1937 Anglo-Dutch Match: Netherlands vs Great Britain, Amsterdam, 16-17 May - Netherlands won 10½-9½

	Netherlands	Rd 1	Rd 2	Great Britain
1b	Max Euwe	1-0	1-0	William Winter
2w	Salo Landau	0-1	½-½	Sir George Thomas
3b	Abraham Speijer	0-1	½-½	P Stuart Milner-Barry
4w	George S Fontein	½-½	½-½	William Albert Fairhurst
5b	Lodewijk Prins	0-1	1-0	Henry Ernest Atkins
6w	Gerrit Roelof van Doesburgh	0-1	0-1	Reginald J Broadbent
7b	Theo D van Scheltinga	1-0	½-½	Reginald Pryce Michell
8w	Klaas Marinus Bergsma	½-½	0-1	Alfred Lenton
9b	Adrianus D de Groot	1-0	1-0	William Ritson Morry
10w	Willem Jan Muhring	½-½	1-0	Victor Buerger
	16-17 May 1937	4½-5½	6-4	Amsterdam
		10½-9½

There was also an unofficial match between two reserve players: "since the English had arrived with eleven men, Schelfhout, at the request of the English, played a short match with Parr, a promising player who lost by only 1½-½." (De Telegraaf, 18 May 1937)

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BCM, June 1937, ppn 296-298

ENGLAND AND HOLLAND AT CHESS. [author J.H.V.M. - J H Van Meurs (1882-1969), team manager]

The English team, with one reserve, and manager met at Liverpool Street Station on Whit Saturday [15 May 1937] at 9-30. The journey across to Flushing [Vlissingen] was fortunately uneventful, although H. E. Atkins did not seem in the best of health and had to be accommodated with a cabin.

Left to Right: Sir George Thomas. Henry E Atkins, John H van Meurs, P Stuart Milner-Barry, William Winter, Victor Buerger, Frank Parr, William Ritson Morry, Reginald J Broadbent, Elsie Margaret Lenton (née Reid), Alfred Lenton, Reginald P Michell, William A Fairhurst. Photo from BCM, June 1937, p296. Colourised by John Saunders.

The arrival at Flushing in the early evening found the team quite ready for an excellent dinner on the German dining car and Amsterdam was reached a few minutes after 9 p.m. The team was met on the platform by Dr. Euwe and other notabilities.

When the Carlton Hotel was reached it was found that the Dutch Federation had prepared an official welcome there. Dr. Euwe heartily welcomed the team and Sir George Thomas replied suitably; refreshments were dealt round and the evening ended on a very happy note.

Round 1 - Sunday 16 May 1937

The match on Sunday commenced at 10 o'clock and was held at the Militiezaal, which is one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam, nearly 450 years old. It had been arranged that the English team should have the White pieces on the first day, the rate of moving to be 36 moves in two hours and 18 per hour afterwards. Play was to be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. If any games were unfinished on the first day, these were to be played out, but, owing to lack of time, it was decided to adjudicate any unfinished games on the second day.

The first game to finish was on board 3 where Milner-Barry scored a very good win over A. Speyer. Winter was holding out well against the World Champion and Sir George was reaching a level endgame with Landau. Fairhurst appeared to have the better of Fontein whilst Atkins had a decided advantage over Prins. Broadbent from the commencement had an easy game but Michell Lenton, Morry and Buerger never seemed comfortable and Morry lost just before the adjournment.

On the resumption Sir George translated a comparatively level endgame into a very fine win and Atkins scored a win, the last move being of a problem-like nature. The British Champion however had lost to Dr. Euwe shortly after re-starting. What advantage Fairhurst had, however, could not be turned into a win and a draw was the result on that board. Broadbent scored a very fine win, but Michell lost the endgame. However Buerger managed to draw. The English team had a piece of good fortune on Lenton's board where in a somewhat simple won position Dr. Bergsma unexpectedly offered his opponent a draw and was nearly rent asunder for his pains by his compatriots a few seconds after.

At the end of the first day the English team was, therefore, leading by one point. Not quite enough to inspire great confidence in a victory, taking into account that Holland would play with the White pieces on the Monday. Sunday evening was spent quietly and the team retired to bed early.

Round 2 - Monday 17 May 1937

On Monday morning the contest was renewed at 10 o'clock and again Milner-Barry was the first to finish; this time his game was drawn. Very soon Lenton, Morry and Buerger were in serious difficulties and Michell was facing a heavy king's side attack. The World Champion had obtained a much superior game against Winter and won quickly but Sir George was holding his own, whilst Fairhurst appeared to have an advantage. At lunch time Atkins' position seemed fairly level and Broadbent again had a won game.

Sir George after lunch scored an easy draw and Broadbent again won a beautifully played game. Lenton's opponent was once more kind to him and through an injudicious series of exchanges not only released the Leicester player from an almost vice-like grip but left himself with a lost game which Lenton took full advantage of to win. Morry was hopelessly outplayed and lost and at the call of time only two games were unfinished. Fairhurst being a pawn up and Buerger having a rook and knight for a queen. These games were adjudicated by the American master Fine, and as the whole match depended on the result no one, except the players and the adjudicator was allowed in the side room where the discussions took place.

After half an hour the verdict was, that in spite of his pawn plus Fairhurst had drawn again, whilst Buerger had lost, thus Holland were victors by the odd point—10½ to 9½.

The Dutch chess weekly Schaakwereld had presented a challenge cup and 10 medals for the winning team and it had been arranged that in the event of a draw England would hold the cup for a year and take the medals, but as it turned out these, of course, remained in Holland.

The acting president of the Dutch Federation made a very nice speech on the result, and both teams called for three cheers for each other.

The return journey was very peaceful indeed and as calm as it possibly could be. Fortunately all the arrangements made as regards meals, seats on trains and hotel accommodation proceeded without a hitch and so greatly added to the comfort of the party.

A return match next Whitsun in London has been definitely arranged and seeing how close the result has been this time there is every reason to hope that with a team at full strength the scores may be reversed.

Below we give two games played in the match:— [Milner-Barry - Speijer] and [Van Doesburgh - Broadbent]

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File Updated

Date	Notes
24 September 2025	First upload. 20 games, including 4 stubs, results, magazine report and photo.