewitt	Petroff

Spencer who had given up his Queen for three pieces in his adjourned game in the fourth round v. Mackenzie, won on continuing. His opponent in the fifth round was Thomas, who in a blocked position tried to force matters, but becoming short of time, made an error, of which Spencer took immediate advantage, thereby going to the head of affairs with a score of 4; Sir George is 3½. Wainwright played a good game against Znosko-Borowski, and seems to have a certain draw. The latter’s score is 3, as is that of Euwe, who made a slip in the opening which lost a Pawn. At the adjournment Blake had won another Pawn, and should win, which would bring his score to 3½. Duffield v. Mackenzie was a race against the clock in which Duffield just secured sufficient advantage to win. Another lively game was that between Bolland and Drewitt, in which the time factor played a large part, Bolland losing a Pawn in the scramble which eventually proved sufficient for Drewitt to place a win to his credit.

Round 6, Wednesday, 23 April 1924			Opening
Mackenzie	0-1	Euwe	QGD
Thomas	1-0	Bolland	Ruy Lopez
Blake	0-1	Znosko-Borowski	Ruy Lopez
Drewitt	1-0	Wainwright	Alekhine Opening
Duffield	½-½	Spencer	Ruy Lopez

Euwe secured an advantage of a Pawn on the Queen’s side, and staving off Mackenzie’s King’s side attack very cleverly, placed a fine game to his credit.

Bolland defended stoutly, and it was difficult to find a chink in nis armour, but Sir George, with the necessity of scoring the major point if he is to keep in the first flight, played patiently for weaknesses, and at last saw an opportunity of winning a Pawn, and then exchanging off the remaining pieces reduced it to a won ending. Blake attacked strongly on the King’s side, but at the critical point, under a hallucination made a move, which lost all his attacking possibilities, and gave em to his opponent, who stormed the position in a few moves.

Wainwright in answer to Drewitt’s 1 P—K 4 played Kt—K B 3 (Alekhine’s move) but soon got into trouble. Spencer got a doubled Pawn in defending a Ruy Lopez, but in the end-game which ensued, was able to secure a draw.

In the afternoon the adjourned games were played off, with disappointing results from the English point of view, for Blake, probably brooding over his error in the morning, made another in his end-game v. Euwe, and the latter snatched an unexpected victory. Wainwright too, failed to find the drawing line in his game v. Znosko-Borowski, and the latter won ingeniously, but rather luckily. Bolland drew with Mackenzie.

The score now is Euwe and Znosko-Borowski, 5; Thomas and Spencer, 4½; Drewitt, 3½; Duffield, 3; Blake, 2½.

In the Open Tournament Watts leads with 5, having drawn two games; Lean, Price, Morrison and Wright have all scored 4.

In the evening Znosko-Borowski played simultaneously, and after adjudication of several unfinished games, came out with the excellent score of 20 wins, 6 draws and only 2 losses, to Mrs. S. J. [Edith] Holloway and C. Holman.

Round 7, Thursday morning, 24 April 1924			Opening
Bolland	½-½	Euwe	Four Knights
Wainwright	½-½	Duffield	Vienna
Spencer	1-0	Blake	Zukertort
Drewitt	0-1	Thomas	Four Knights
Znosko-Borowski	1-0	Mackenzie	Ruy Lopez

Bolland played a sound and steady game, giving nothing away; Euwe made an assault, which Bolland repulsed, and an end-game was reached in which Euwe was a Pawn down, but was able to secure a draw. Duffield snatched a distant Pawn to find his Queen imprisoned, with only two flight Squares, which could be attacked by a Rook, and the game was drawn by repetition of moves. Blake, who has not been well for the last few days, played weakly v. Spencer, and soon drifted into a lost position. Drewitt snatching at the Queen’s Knight’s Pawn found Thomas had planned a really pretty sacrifice, which forced a win. The game between Znosko-Borowski and Mackenzie was well fought, and just at the adjournment Mackenzie’s game fell to pieces, and losing a piece he resigned. Leading scores: Znosko-Borowski, 6; Euwe, Spencer and Thomas, 5½.

Round 8, Thursday evening, 24 April 1924			Opening
Blake	1-0	Bolland	Four Knights
Mackenzie	1-0	Wainwright	Vienna
Znosko-Borowski	0-1	Euwe	Zukertort
Duffield	0-1	Thomas	Four Knights
Drewitt	1-0	Spencer	Ruy Lopez

Euwe played a fine game in the evening despite his game v. Bolland having taken all the afternoon, as well as the morning. He eventually won nicely with two passed Pawns and dispossessed his opponent of his lead, he was later joined by Sir George Thomas who won after a hard struggle with Duffield, as second player in a Ruy Lopez, Spencer was unable to find the correct defence to Drewitt's Four Knights game, which the Hastings players, with Maroczy's help, have much analysed. Blake played lifelessly, and the strain of two games a day when sleeping badly has evidently prevented him showing the form which won him so much praise 1922. [this garbled para reproduced as printed - JS]

Scores : Euwe, 6½ (Spencer to play); Thomas 6½ (Znosko-Borowski to play); Znosko-Borowski, 6 ; Spencer, 5½; Drewitt, 4½.

In the Open Tournament Watts lost to Wright, and the leaders are Watts, Wright and Lean with 6 each ; E. J. Price, 5½.

On Friday morning, April 25th, instead of playing off the last round, as most of the competitors would have preferred, a lightning tournament was held in which some 30 players took part; in the final Duffield, giving a Knight, defeated Noel Johnson, who was second, Sir G. A. Thomas, Euwe, Drewitt and Bolland were among the unsuccessful competitors.

Round 9 was commenced on Friday evening, April 25th; in the Major Open event, the pairings and results were as follows:—

Round 9, Friday evening, 25 April 1924			Opening
Bolland	0-1	Wainwright	Max Lange
Duffield	0-1	Blake	QP
Euwe	1-0	Spencer	QP
Thomas	½-½	Znosko-Borowski	Ruy Lopez
Mackenzie	½-½	Drewitt	QP

Euwe made certain of at least sharing the first prize by defeating Spencer, but Thomas is two Pawns up in his game and should win, when it is resumed on Saturday morning—this will bring his score equal to Euwe’s—an excellent performance; Euwe himself would be the first to admit that he has been lucky in this tournament, he should have lost his ending v. Bolland, besides winning two other games which should have been drawn, but he is a player who is always ready to seize such chances as he can get, and some of his games were won in first-class style. Sir George Thomas does not play in the same attacking style, but that he can do so when opportunity occurs was shown in his game v. Drewitt.

Znosko-Borowski started badly, and had some luck, but deserves his position of third. Spencer unfortunately tailed off at the end, but he has well upheld the sole representation of the Northern players. Blake, after a fine start, suffered from sleeplessness, and did not do himself justice. Capt. Bolland proved difficult to beat, but lacked the end-game knowledge necessary to round off his games, probably through the want of hard practice with first-class players. Since the result of the tournament depends on that of the last game, as also in the case of the other Open Tournament, the players and spectators alike will agree that this Congress has been as exciting as the previous one.

In the Open Tournament Lean defeated Watts in the last round, and like Euwe in the other tourney made certain of at least a share of the first prize. Wright who is playing Price, can tie with him by winning this game. Here again the four leaders were playing one another in the last round. The adjourned games will be played out Saturday morning.

Saturday, April 26th.—The adjourned games from the last round were played out this morning and to the general regret Sir George Thomas lost his way in a Rook and Pawn ending, in which he was a Pawn up, and was only able to draw. It is very unusual for him to err in this department of the game, and his error on this occasion deprived him of the right to share in the first prize. Certainly this tournament has had more than its full complement of errors, and scarcely any of the players have been free from some blunder for which they must have wanted to kick themselves! It is possible the time limit of twenty moves per hour was a contributory cause though in our experience, whatever the time limit, some players will be short of that commodity; or it may have been the strain of two hard games in one day, but whatever the cause, we cannot remember any tournament of recent times which has had so many untoward results.

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BCM, February 1924, p58

WEST OF ENGLAND CHESS FESTIVAL.

The West of England Chess Festival to be held at Weston-super-Mare, Somersetshire, during the Easter holidays, under the auspices of the Weston club, shows the following attractive programme of tourneys and prizes, viz. :—1, Major Open Tourney, £12, £8, £4; 2, Minor Open Tourney, £10, £6, £3 10s.; 3, First Class Tourney, £8, £5, £3 ; 4, Second Class Tourney, £5, £3, £2; Third Class Tourney, £4, £2, £1. The competitors in each tourney will be divided into sections of ten, and prizes will be as above for each section. Other contests, including a lightning tourney, will be arranged, and a special prize of two guineas will be awarded the winner of the most brilliant game played during the festival. The hours of play are 9-30—1-30, 3—5 (for adjourned games), and 6—10 (on some days for adjourned games only). Play begins on the Saturday before Easter Monday, and lasts till the following Saturday morning. We understand that a friendly arrangement has been made with Kent county (which annually held a congress during Easter), whereby the two events will not take place in the same year. Each will therefore hold a congress every second year. The last Weston Festival, two years ago, was a great success.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
01 January 2024	All the 45 Major Open games plus 11 from other sections.