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is a scientific game and its literature ought to be placed on the basis
of the strictest truthfulness, which is the foundation of all scientific
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Upper
row (from left to
right): . The Ladies Made an International Move . The first international tournament for ladies
which was held in London from June 23 until July 3, 1897, took a
definite shape in late October 1896. The scheme of organising such a
tourney had been up in the air for about a year when Rhoda A. Bowles,
the honorary secretary of the London Ladies’ Chess Club (residing at
103 Great Russell Street) issued the preliminary programme of the
tournament. The announcement was published in several papers, among
which The Illustrated Sporting and
Dramatic News (November 7, 1896), opened its report in the
following way:1 It is not so very long ago that a woman who could play at
chess was looked upon as a phenomenon, and it was currently believed
that the members of the gentler sex, when they essayed the game, used to
make their own rules as they went along, generally insisting on castling
out of check, and placing such masculine regulations as “touch and
move,” and “PxP en passant,”
under a ban. But all this is changed now. The assurance of the prize money was probably
the reason for announcing this unique competition. The preliminary
programme made mention of a first prize of £60, a second of £50, a
third of £40, a fourth of £30, a fifth of £20, and a sixth of £15.
These prizes, although not very large in comparison with those
distributed at male master tournaments in those days, were considered
sufficient enough to attract the best female players of the world to
London.2 The leading idea of the Ladies’ Chess Club
in getting up this competition was to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne. This diamond jubilee was due
in June 1897; the tournament
coincided with that event. More details of the tournament were made public four months later. The competition was fixed to start on June 22, 1897. The site would be the large room – the Masonic Temple – in the Hotel Cecil; playing hours were from 1.00 till 5.00 p.m. and from 7.00 till 11.00 p.m. daily, except for Sundays.
Sir
George Newnes offered the first prize.3 The second prize was
presented by Harry N. Pillsbury. The sum of £50 represented the
proceeds of a blindfold exhibition given by him at the Metropolitan
Chess Club of Washington and a donation of the Manhattan Chess Club of
New York.4 The Ladies’ Chess Club presented the fourth
prize. The third, fifth and sixth prizes were supplied by subscribers. Several special prizes were added to the fund
later. H.E. Eschwege, a London amateur player and the father of Miss
Eschwege who participated in the tourney, donated four golden medals
(the value of each being £2 2s.). Madame de la Vingne, also taking part
in the tournament, offered a music case. George W. Bradshaw presented a
photo of the ladies of the tournament (the picture above), and James
Leith, of Glasgow, donated a special prize for the neatest mate.5
Baron Albert von Rothschild of Vienna offered a prize of £20 for the most
brilliant game. The list of patrons included Princess Maud of
Wales, Lord Mayor of London and Lady Mayoress, Sir George Newnes and
others. Lady Newnes was president of the tournament committee.
The
number of players signing in for the tournament was 32, of which twenty
were selected by a committee of three members of the British, City of
London and Metropolitan Chess Clubs.6 The participants were
(in alphabetic order) Mrs. F. Sterling Berry (Ireland), Madame Marie
Bonnefin (Belgium), Madame de la Vingne (France), Miss Eschwege (England),
Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan (Italy), Miss Gertrude Field (England), Miss Kate
B. Finn (Ireland), Miss Forbes-Sharp (Scotland), Miss Rita Fox (England),
Miss A.M. Gooding (England), Miss Anna Hertzsch (Germany), Miss Alice E.
Hooke (England), Miss Müller-Hartung (Germany), Miss Mary Rudge (England),
Mrs. E.H. Sidney (England), Mrs. Anna S. Stevenson (Canada), Lady Edith
M. Thomas (England), Miss Eliza M. Thorold (England), Miss G. Watson (England),
and Mrs. Harriet J. Worrall (America). Miss Hooke was a substitute for Miss Eliza Campbell Foot of America, who was expected to
attend but failed to put in an appearance. Other reserves were Mrs. R.A.
Banting, Mrs. Vivian (both of London) and Miss Ridpath (of Hastings). There was some discussion about the
international character of the meeting. Two of the ladies representing
other countries lived in England. Madame Bonnefin, who acted for Belgium,
lived in London, and Mrs. Fagan, representing Italy, sojourned in
England. This meant that just five participants – Madame de la Vingne,
Miss Hertzsch, Miss Müller-Hartung, Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Worrall –
were the ‘international’ components of the joust, with the addition
that Mrs. Worrall was of English origin.
Miss Hertzsch was from Halle7, Mrs.
Worrall lived in Brooklyn8 and Mrs. Stevenson had her home in
Montreal.9 The places of residence of Madame de la Vingne and
Miss Müller-Hartung are unknown. Most of the British contestants were
from London: Madame Bonnefin—born in Belgium, Miss
Eschwege, Mrs. Fagan—born in Naples10, Miss
Field, Miss Finn, Miss Fox and Miss Hooke. Miss Gooding lived in
Cheltenham, Miss Rudge in Clifton, Mrs. Sidney in Brighton, Lady Thomas
in Southsea, Miss Thorold in Bridlington, and Miss Watson in Hastings.
Miss Berry was from Dublin.11 Miss Forbes-Sharp’s domicile
is not clear (presumably Edinburgh). Some of the ladies were related to well-known
chess personalities. As written, Miss Eschwege was the daughter of a
notable London amateur. Madame Bonnefin was married with another
prominent London amateur and Mrs. Fagan was the sister of William R.
Ballard. Miss Thorold was the sister of Edmund Thorold, and Mrs. Worrall
had been married to Thomas H. Worrall. Miss Gooding was the daughter of
D. Gooding, a prominent Cheltenham player.12
The
meeting did not commence on June 22, 1897, as initially planned, but one
day later. It seems that the novelty of the occasion – many of the
ladies had never before played in a tournament – created some tension
in the opening rounds. The use of the clocks, the oppressive silence in
the playing room and the scoring of the games were new to several
contestants. The extreme heat did not make things easier.13
Several time incidents occurred in the first rounds – for instance,
Miss Forbes-Sharp in her game against Miss Hertzsch exceeded the time
limit, but as her opponent failed to claim the game, it proceeded, and
was eventually won by Miss Forbes-Sharp. On the other hand, some of the
ladies moved almost too rapidly, to quote The
Times of June 24, 1897. The same paper wrote: Regarding the play generally it may be observed that if it
lacks force at critical points – the force, that is, which
characterizes the games of the leading players – a good deal of it
reaches a far higher standard than might at first be imagined.
Occasionally chances are missed, and sometimes blunders occur as in all
ordinary contests, but most of the games are closely contested according
to orthodox rules, and after the excitement of the first day it may be
expected to improve. The play, after the nervous start, improved in
the progress of the tournament, notwithstanding the fact that
contestants “overlooked mate on the move,” “missed the gain of a
piece and lost one instead,” “sacrificed a piece under the mistaken
assumption that a pawn could be queened,” or “left a queen en
prise, but neither player noticed it.”
Below
are some examples of ‘special’ play in the tournament: Miss Forbes-Sharp - Miss A.M. Gooding
It
was now White's turn to move, and she touched the king's bishop's pawn,
of course intending pawn to f3, to drive off the Black bishop,
overlooking that the pawn is fixed by Black's bishop at b6. The penalty
was "move your king," and then Black played pawn to f3, which,
it requires very little analysis to prove, wins the game in a few moves
against any play. Continued yesterday: 1.
Kh1 f3 2. gxf3 Bxf3+ 3. Kg1 Qg5+ 4. Ng3 Bxd1,
and wins. (The Times, June 26, 1897 - notes by Samuel Tinsley). Miss Forbes-Sharp - Miss G. Watson
A curiously interesting position occurred at the finish of the game Miss Forbes-Sharp vs. Miss Watson. The game was abandoned as drawn, although Black had two passed pawns united, as well as an extra pawn. Mr. Blackburne believes that, although the win is difficult, Black has a way of forcing the game. (The Times, June 28, 1897 - notes by Samuel Tinsley). Miss A.M. Gooding - Miss Gertrude Field
There was a somewhat similar ending on Friday, Miss Gooding against Miss Field. Black to move. This game was also drawn but analysis may disclose another result (The Times, June 28, 1897 - notes by Samuel Tinsley). The
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News mused on the meeting in its issue of July
3, 1897: “Women, perhaps, are more naturally gifted with common sense,
and when they feel tired they resign instead of wearing out their
opponents, the spectators, and themselves by persistent efforts to
escape from their difficulties with a draw. That they do not allow the
time limit to promote nervous irritation to the same extent as men may
be gathered from the fact that one lady permitted her clock to run
forty-five minutes beyond her proper allowance to time before the
circumstance was noticed either by herself of her opponent.” The woman in question was Lady Thomas.14
Joseph W. Hunt, chess editor of The
Brighton Society, offered a further specimen of ‘female’ logic (July
10, 1897): Another lady resigned her first game after 54 moves had
been played for no other reasons than that she “felt tired; and
because she preferred to lose the first game, and win the last.” As it
turned out, she lost both. Leopold Hoffer, in The Field of July 10, 1897, emphasized the positive results of the
ladies’ congress and refrained from discussing the contestants’
playing strength. The tournament just concluded has been the means of making
chess popular amongst ladies, and to avoid invidious comparisons the
review of the tournament shall be confined to ladies’ chess only. The
tournament is the first of its kind, and the result justifies the hope
that it will be taken as a precedent on future occasions. Thus much has
been ascertained so far, that in stamina, sportsmanlike demeanour, and
good fellowship the ladies have shown themselves superior to the men.
There was no display of petulance or disappointment noticeable all
through the tournament; no “incidents,” and no hitch of any kind has
occurred. With such qualities, only more practice is required to entitle
the ladies to share in our pastime. The American
Chess Magazine (July 1897, page 77) had also a positive review. The
paper believed that the ladies’ Chess Congress was of great benefit to
chess and expected that many similar contests would follow. “It is
really the entry of women into chess club life. It is reasonable to
expect that women will work reforms in chess clubs that they have in all
other lines where they have gained the right to equal competition.” Other papers, like The Morning Post, the Pall Mall Gazette, The Penny Illustrated Paper, The Times, Knowledge, etc., also spoke of a successful and important meeting.
Robert
J. Buckley, in chief of the chess department of the Birmingham
Weekly Mercury, sang a different tune. Discussing the game between
Miss Rudge and Lady Thomas he wrote: “Black continued to play the game
for some hours, but the reason why passes the wit of man. The way in
which lady players go on when all has long been lost, and there is not
the smallest hope left, is quite a characteristic feature of the contest.”
His comment to the contest between Miss Forbes-Sharp and Miss Rudge:
“White continued the game for a few hours, but Lasker himself could
hardly have won against Miss Rudge after this. We admire tenacity, but
not pertinacity.” Buckley called the game between Miss Thorold
and Lady Thomas very amusing. “From the time when White might have won
in a variety of ways to the time when she actually win, the masculine
player will be wondering why this, that, or the other move was not made.
The situation of masterly inactivity in which the White Q Kt remains to
the end is also provocative of a good-humoured smile. The
chess editor's final account of the tournament was printed in the Birmingham Weekly Mercury of July 17, 1897: We
promised to tell our friends about the Ladies’ tourney, but last week
we lacked the space. The Masonic Temple of the Hotel Cecil never looked
so fairy like before. There at the ten tables sat the twenty competitors,
all dressed in tasteful summer robes, many of them distractingly pretty,
each and every one with some particular charm. It was like wandering in
a garden of roses, and the humble representative of the “Mercury”
for once felt like a thirteen stone butterfly flitting from flower to
flower. We name no names, dreading invidiousness, but we noted that the
prettiest woman, and not necessarily the strongest players, had the
largest groups of masculine lookers-on. One delightful creature, with a
kindling hat, and a complexion like a peach, was particularly favoured
in this respect; and truly she was worth looking at, whether as a
chessist or in any other character. Her calmness was exemplary, and the
sweet way in which her fan undulated, while the clever brain thought out
subtle combinations, was of itself sufficient to place the Ladies’
Tournament among the classical events of chess. Presently the jewelled
hand came forth with decision, and a knight swooped down on a pawn. The
antagonist winced, and said, “O, how stupid of me!” from which it
will be seen that the fair sex, like the unfair sex, are apt to
attribute misfortune rather to their own oversight than to the superior
strategy of their opponents. At another table a sweet creature played a
move, and, then, perceiving that the move would be disastrous, took it
back with a caressing “Do you mind?” to which the other sweet
creature replied, “O, dear, no. Certainly not!” from which it would
appear that some ladies are unable to see that agreeable laxities under
such circumstances constitute a gross injustice to the other competitors.
Taking the quality of the chess, by and large, as the sailors say, it
was decidedly poor, as compared with any masculine tournament whatever.
Two or three of the competitors were tolerable players, and one or two
really good – for ladies. But, as a whole, the games were not worth
serious notice, which fact we regret to place on record. One feature of
the contest was eloquent of the players’ lack of experience and skill.
It was the protracting of utterly hopeless games. What of the player who
calmly continued when, with the worst position, she was also a Queen and
a Knight to the bad? What of the lady who went on with the lone King
against a Bishop and two united pawns? What of the fair chessist who,
having lost the Queen for a Rook, proposed to recommence, as the
calamity was “quite an oversight!” And what of the foreign
representative who explained to the lookers-on that she lost her games
because she had not sufficient time to practise with strong players? Buckley
concluded that the occasion was memorable as the first international
chess tourney for ladies only.
Miss
Rudge was the winner of this first international chess competition for
ladies. She was victorious in all games, except for one, which was drawn.
The Brighton Society (July 10,
1897): “Miss Rudge was undoubtedly the strongest player, and she
risked nothing, simply waiting for her opponents to make a mistake. Had
she been more venturesome, her score would probably have been as good,
and her chess more attractive.” According
to Hoffer, Miss Rudge’s success was almost a foregone conclusion.16
Mrs. Fagan was her main rival: she finished second. Perhaps, their game
in thirteenth round was the breaking point of the tournament. Miss Fagan
had a better game, but lost by an oversight. The second prize winner
seems to have had a bolder and, perhaps, more hazardous style than her
cautious opponent.17 Miss
Finn retired after eight rounds. Madame de la Vingne missed three games,
also because of illness. The circumstances seem to have been very
exhausting, owing to the extreme heath and the fixed playing schedule of
nineteen games in eleven days. The
Westminster Budget (July 9, 1897) claimed that the tourney had been
a contest of physical and mental endurance of so severe a nature that
the writer of the report, Leopold Hoffer, should have hesitated to
impose upon the competitors. The
final score of the congress is:18
The
full list of prize winners is: first prize, £60, Miss Rudge; second
prize, £50, Mrs. Fagan;
third prize, £40, Miss Thorold; fourth prize, £30, Mrs. Worrall;
fifth prize, £20, Madame Bonnefin; sixth prize, £15, divided by Lady
Thomas and Mrs. Berry; seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth prizes, golden
medals, Miss Field, Miss Gooding, Miss Watson and Mrs. Sidney; eleventh
prize, music case, Miss Hooke; twelfth prize, a photo of the ladies of
the tournament, Miss Fox. The special prize for the neatest mate, a
handbag, was awarded to Miss Forbes-Sharp for her game against Madame de
la Vingne. Miss Hertzsch and Miss Müller-Hartung received a prize each
for amiability.19 The
prize of £20, offered by Baron Rothschild for the most
brilliant game, was won by three ladies. Pillsbury, who was
appointed adjudicator (he was also the intended referee of the ladies’
tournament, but business prevented him from going to London) decided that there were three games of equal merit. Mrs.
Berry, Miss Forbes-Sharp and Miss Hertzsch were the winners of the
special prize.20
The
distribution of the prizes, with exception of Rothschild’s prize, took
place at the home of the Ladies’ Chess Club on the evening of July 5,
1897. Sir George Newnes was in the chair and addressed the audience on
behalf of Lady Newnes. He noticed that the married participants had been
particularly successful.21 The prizes were handed over by
Lady Newnes, who was not only the president of the tournament committee
but also president of the Ladies’ Chess Club. Two
days later Lady Newnes gave a farewell reception to the competitors and
friends at her home, at Wildcroft, Wimbledon. Below
are the results and the playing schedule of the tournament. The first
eight rounds were played in Hotel Cecil. The remaining of the tournament
was contested at the premises of the Ladies’ Chess Club, 185 Tottenham
Court Road, nearby the home of Mrs. Bowles,
who lived at 181 Tottenham Court Road. The
tournament attracted a great deal of attention, especially on the
opening day. The admission charge was 1s. per day, or 5s. for the whole
duration of the tournament.22 Round
1, Wednesday, June 23, 1897 (1.00): Thorold –
Field ½-½; Müller-Hartung – Eschwege 0-1; Bonnefin – Fox 1-0;
Hertzsch – Forbes-Sharp 0-1; Fagan – Worrall 1-0 (adjourned and
played out on July 2); Gooding – Hooke 1-0; Berry – Rudge 0-1;
Thomas – Watson 1-0; Finn – de la Vingne 0-1 (adjourned, and whether
this game was played out or lost by default is unknown); Stevenson –
Sidney 0-1. Round
2, Wednesday, June 23, 1897 (7.00):
Stevenson – de la Vingne 0-1; Thomas – Hertzsch 1-0; Gooding
– Thorold 1-0; Hooke – Müller-Hartung 1-0; Watson – Bonnefin 1-0;
Sidney – Fagan 0-1; Forbes-Sharp – Berry 0-1; Field – Finn 1-0;
Eschwege – Rudge 0-1; Fox – Worrall 0-1 (adjourned and played out on
June 29). Round
3, Thursday, June 24, 1897 (1.00): Finn –
Stevenson 1-0; Rudge – Thomas 1-0; Worrall – Gooding ½-½;23
Fox – Hooke 1-0; Eschwege
– Watson 1-0; Field – Sidney ½-½ (adjourned and played out on July
1); Forbes-Sharp – de la Vingne 1-0; Berry – Hertzsch 1-0; Fagan –
Thorold 1-0; Bonnefin – Müller-Hartung ½-½. Round
4, Thursday, June 24, 1897 (7.00): Hertzsch –
Stevenson 0-1; Thorold – Thomas 1-0; Müller-Hartung – Gooding 0-1;
Bonnefin – Hooke 1-0; Fagan – Watson 1-0; Berry – Sidney 1-0; Finn
– Forbes-Sharp 1-0; Rudge – Field 1-0; Worrall – Eschwege 1-0; de
la Vingne – Fox 0-1. Round
5, Friday, June 25, 1897 (1.00): Eschwege –
Stevenson 1-0;24 Berry – Fagan 0-1; Finn – Bonnefin ½-½;
Field – Thomas 1-0;25 Gooding – Forbes-Sharp 1-0;26
Rudge – Müller-Hartung 1-0; Worrall – Thorold 0-1; Sidney – Hooke
1-0; Watson – de la Vingne 1-0; Fox – Hertzsch 0-1. Round
6, Friday, June 25, 1897 (7.00): Gooding –
Field ½-½; Stevenson – Fox 0-1; Thomas – Eschwege 0-1; Hooke –
Forbes-Sharp 1-0; Watson – Sidney 0-1; Hertzsch – Worrall 0-1;
Thorold – Rudge 0-1; Müller-Hartung – Finn 0-1; Bonnefin – Berry
1-0; Fagan – de la Vingne 1-0. Round
7, Saturday, June 26, 1897 (1.00): Field –
Hooke 1-0; Eschwege – Gooding 0-1; Fox – Thomas 0-1 (adjourned and
played out on July 2); Worrall – Stevenson 1-0; Forbes-Sharp –
Watson ½-½; de la Vingne – Sidney 0-1; Rudge – Hertzsch 1-0 (adjourned
and played out on June 29).; Finn – Thorold 0-1; Berry – Müller-Hartung
1-0; Fagan – Bonnefin 1-0. Round
8, Saturday, June 26, 1897 (7.00): Stevenson –
Thorold 0-1; Thomas – Müller-Hartung ½-½ (adjourned, when it was
played out is unknown);27 Gooding – Bonnefin 0-1; Hooke –
Fagan 1-0; Watson – Berry 1-0; Sidney – Finn 1-0; Forbes-Sharp –
Rudge 0-1; Field – Worrall ½-½; Eschwege – Fox 0-1; Hertzsch –
de la Vingne 1-0. Round
9, Monday, June 28, 1897 (1.00): Hertzsch
– Gooding 1-0; Stevenson – Thomas 0-1; Müller-Hartung – Watson
1-0; Bonnefin – Sidney 1-0; Thorold – Hooke 1-0; Fagan –
Forbes-Sharp 1-0; Berry – Field 1-0; Rudge – Fox 1-0 (adjourned and
played out on July 2); Worrall – de la Vingne 1-0; Eschwege – Finn
1-0(D). Round
10, Monday, June 28, 1897 (7.00):
de la Vingne – Thomas 0-1; Watson – Thorold 1-0; Sidney – Müller-Hartung
1-0;28 Forbes-Sharp – Bonnefin 0-1; Eschwege – Berry 0-1;
Gooding – Stevenson 1-0; Field – Fagan 0-1 (adjourned and played out
on June 30).; Worrall – Rudge 0-1 (adjourned and played out on July
2); Hooke – Hertzsch 1-0 Fox – Finn 1-0(D). Round
11, Tuesday, June 29, 1897 (1.00): Worrall
– Berry 1-0; Watson – Stevenson 1-0; Fox – Fagan 0-1; Hooke –
Thomas 1-0; Sidney – Hertzsch 0-1; Forbes-Sharp – Thorold 0-1; Field
– Müller-Hartung 1-0; Eschwege – Bonnefin 0-1; Gooding – de la
Vingne 1-0; Rudge – Finn 1-0(D). Round
12, Tuesday, June 29, 1897 (7.00):
Stevenson – Hooke 0-1; Thomas – Gooding 1-0; Thorold – Sidney 1-0;29
Hertzsch – Watson 0-1; Müller-Hartung – Forbes-Sharp 1-0; Bonnefin
– Field ½-½; Fagan – Eschwege ½-½; Berry – Fox ½-½; de la
Vingne – Rudge 0-1; Finn – Worrall 0-1(D). Round
13, Wednesday, June 30, 1897 (1.00):
Forbes-Sharp – Stevenson 1-0; Fox – Müller-Hartung 1-0; Sidney –
Thomas ½-½; Eschwege – Thorold 0-1; Field – Hertzsch ½-½;
Worrall – Bonnefin 1-0; Watson – Gooding 1-0; Rudge – Fagan 1-0;
Finn – Berry 0-1(D); de la Vingne – Hooke 0-1(D). Round
14, Wednesday, June 30, 1897 (7.00):
Stevenson – Field 0-1; Thomas – Forbes-Sharp 1-0 (adjourned and
played out on July 1); Gooding – Sidney ½-½; Hooke – Watson 1-0;
Hertzsch – Eschwege 1-0; Thorold – Fox ½-½ (adjourned and played
out on July 2); Müller-Hartung – Worrall ½-½; Bonnefin – Rudge ½-½;
Fagan – Finn 1-0(D); de la Vingne – Berry 0-1(D). Round
15, Thursday, July 1, 1897 (1.00): Müller-Hartung
– Fagan 0-1; Thomas – Worrall 1-0;
Thorold – Berry 1-0; Gooding – Fox 1-0; Sidney - Forbes-Sharp 1-0;
Hooke – Eschwege 1-0; Rudge – Stevenson 1-0; Watson – Field 1-0;
Hertzsch – Finn 1-0(D); de la Vingne – Bonnefin 0-1(D). Round
16, Thursday, July 1, 1897 (7.00):
Gooding – Rudge 0-1; Thorold – Bonnefin 1-0; Hertzsch – Fagan 1-0;
Hooke – Worrall 0-1; Watson – Fox 1-0 Sidney – Eschwege 1-0;
Forbes-Sharp – Field 0-1; Müller-Hartung – de la Vingne
1-0; Stevenson – Berry 0-1; Thomas – Finn 1-0(D). Round
17, Friday, July 2, 1897 (1.00):
Rudge – Hooke 1-0; Müller-Hartung – Thorold 0-1; Fagan –
Stevenson 1-0; Worrall – Watson 1-0; Bonnefin – Hertzsch 1-0; de la
Vingne – Field 1-0; Eschwege – Forbes-Sharp ½-½; Finn – Gooding
0-1(D); Thomas – Berry 1-0; Fox – Sidney 1-0. Round
18, Saturday, July 3, 1897 (1.00):
de la Vingne – Thorold 0-1; Hertzsch – Müller-Hartung 1-0; Field
– Eschwege 1-0; Forbes-Sharp – Fox 0-1; Stevenson – Bonnefin 0-1;
Thomas – Fagan 0-1; Gooding – Berry 0-1;
Hooke – Finn 1-0(D); Watson – Rudge 0-1; Sidney – Worrall ½-½. Round
19, Saturday, July 3, 1897 (7.00):
Bonnefin – Thomas ½-½; Müller-Hartung – Stevenson 1-0;30
Fagan – Gooding 1-0; Berry – Hooke 1-0; Finn – Watson 0-1(D);
Rudge – Sidney 1-0; Worrall – Forbes-Sharp 1-0; Fox – Field 0-1;
Eschwege – de la Vingne 0-1; Thorold – Hertzsch 1-0. (D) = lost by default Besides the three positions above, another 36 games and positions have been found.31 Madame Marie Bonnefin - Miss Rita Fox
1.
e4
d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. c4 Qd8 6. Nc3 e6 7. Bd3 Bg6 8.
0–0 c6 9. Bxg6 hxg6 10. Ne5 Qc7 11. c5 Bxc5 12. f4 Bd6 13. Ne2 Nbd7
14. b3 Nd5 15. Nc4 N7f6 16. Nxd6+ Qxd6 17. Ng3 Kd7 18. a4 Qc7 19. Qf3
Rh4 20. h3 Rah8 21. Bd2 Qb6 22. Ne2 Qc7 23. Rab1 R4h5 24. Qd3 a6 25. b4
Qd8 26. b5 axb5 27. axb5 Qb6 28. bxc6+ Qxc6 29. Rfc1 Qa6 30. Qxa6 bxa6
31. Rb7+ Kd6 32. Ra7 Nd7 33. Rxa6+ Ke7 34. Nc3
34.
... Rc8 Of
course this was the real blunder, but Black's game was not in any case
very good. 35.
Nxd5+ exd5 36. Rxc8 f6 37. Bb4+ Kf7 38. Ra7 Ke6 39. Re8+, Resigns. Source: The
Times, June 24, 1897 (notes by Samuel Tinsley). The British Chess
Magazine
(August 1897, page 294) offered the position after White’s 34th move. Lady Edith M. Thomas - Miss G. Watson
1.
d4
d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 5.
... Nbd7, so as not to obstruct the advance of the queen's bishop's pawn,
is preferable. Chigorin plays the text move independent of principles;
but Chigorin is very strong. 6.
Nf3 Bd7 7. Bd2 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 8.
bxc3 gives a strong centre. 8.
... dxc4 9. Bxc4 Ne4 10. Qb3 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 Now,
11. bxc3 would be followed by 11. ... Na5. 11.
... Qf6 12. Rc1 0–0 13. 0–0 Ne7 14. Bd3 Nd5 15. Qd2 c6 16. Ne5 Qe7
17. f4 f5 18. Rf3 Be8 19. Rh3 Nf6 20. Qe2 g6 The
alternative 20. ... h6 might be followed by 21. g4. 21. Qf2
21.
... Ne4 Preferable
would be 21. ... Nd7. 22.
Qf3 22.
Bxe4, followed by 23. Qf2, would have won the advanced king's pawn
eventually. 22.
... Nf6 23. Rf1 Rc8 24. Qg3 Ne4 An
inferior move, as after bishop takes knight, White gets his knight into
an attacking position with 26. Ng4. 24. ... Nd7 was still the right
move. 25.
Bxe4 fxe4 26. Ng4 Kh8 27. Nh6 Rc7 28. Rh4 Qd7 29. Qg5 Qd6 Having
allowed 29. Qg5, Black should have challenged queens at once with 29.
... Qe7. 30.
Ng4 Rf5 31. Qh6 Resigns.
Miss Watson having exceeded her time limit, resigned at once. She had
still a good game with 31. ... Qf8; but not the move which she intended
to play, viz., 31. ... Rh5, because of 32. Rxh5 gxh5 33. Nf6 Bg6 34.
Nxh5, etc. Sources:
The Field, June 26, 1897 (notes
by Leopold Hoffer*); La
Stratégie, August 1897, pages
236-237. The
Times (June 24, 1897) offered the position after Black’s
29th move. Mrs. F. Sterling Berry - Miss Mary Rudge
1.
e4
e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 Bc5 6. 0–0 The
pawn cannot be won in this position, for if Bxc6 dxc6 Nxe5 Bxf2+, etc. 6.
... Qe7 7. Nc3 h6 8. h3 0–0 9. Re1 Nd4 10. Nd5 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Nxd5 12.
exd5 These
wholesale exchanges are useless and pointless. 12.
... d6 13. c3 Bd7 14. Bc2 Qd8 15. Qe4 f5 16. Qe2 Bb6 17. Be3 Bxe3 18.
fxe3 Qg5 19. Bd1 f4 20. Qh5 Qg3 21. Qf3 White
observes the necessity of exchanging, but does not notice the rook en
prise. The game is thus lost. Sources:
The Field, June 26, 1897; The
Illustrated London News, July 17, 1897 (notes by Joseph W. Abbott). The Field
had the additional moves 21. ...
Qxe1+ 22. Kh2 fxe3 23. Qe2 Rf1 24. Qxe1 Rxe1. Mrs. E.H. Sidney - Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan
1.
d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3.
Nc3 Nf6 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 c6 6. Bg5 Qa5
7. Qd3 Qxg5 8. Nf3
Qf5 9. Qd2 Ne4 10. Qb2 d5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. e3 0–0 13. Bd3 Re8 14.
0–0 Nd7 15. Rae1 Nb6 16. Nd2 Qf6 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bc2 Qh6 19. Bd1 Nc4
20. Qc1 Qd6 21. a4 Qa3 22. Qc2 Qb2 23. Qb3 Qxb3 24. Bxb3 Nd2 White
resigns. Sources:
The Penny Illustrated Paper,
July 3, 1897; The Belfast News-Letter, July 15, 1897. Miss Alice E. Hooke - Miss Müller-Hartung
1.
e4 e5 2. d4 Nc6 3.
d5 Nce7 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be2 a6 6. f4 exf4 7. Bxf4 Ng6 8. Qd2 Be7 9. Nf3 Nf6
10. 0–0–0 Ng4 11. Rhf1 N6e5 12. Bxe5 Nxe5 13. Kb1 Bd7 14. Rf2 h6 15.
Rdf1 Bf6 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. Bh5 Qe7 18. d6
18. ... Qe6 19. dxc7 Rc8 20. Nd5 Bc6 21. Nxf6+ gxf6 22. Rxf6 Qd7 23.
Bxf7+ Qxf7 24. Rxf7 Bxe4 25. Qd6 Rg8 26. Qe7,
mate Source:
The Penny Illustrated Paper,
July 3, 1897. Miss Eschwege - Miss G. Watson
1.
e4
e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Generally
considered premature. 3.
... c5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Qb6 6. b3 Providing
for an additional support of the queen's pawn by Bb2; the drawback of
this move is that the queen is cut off from a4. The usual play is Bd3. 6.
... Be7 Black
could obtain a direct advantage by cxd4 cxd4 Bb4+, whereas her game is
now inferior. 7.
a4 a5 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. 0–0 f6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. Nbd2 Nh6 12. Qe2 Rc8 One
would expect Rb8 instead. 13.
exf6 Bxf6 14. Ne5 Bxe5 15. Qxe5 0–0 16. Rb1 cxd4 17. cxd4 c5 18. Nf3 Giving
up a pawn for the attack. 18.
... Nf7 19. Qg3 cxd4 20. Ne5 If
Nxd4, then Rxc1.
20.
... Bxa4 This
gives a pawn but loses the exchange: the natural move was Nxe5. 21.
Ba3 Bb5 22. Bxf8 Rxf8 23. Rfe1 Nd6 The
ensuing movements of the knights are to no purpose. 24.
f3 Nf5 25. Qg5 Ne3 26. Ng4 Nf5 27. Re5 d3+ 28. Kh1 Bc4 29. Rbe1 Qxb3 30.
Rxe6 Qb5 31. Nf6+ Kh8 Black
might have lasted longer by Rxf6. 32.
Re8 Resigns. Sources:
The Times, June 25,
1897; The Newcastle Weekly
Chronicle, July 3, 1897; The
American Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 178 (annotator is unknown). The American Chess
Magazine
offered 32. Ne8 as the final move. Madame de la Vingne - Miss Forbes-Sharp
1.
e4 e6 2. Nf3 Not
as good as the usual 2. d4, for if Black replies correctly 2. ... d5,
White has nothing better than to exchange pawns and thus bring about an
old-fashioned variation, now hardly ever practised because it is too apt
to result in a draw (3. e5 c5, with the superior game). 2.
... Nc6 In
close openings this move should always be reserved until the queen's
bishop's pawn has been advanced. 3.
Bc4 Loss
of time, of course. Pawn to d4 was proper. 3.
... d5 4. Bd3 Pawn
takes pawn, followed by Bb3, was a more natural continuation. 4.
... dxe4 5. Bxe4 Bd7 6. 0–0 f5 Nf6
was clearly better. 7.
Bd3 Nf6 8. Be2 Qe7 Black
is continually violating all principles of development. Instead of this
and the next move she should play Bd6 and then castle. 9.
d4 Qd6 10. c3 g6 11. Nbd2 Bg7 12. Nb3 Ne4 13. Bc4 Ne7 14. Qe2 e5 15.
dxe5 Bxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5 17. Be3 Qd6 18. Rad1 Qc6 19. Na5 Bd4
would have won the exchange. If 19. ... Nf6, then Rfe1. 19.
... Qa4
20.
b4 20.
Nxb7 Bc6 21. Nc5 Qa5 (21. ...
Nxc5 22. Bxc5 Be4 23. f3 wins)
22. b4 would have won easily, for if 22. ... Nxc3, then 23.
Qb2; if 22. ... Qb6, then 23. Nxe4; and if 22. ... Qa3, then 23. Bc1. 20.
... Nxc3 21. Qd2 Nxd1 22. Rxd1 0–0–0 23. Rc1 b6?? 24. Qc3 Kb8 25.
Ba6 Nd5 26. Qc4 c6 27. Bf4+ Nc7 28. Bxc7+ Kxc7 29. Qf4,
mate Source:
The American Chess Magazine,
August 1897, page 177 (annotator is unknown). The Brighton
Society
(July 17, 1897), The British
Chess Magazine (August 1897, page 296) and Deutsches Wochenschach
(August 15, 1897, page 267) offered the position after
Black’s 18th move. Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan - Miss Eliza M. Thorold
1.
e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 Nf6
(the Berlin Defense) is considered more advantageous. 3.
b4 Bb6 If
3. ... Bxb4 4 f4 (MacDonnell's double gambit) with a powerful attack,
although not altogether sound. 4.
Nf3 d6 Nc6
would turn the game into an Evans declined. 5.
c3 Nf6 6. d3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Qd7 11. a4 a6 12.
Nbd2 Nc6 13. Nb3 d5 So
far no fault can be found
for the conduct of the game. Both parts display sound judgement. 14.
exd5 Nxd5 15. Qd2 Nf4 16. 0–0–0 Castling
on this side appears to be rather bold in view of the advanced pawns.
16.
... Ng2 Incomprehensible!
Pawn to f6 followed by Ne7 was her play. 17.
Bg3 f6 18. Rhg1 Nf4 19. Bxf4 exf4 20. Rge1+ Kf8 21. d4 Bf7 22. d5 Ne7
23. a5 Ba7 24. Re2 b5 25. axb6 cxb6 An
error. Black should have retaken with the bishop. Still, after Qxf4,
White would have an excellent position, with a pawn to the good. 26.
d6 Decisive.
White's conduct of the attack bespeaks well of the talent of the
Signorina. 26.
... Ng6 27. Bxf7 If
Qxf7, then 28. d7. 27.
... Kxf7 28. Qd5+ Kf8 29. Qxa8+ Kf7 30. Qd5+ Kf8 31. Rde1 Resigns. Sources:
The Times, June 25, 1897; The
Bristol Times and Mirror, June 28 and July 3, 1897; Deutsches
Wochenschach, July 4, 1897. pages 220-221; Berliner Schachzeitung,
July 16, 1897, pages 119-120;
Deutsche
Schachzeitung, July 1897, pages 206-207; The
American Chess Magazine, August 1897, pages 177-178 (annotator is
unknown); La
Stratégie, August 1897, pages
237-238. The British Chess
Magazine
(August 1897, page 293) offered the position after Black’s 25th move. Miss Mary Rudge - Lady Edith M. Thomas
The
game between Miss Rudge and Lady Thomas, which we give below, affords a
good example of Miss Rudge's skill in pawn endings. The game opened very
evenly, but on the 12th move Lady Thomas by playing Nd5 gave her
opponent an opportunity of breaking up the queen's side pawns, and with
a pawn to the good, and superior position on the queen's wing, Miss
Rudge established a distinct advantage for the sad play. Lady Thomas,
though defending herself stubbornly, hardly assisted her game by the
tactics she adopted: she might have played on her 18th move Nf6, as the
advance of both bishop's and knight's pawns only weakened her position.
Miss Rudge playing steadily won a well fought game with some pretty pawn
end play, as will be seen: 1.
e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Bf5 5. Be3 e6 6. Bb5+ c6 7. Bc4 Nf6
8. Nge2 Be7 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. a3 Nbd7 11. 0–0 0–0 12. f4
12.
... Nd5 13. Bxd5 cxd5 14. f5 exf5 15. Nxd5 Bg5 16. Nxf5 Bxe3+ 17. Ndxe3
Bxf5 18. Nxf5 f6 19. Qg4 g6 20. c3 Kh8 21. Nd6 Qc7 22. Qg3 Qc6 23. Rae1
f5 24. Re6 Qd5 25. Rfe1 Nf6 26. Qe5 Qxe5 27. dxe5 Nd5 28. Rd1 Nf4 29.
Re7 Kg8 30. g3 Nh5 31. Rxb7 Rfd8 32. Rd4 a5 33. Rc4 a4 34. Rcc7 Rab8 35.
Rxb8 Rxb8 36. Rc8+ Rxc8 37. Nxc8 Kf7 38. Nb6 Ke6 39. Nxa4 Kxe5 40. c4
Nf6 41. b4 Kd6 42. c5+ Kc6 43. Nc3 Nd7 44. Kf2 Ne5 45. Ke2 h6 46. a4 g5
47. a5 g4 48. a6 Kc7 49. b5 Kb8 50. b6 Nc6 51. Nb5 h5 52. a7+ Kb7 53.
Nc7 Nxa7 54. bxa7 Resigns. Sources:
The Daily News, June 28, 1897
(notes by Isidor Gunsberg),
Birmingham Weekly Mercury, July 3, 1897. The
Birmingham Weekly Mercury published only 31 moves. Mrs. F. Sterling Berry - Miss Anna Hertzsch
1.
Re7+ Kxe7 2. Rxg8+,
and
wins Sources:
The Times, June 25, 1897; The
Bristol Times and Mirror, June 28, 1897; Berliner Schachzeitung,
July 16, 1897, page 122; The
British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 295; Deutsches
Wochenschach, August 15, 1897. page 267. The Deutsche Wochenschach and Berliner Schachzeitung claimed that Miss Hertzsch moved the White pieces. Miss Eliza M. Thorold - Lady Edith M. Thomas
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Be3 Bb6 6. 0–0 d6 7. h3 Be6
8. Bb3 Qd7 9. Ng5 0–0–0 9.
... 0–0 would have been safer; but the previous move queen to d7
indicated the intention of bringing the king over to the queen's side. 10.
a4 Na5 10.
... Bxb3 11. cxb3 h6 12. Nf3 d5 or Bd4 would have simplified the
position. 11.
Bxe6 fxe6 12. b4 Bxe3 13. fxe3 Nc6 14. Qd2 b6 Meeting
the attack half way. 14. ... h6 15. Nf3 Rdf8 or Ne7 was quite safe. 15. c4 Nb8 16. b5
16.
... Rde8 16.
... Rdf8 was the right move. 17.
a5 h6 18. Nf3 g5 Either
rook to f8 was necessary previous to this advance. 19.
Nxe5 Qg7 20. Nc6 Nxe4 21. Qa2 Nxc6 Little
improvement is possible now upon Black's play. The game would be lost
eventually, however Black might continue. 22.
bxc6 Nc5 23. d4 Nd7 24. cxd7+ Qxd7 25. axb6 cxb6 26. Qxa7 Qxa7 27. Rxa7
Kb8 28. Rff7 Resigns. Sources: The
Standard, June 28, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer); The Hampshire Telegraph, July 3, 1897; Birmingham Weekly Mercury, July 3, 1897; The Bristol Times and Mirror, July 5, 1897; The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897; The Penny Illustrated Paper, July 10, 1897. The
British Chess Magazine
(August 1897, page 295) offered the position after White’s 17th move. Mrs. Harriet J. Worrall - Miss Eschwege
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd2 d6 6. h3 h6 7. a3 Bc5 8. Na4 Nd7 9. Nxc5
Nxc5 10. Be2 0–0 11. Qc1 Qf6 12. Be3 Ne7 13. Bxc5 dxc5 14. Qe3 b6 15.
g3 g5 16. h4 g4 17. Nh2 h5 18. Rf1 Nc6 19. c3 Na5 20. f3 Nb3 21. Rb1 Qg6
22. fxg4
22. ... Bxg4 23. Bxg4 hxg4 24. Rf5 Kh7 25. Rg5 Nd4 26. cxd4 cxd4 27.
Qd2 Rg8 28. Rxg6 Rxg6 29. Kf2 Rag8 30. Kg2 f6 31. Rf1 Rf8 32. Rf5 Kg7
33. h5 Rh6 34. Nxg4 Rh7 35. Nxe5, Resigns. Source:
The Times, June 26, 1897. Miss Mary Rudge - Miss Gertrude Field
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Be3 Bb6 6. Nc3 d6 7. h3 h6 8.
0–0 0–0 9. Ne1 Be6 10. Bxb6 axb6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. f4 exf4 13. Rxf4
Ra5 14. Rf2 Nh5 15. Qd2 Rg5 16. Nf3 Rg6 17. Raf1 Nf4 18. Kh2 e5 19. Ne2
Qf6 20. Ng3
20.
... Qe7 21. Nf5 Qe6 22. N3h4 Rg5 23. g3 Nh5 24. Nxh6+ Qxh6 25. Rxf8+ Kh7
26. R1f5 Resigns.
There is nothing to criticize in Miss Field's defense, except that she
lost a few moves. For instance, 7. ... h6 was unnecessary, as well as
20. ... Qe7, whereupon 21. Nf5 Qe6. She should have moved 20. ... Qe6 at
once. Nor are we satisfied with the knight maneuvers, which eventually
lost the exchange and the game. Sources:
The Falkirk Herald, June 30,
1897; The Westminster Budget,
July 2, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer). Madame Marie Bonnefin - Miss Alice E. Hooke
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0–0 Be7 6. d3 0–0 7. c3 d6
8. h3 Bd7 9. Bc2 d5 10. b3 d4 11. Bb2 Bc5 12. Nbd2 Be6 13. Nc4 Bxc4 14.
bxc4 Nd7 15. Nh2 f5 16. Kh1 fxe4 17. cxd4 Nxd4 18. dxe4 Rf7 19. f3 c6
20. Ng4 Qb6 21. Rb1 Qc7 22. Nf2 Raf8 23. Nd3 Nxc2 24. Qxc2 Bd6 25. Ba1
Nf6 26. Kg1
26.
... b5 27. c5 Qa7 28. Bxe5 Be7 29. Rbc1 Rd8 30. Nb4 Qa8 31. Rfd1 Rxd1+
32. Rxd1 a5 33. Nd3 Nd7 34. Bd6 Qf8 35. e5 Rf5 36. Qb3+ Kh8 37. Qe6 Bxd6
38. cxd6 Rf7 39. Qg4 Nb6 40. Nc5 Nd5 41. Rc1 Nf4 42. Kh1 g6 43. Ne6 h5
44. Qxf4 Rxf4 45. Nxf8 Rxf8 46. Rxc6 Kg7 47. Rc7+ Kg8 48. d7 Resigns.
Miss Hooke played very well a highly complicated game, keeping an even
position till the hasty 26. ... b5, which practically lost the game. Mrs.
Bonnefin played the ending elegantly, 44. Qxf4 being very pretty. Source:
The Westminster Budget, July
2, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer). Miss Eliza M. Thorold - Miss Mary Rudge
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. Be3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bb5
Nge7 10. d4 0–0 11. Qd2 exd4 12. Nxd4 Ne5 13. Be2 Bxd4 14. Bxd4 N5c6
15. Be3 f6 16. f4 Bf7 17. h4 d5 18. 0–0–0 dxe4 19. Qxd8 Raxd8 20. f5
Ne5 21. Rdf1 Bd5 22. g5 c6 23. h5 Nf3 24. gxf6 Nxf5 25. fxg7 Rf7 26.
Bxa7 Ng3 27. h6 Nxh1 28. Rxh1 Rd6 29. Be3 Rff6 30. b3 Ne5 31. Rd1 Nf7
32. Rf1 Rxf1+ 33.
Bxf1 Nxh6 34. Bc5 Rg6 35. Bf8 Rg1 36. Kb2 Rxf1 37. Ka3 Nf5 Resigns Sources:
The Standard, June 26, 1897; The
Bristol Times and Mirror, June 28 and July 3, 1897; The
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897. The British
Chess
Magazine
(August 1897, page 293) offered the position after Black’s 21st move. Lady Edith M. Thomas - Miss Eschwege
1.
d4 d5 2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 c6 6. Nf3 f6 7. Bd3 Na6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Nh4
Ne7 10. c4 0–0 11. 0–0 f5 12. Ba3 Rf7 13. Qf3 Be6 14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15.
Nxf5 Qf6 16. g4 Nb4 17. Bb1 dxc4
18. e4 Bxf5 19.
Qxf5 Qxd4 20. Qa5 Qxa1 21. Qxb4 Qd4 22. Qe1 Raf8 23. Kg2 Qf6 24. f3 Qg5
25. h4 Qe5 26. Qe2 b5 27. a3 a5 28. Qc2 Rf4 29. a4 Qf6 30. e5 Rxg4+ 31.
fxg4 Qxf1+,
and
wins. Sources:
Berliner
Schachzeitung, July 16, 1897, pages 118-119; The Falkirk Herald, July 28,
1897. Miss Gertrude Field - Miss Alice E. Hooke
An
interesting game was the one between Miss Field and Miss Hooke, an Evans
Gambit, refused by Miss Hooke in the orthodox fashion. The game
proceeded evenly, and for a long time without any exchanges taking
place. Miss Field meantime was getting her pieces in position for an
attack on the castled king, and on the 25th move she sacrificed a bishop
to this end. It was a well conceived plan, and difficult of defense by
Black. We think that if Black had played on her 28th move Ne2 the game
might have been saved, but the text move lost a piece, and ultimately
the game, which was scored by Miss Field in good style. 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bb6 5. c3 a6 6. Qb3 Qf6 7. d3 h6 8.
0–0 d6 9. Be3 Nge7 10. Nbd2 0–0 11. Bxb6 cxb6 12. h3 Qg6 13. Nh4 Qf6
14. Nhf3 Bd7 15. Qd1 Rac8 16. Nh2 Kh8 17. Ng4 Qg6 18. f4 h5 19. f5 Qh7
20. Ne3 Qh6 21. Rf3 b5 22. Bd5 Ng8 23. Rg3 Nf6 24. Qe1 g6 25. Bxf7 Rxf7
26. Rxg6 Qh7 27. Qh4 Rcf8 28. Nf3
28.
... Rg7 29. Rxf6 Rxf6 30. Qxf6 Qg8 31. Qxd6 Qe8 32. Nh4 Rg3 33. Qh6+ Kg8
34. Ng6 Qd8 35. Qh8+ Kf7 36. Qh7+ Kf6 37. Nd5+ Kg5 38. Nh8 Resigns. Source:
Pall Mall Gazette, June
28, 1897 (notes by Isidor Gunsberg). Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan - Madame Marie Bonnefin
1.
e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxd5 4. d4 Nf6 An
unnecessary retreat. 5.
c3 e6 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Nd2 Nbd7 8. Ngf3 Nf8 9. Ne5 Ng6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11.
Bb5+ Ke7 12. Qh5 Bxe5 13. dxe5 Qd5 This
move quite equalizes the game, the exchange of queens having to follow. 14.
Qg5+ f6 15. exf6+ gxf6 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. 0–0–0
17.
... Bd7 Black
would have had a much better game with 17. ... c6, and if 18. Rhe1+,
then 18. ... Be6 19. Bd3 Kf7, etc. 18.
Rhe1+ Kd8 19. Bxd7 Kxd7 20. Ne4 Raf8 A
pawn is lost by force, and practically the game. 21.
Rxd5+ Kc8 22. g3 b6 23. Rf5 Ne5 24. Rd1 Nd7 25. c4 h5 26. h4 Rh7 27. c5
bxc5 28. Nxc5 Nxc5 29. Rxc5 f5 30. Rdd5 Rhf7 31. f4 Rd7 32. Rxf5 Rxf5
33. Rxf5 Rg7 34. Rg5 Resigns. Sources:
Pall Mall Gazette, June
28, 1897; The Field, July 10,
1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer), Deutsche
Schachzeitung, Augustus 1897, pages 230-231. The British Chess
Magazine
(August 1897, page 294) offered the position after White’s 17th move. Miss Forbes-Sharp - Miss Mary Rudge
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. Be3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. Bxd5 Bd7 9. Qe2
h6 10. c3 Rb8 11. Rd1 Ne7
12. Nh4 Nxd5 13.
exd5 Qxh4 14. d4 0–0 15. h3 e4 16. Kd2 f5 17. g3 Qf6 18. f4 exf3 19.
Qxf3 Qe7 20. Rde1 Qe4 21. Qh5 Qxd5 22. g4 Qf7 23. Qh4 f4 24. Bf2 Qf6 25.
Qxf6 Rxf6 26. Rhg1 g5 27. h4 Re6 28. Ref1 Bb5 29. Rd1 Re2+ Resigns. Sources:
The Morning Post, June 28,
1897; Birmingham Weekly
Mercury, July 3, 1897; The
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, July 3, 1897; The
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897. The
Birmingham
Weekly Mercury
offered only 13 moves. Mrs. E.H. Sidney - Miss Kate B. Finn
1.
d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. e3 c5 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8.
0–0 b6 9. b3 0–0 10. Bb2 Bb7 11. Qe2 Rc8 12. Rad1 Qc7 13. dxc5 Bxc5
14. Nb5 Qe7 15. a3 Rfd8 15.
... a6 16. Nbd4 b5 would have been better. 16.
b4 Bd6 17. Nxd6 Rxd6 18. Rxd6 Qxd6 19. Rd1 Qe7 20. Ba6 White
has now the preferable game. 20.
... Bxa6 This
exchange is decidedly inferior, as the adverse queen is brought into an
attacking position: in consequence 20. Ne8 or Nd5 would have been better.
21.
Qxa6 Rd8 22. Rxd8+ Qxd8 23. h3 h6 Black
should have no difficulty in drawing the game in spite of the inferior
position. First of all the threat of losing a pawn with pawn to b5 must
be provided for. 23. ... Qc7 24. b5 Ne7, etc., might be suggested as an
alternative. Other variations could be defended, too. 24.
Bxf6 Qxf6 25. Qc8+ Nd8 26. Nd4
26.
... e5 There
is hardly anything better now, as an outlet for the knight is necessary.
27.
Nf3 The
winning move. Mrs. Sidney, who started unfavorably at the beginning of
the tournament, has recovered her old form. 27.
... Kh7 28. Qc7 a5 29. bxa5 bxa5 30. Qxa5
Nc6 31. Qb5 Na7 32. Qxe5, and
wins. Sources:
The Standard, June 28, 1897 (notes
by Leopold Hoffer); The Belfast News-Letter, July 1, 1897; Birmingham
Weekly Mercury, July 3, 1897; The
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897. The British Chess
Magazine
(August 1897, page 294) offered the position after Black’s 25th move. Miss Alice E. Hooke - Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan
1. ... Bxc3 2. Qxc3
Bb7 3. Qxg7 Qf6 4. Qxf6 Nxf6 5. f3 0–0–0 6. Bg5 Nxe4 7. fxe4, and,
though there was a long fight, White won eventually with the extra piece. Sources:
The Times, June 28 and 29,
1897 (notes by Samuel Tinsley). Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan - Miss Forbes-Sharp
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. 0–0 Bd6 7. Bxd5
Qe7 8. Re1 Be6 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Nxe5 Qf6 11. d4 0–0 12. Nc3 Rab8 13.
Ne4 Qf5 14. g4 Qxe4 15. Rxe4 Resigns. Sources:
The Penny Illustrated Newspaper,
July 10, 1897; The Bristol Times
and Mirror, July 24, 1897. Miss Anna Hertzsch - Miss A.M. Gooding
1.
Rac1 Rh4+ Black
should instead have played Rxc7, followed, if Rxc7, by Rh4, mate. Black
lost the game later. Source:
The Times, June 29, 1897 (notes
by Samuel Tinsley). Mrs. F. Sterling Berry - Miss Gertrude Field
31.
e6 f6 32. e7 Re8 33. Ne6+ Kf7 34. Nd8+,
and
Miss Field resigned. Source: The
British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 295.
1.
e4 b6 2. Bc4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb7 4. Qe2 Bb4 5. d3 Ne7 6. Bd2 d5 7. Bb5+ c6 8. exd5 cxb5 9.
dxe6 0–0 10. exf7+ Rxf7 11. f3 Nd7 12. Nxb5 Bxd2+ 13. Qxd2 Nf6 14. Nc3
Ned5 15. Ne4 Nc7 16. Ne2 Nxe4 17. fxe4 Qd7 18. 0–0–0 h6 19. h3 Qd8
20. h4 Qd6 21. g4 Ne6 22. Rdg1 Nf4 23. Ng3 Rd8
24. Rd1 Rc7 25. Kb1
Bc8 26. Nf5 Qe5 27. Rhf1 Ne6 28. g5 Nf8 29. gxh6 g6 30. Qg5 Rdd7 31. h7+
Rxh7 32. Nh6+ Kh8 33. Qxe5+ Rcg7 34. Rxf8, mate Sources:
The Standard, June 30, 1897; The
Bristol Times and Mirror, July 5, 1897; The
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897. Mrs. F. Sterling Berry - Mrs. Harriet J. Worrall
51.
Qe3
Ka5 52. Qd2 Qc4 53. Qb2 b4 54. cxb4+ Qxb4 55. Qa2+ Qa4 56. Qxd5+ Qb5 57.
Qxb5+ Kxb5 58. Kf2 Kc4 59. Ke3 Kd5 60. g4,
and
White wins. A fine finishing stroke. Mrs. Berry should have played for a
draw, but it is a very unusual thing in this tournament to do so. Source:
The Times, June 30, 1897 (notes by Samuel Tinsley). The
British Chess Magazine
(August 1897, page 296) offered the position after Black’s 52nd move,
though with Black's king's wing's pawns at g6 and h7 instead of at g5
and h6. Miss Mary Rudge - Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. Be3 Bxe3 Inferior
to 5. ... Bb6, or even to leaving the bishop to be taken for a
developing move. 6. fxe3 Na5 7. Nbd2 We
prefer 7. Bb3, so as to get an open file if Black takes the bishop. 7.
... Nxc4 8. Nxc4 Be6 9. Ncd2 c6 10. Qe2 Nf6 11. 0–0 Qb6 12. b3
0–0–0 Mrs.
Fagan obviously tries to win, else castles king's rook would be safe
enough for a draw. 13. Kh1 h5 14. Ng5 Rde8 15. Nxe6 Rxe6 16. Rae1
Qc7 Intending
to advance pawn to d5, and defending the weak king's bishop's pawn so as
to release the knight. 17.
Nf3 d5 We
prefer 17...h4 18.Ng5 Re7 , followed by Qd7, or Rh6 and Rg6. 18.
Ng5 Re7 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Qf3 f6 21. Qh3+ Qd7 21.
... Kb8 could have been played. After the exchanges of queens, the game
should be drawn. 22.
Qxd7+ Rxd7 23. Ne4 Nb4 24. Rf2
24.
... Rxd3 Mrs.
Fagan admitted this to be the effect of some hallucination, being under
the impression of given up the exchange for two pawns. The rest is plain
sailing for Miss Rudge, who played the ending very well. 25.
cxd3 Nxd3 26. Rd1 Nxf2+ 27. Nxf2 b5 28. Ne4 Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. Kg1
Kc7 31. Kf2 Kb6 32. Kg3 f5 33. Nd6 g6 34. Nc8+ Kc5 35. Nxa7 g5 36. a3
Kd5 37. Kf3 Kc5 38. g3 Kd5 39. e4+ fxe4+ 40. Ke3 g4 41. b4 Kc4 42. Nxc6 Resigns. Sources:
The Daily News, July 1, 1897; The
Field, July 10, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer*), The
Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, July 10, 1897; Deutsches Wochenschach,
July 11, 1897. pages 225-226; The
Falkirk Herald, July 14, 1897; Deutsche
Schachzeitung, July 1897, pages 207-208; La
Stratégie, August 1897, pages
238-239. The Times
(July 1, 1897), The Bristol Times
and Mirror (July 5, 1897), and The
British Chess Magazine (August 1897, page 292) offered the position
after Black’s 23rd move. Madame Marie Bonnefin - Miss Mary Rudge
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0–0 Nxe4 6. d4 Nxd4 A
very indifferent move. 7.
Nxd4 7.
Nxe5 would have given White splendid chances. 7.
... Nc5 If
7. ... exd4, then 8. Re1 wins a piece. 8.
Bb3 8.
Re1 would have been better. 8.
... exd4 9. Re1+ Ne6 10. Qxd4 f6 11. Nc3 c6 12. Qd1 Bb4 13. Bd2 Bxc3 14.
Bxc3 0–0 15. Qe2 Kh8 16. a3 d5 17. Rad1 Nf4 18. Qd2 Ng6 19. Bd4 Qc7
20. Qc3 Although
Mrs. Bonnefin might have made more of her opportunities (especially if
she had played 15. Qd6), her position is nevertheless preferable even
now. 20.
... Bf5 The
queen had to be removed instead of the text move, which loses a pawn. 21.
Bxd5 Rac8 22. Be4 Bxe4 23. Rxe4 c5 24. Be3 Qc6 25. Rc4 b6 26. b4 Ne5 27.
Rf4 g5 28. Rf5 Qe6 29. g4 cxb4 Better
would have been 29. ... Nxg4 30. Rxg5 Nxe3 31. fxe3 cxb4, etc. 30.
Qxb4 Rfd8 31. Rd2 Rxd2 32. Qxd2 32.
Bxd2 was compulsory.
32.
... Nxg4 We
pointed out to Miss Rudge that she could have won the game here with 32.
... Qxf5 33. gxf5 Nf3+, etc. Miss Rudge made her task of winning
afterwards very doubtful, and the repetition of moves, with the object
of gaining time, compelled her to consent to a draw under the rules. 33.
Rd5 Nxe3 34. fxe3 Qg4+ 35. Kf1 Qf3+ 36. Kg1 Qg4+ 37. Kf1 Qf3+ 38. Kg1,
and
the game was drawn, the same position having occurred thrice. Sources: The
Field, July 10, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer*); Deutsche Schachzeitung, August 1897, pages 231-232; La
Stratégie, August 1897, pages
239-240. Miss Müller-Hartung - Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan
Here,
playing rapidly, Mrs. Fagan failed to notice a pretty way of forcing
matters, and continued: 40.
... Ra8 41. Rxd6 Raa2 42. Rxd2 Rxd2 43. Qb8+ Kh7 44. Qxe5 etc.
Miss
Müller-Hartung came out with five pawns and a rook and two pawns, but
ultimately lost her knight and the game by inferior play. The diagrammed
position is very curious and full of instruction. The mate suggested
above is really very simple, but not so easy to work out in actual play
under the distressing conditions of tournament play in a hot room. But
the play is forced thus: 40. ... Qf5+ 41. Kh1 Qg3 42. Qxd8+ Kh7 43. Qh8+
Kxh8 44. Rc8+ Kh7 45. Rh8+ Kxh8 46. Ne2 Rxe2, and mates next move. Sources: The Times, July 2, 1897 (notes by Samuel Tinsley); The Bristol Times and Mirror, July 5, 1897. Miss Alice E. Hooke - Miss Eschwege
1.
e4
e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Unsound
play. The queen has no good squares to her disposal. As a matter of fact
masters do no play differently! 3.
... Nc6 4. Qe3 d6 Better
Nf6. 5.
Nc3 Nf6 6. Be2 Be7 7. Bd2 Bg4 A
bad offer to exchange, allowing the opponent to obtain a good square for
her queen and placing the knight on a bad square. 8.
Bxg4 Nxg4 9. Qg3 Qd7 10. h3 Nb4 11. 0–0–0 The
exchange of rook and pawn against two knights is dubious, as the
consequences are difficult to assess. The move in the text, which
supports the development and maintains the attack, is by all means
sounder and stronger. 11.
... Ne5 12. Bf4 Stronger
is pawn to f4. 12. ... Bf6 13. Nf3
13.
... 0–0–0 That
blind? One must come to grief then!
14.
Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Bxe5 Winning
a piece and the game. Source:
Berliner Schachzeitung, July
16, 1897 (notes by Carl A. Walbrodt). Miss Eliza M. Thorold - Mrs. F. Sterling Berry
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 By this she admits that her third move was wrong. 4. ... Nf6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. Bc4 h6 7. Nf3 d6 8. h3 a6 9. a3 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 The bishop has little room here to be effective. He should have gone to e6. 11. Be3 Bxe3 12. fxe3 The result of this exchange are two miserable doubled pawns, which are disadvantageous to White in the endgame; but who cares at this stage of the game! 12. ... b4 13. axb4 Nxb4 14. 0–0 Nxd3 15. cxd3 Black has helped White to obtain good center pawns and an open rook's file. 15. ... 0–0 16. b4 Re8 17. Qe1 d5 Played without sufficient consideration. 18. e5 Nh7 19. d4 Re6 20. Nh4 f6 21. exf6 Rxf6 22. Nf5 Bc8 23. Qb1 c6 24. Ra2 Kh8 A superfluous move. She should have exchanged knight and rook. 25. Raf2
25. ... Ng5 Blacks is making too many superfluous moves with a restricted number of piece: as a result of which the other pieces are not developed and not cooperating. Therefore, the conclusion must be desastrous! 26. Nh4 Rxf2 27. Rxf2 Nxh3+ A nice thought-out plan, but basicly wrong. This is what happens when you are just looking at one side of the board instead of the whole board. 28. gxh3 Qxh4 29. Rf8, mate Coming out of the blue! Source: Berliner Schachzeitung, July 16, 1897, page 121 (notes by Carl A. Walbrodt)
The British Chess Magazine, (August 1897, page
294) offered the position after White's 25th move. Miss Eliza M. Thorold - Madame Marie Bonnefin
1.
e4 d5 2. e5 2.
exd5 is preferable, since with 2. e5 e6 the game is converted into a
French Defense, the advance pawn to e5 being unfavorable to White. 2.
... e6 3. d4 Ne7 It
is best to break the center at once with 3. ... f6 and c5. 4.
Nf3
Ng6 5. Be2 Be7 5.
... c5, followed by Nc6, is preferable. 6.
Be3 0–0 7. 0–0 f6 8. c4 c6 9. Nc3 fxe5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. dxe5 b6 Black
had to provide now for the attack upon the weak king's position with 11.
... g6, Rf7, Bf8 and Bg7, or 11. ... Bg5 12. f4 Bh6, followed g6 and
Bg7. 12.
Bd3 Bc5 13. Bxc5 bxc5 14. Qh5 h6 Here
again 14. ... g6 was compulsory. White's sacrifice of the bishop would
only yield a draw; if, therefore 15. Qh6, then 15. ... a6, followed by
Ra7 and Rg7 with sufficient protection. 15.
Qg6 Qg5 16. Qh7+ Kf7
17.
f4 This
excellent move wins the game by force, although Miss Thorold did not
select the shortest way with 21. Rxg7+ Ke8 22. Bg6 Kd8 23. Rd1+, etc. 17.
... Qh5 18. Rf3 dxc4 19. Rh3 Qg4 20. Rg3 Qxf4 21. Rf3 Qxf3 22. Bg6+ Ke7
23. gxf3 Nd7 24. Qxg7+ Kd8 25. Rd1 Rxf3 26. Rxd7+ Bxd7 27. Qg8+ Kc7 28.
Qxa8 Kb6 29. Qd8+ Ka6 30. Qxd7 Resigns. Source: The
Standard, July 6, 1897 (notes by Leopold Hoffer). Miss Anna Hertzsch - Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6
3. d3 Nc6 4. Be2 d5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bxf6 Bxf6 7. exd5 Qxd5 8. c3 Be6 9.
0–0 0–0–0 10. Qc2 Bf5 11. Rd1 Qe6 12. Na3 Be7 13. b4 f6 14. h3 g5
15. Nh2 h5 16. f3 Rdg8 17. Rf1 g4 18. fxg4 hxg4 19. Nxg4 Bg6 20. Nxf6
20. ... Bxf6 21. Bg4 Qxg4 22. hxg4 Bg5 23. Qe2 Be8 24. b5 Nd8 25. Qxe5
Bd7 26. Qc5 Kb8 27. Rf3 Re8 28. Qxg5, and
wins. Source:
The Falkirk Herald, July 7,
1897. Mrs. Harriet J. Worrall - Miss G. Watson
1.
f4 e5 2. fxe5 d6
3. Nf3 dxe5 4. e4 Bd6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. d3 h6 7. h3 Nc6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. Be2
Nh5 10. 0–0 Bxc3 11. bxc3 0–0 12. Nxe5 Ng3 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Rf3
Nxe2+ 15. Qxe2 Be6 16. c4 a5 17. Qd2 Kh7 18. Raf1 f6 19. g4 g5 20. e5
Rf7 21. Rxf6 Qd7 22. Qg2 Ra6 23. Qe4+ Kh8 24. Rxh6+ Rh7 25. Rff6 Ra8 26.
Rxh7+ Qxh7 27. Qxh7+ Kxh7 28. Rxe6
Resigns. Source:
The Pall Mall Gazette, July
12, 1897. Miss A.M. Gooding - Mrs. F. Sterling Berry
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 d6 7. Be3 Na5 8.
Nbd2 Nxb3 9. Nxb3 Be7 10. h3 Be6 11. Nbd2 0–0 12. Nh2 d5 13. f3 d4 14.
Bf2 Nh5 15. g3 g6 16. Ng4 Bd6 17. Ke2 f5 18. exf5 gxf5 19. Nh2
19.
... Rf7 20. Qg1 Rg7 21. Re1 c5 22. b3 Rc8 23. Kd1 Qa5 24. Ke2 Nf4+ 25.
Kd1 Qxa2 26. Qf1 Qa1+ 27. Nb1 Qxb1+ 28. Kd2 Qb2 29. gxf4 c4 30. bxc4
Bb4+ 31. Kd1 Qb1+ 32. Ke2 Qxc2, mate The
whole conduct of this game on the part of Black shows a superior
conception and a good attacking style. Black's score of 19. ... Rf7 and
20. ... Rg7, must be taken in connection with 22. ... Rc8. The
simultaneous advance of the queen's side as well as the king's side was
well directed, and 23. ... Qa5, followed by the sacrifice of the knight,
led to a pretty ending. With practice such as is afforded in London, Mrs.
Berry would not fail to improve, as her talent for the game is
undeniable. Source:
Pall Mall Gazette, July
05, 1897 (notes by Isidor Gunsberg). Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan - Miss A.M. Gooding
1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. d4 exd4 7. 0–0 Na5
This
move should be reserved until it is necessary, as it often is in
defending the Evans. At the present moment, however, it is premature. 8.
Bd3 dxc3 9. Nxc3 d6 10. e5 Forcing
an opening, because if now d5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Bb5+, etc. 10.
... Bg4 11. exd6 Qxd6 12. Ne4 Qa4+
at once would be good enough. 12. ... Qf8 13. Qa4+ Nc6 14. Nxc5 Bxf3
15. Re1+ Winning
a piece, because the Black queen must be shut in, otherwise if Black
plays Kd8, White mates speedily after Nxb7+. 15.
... Nge7 16. gxf3 0–0–0 Very
dangerous, but there is nothing useful to be done. 17.
Qb5 Rd6 Of
course if b6, Qa6 would mate in two. 18.
Qxb7+ Kd8 19. Bf4 Nc8 20. Bxd6 Qxd6 21. Bf5 N8e7 22. Qa8+ Unfortunately,
missing a pretty mate by Qc8+ Nxc8 Nb7, mate. The method adopted,
however, is effective enough. 22.
... Nb8 23. Qxb8+ Nc8 24. Qxc8, mate Sources: The
Morning Post, July 5, 1897 (notes by Antony A.G. Guest);
Pall Mall Gazette, July 5, 1897; The
Westminster Budget, July 9, 1897; The
Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, July 10, 1897;
Birmingham Weekly Mercury, July 10, 1897; The
Bristol Times and Mirror, July 24, 1897. The
British Chess Magazine
(August 1897, page 293) offered the position after Black’s 15th move. The picture and the portraits were taken by W.S. Bradshaw & Sons. William S. Bradshaw was a veteran London photographer who had his studio at 103 Newgate Street. With the aid of his two sons, George W. Bradshaw and William J. Bradshaw, he operated also studios in Hastings and Pretoria. ---------- * The diagram was given in the original source. ---------- Notes: 1 The preliminary programme of the tourney was also found in The Daily News (November 2, 1897), Pall Mall Gazette (November 2, 1896), The Times (November 3, 1897), The Standard (November 5, 1897), The Field (November 7, 1897), and The Westminster Budget (November 13, 1897). 2 The Daily News, November 2, 1897. 3 The Times, May 17, 1897; The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 287. 4 The Times, May 17, 1897; The Bristol Times and Mirror, May 29, 1897; The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 287; 5 The Field, July 10, 1897; The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 288. 6 The Times, May 24, 1897; The Bristol Times and Mirror, May 29, 1897; The American Chess Magazine, June 1897, page 33. 7 Berliner Schachzeitung, July 16, 1897, page 122. 8 The American Chess Magazine, June 1897, page 33. 9 Montreal Gazette, October 16, 1897. 10 The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 286. 11 The Times, July 5, 1897; The Bristol Times and Mirror, July 10, 1897; The Field, July 10, 1897; The Brighton Society, July 10, 1897. 12 The Bristol Times and Mirror, May 29, 1897; The Times, July 5, 1897; The Brighton Society, July 10, 1897. 13 The Times, June 24, 1897; The Field, June 26, 1897. 14 The Brighton Society, July 10, 1897. 15 Buckley’s remarks to the three games appeared in the Birmingham Weekly Mercury of July 3, 1897. 16 The Field, July 10, 1897. 17 The Westminster Budget, July 9, 1897. 18 Pall Mall Gazette, July 5, 1897; The Field, July 10, 1897; The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, page 288. 19 The Field, July 10, 1897; The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, July 10, 1897; The British Chess Magazine, August 1897, pages 287-288. 20 The Belfast News-Letter, June 2, 1898; The Newcastle Weekly Courant, June 4, 1898. 21 The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, July 10, 1897. 22 The Field, June 19, 1897. 23 According to The Daily News (June 26, 1897), this game was adjourned. 24 The Daily News (June 26, 1897) claimed that Stevenson had White. 25 According to The Daily News (June 26, 1897), Thomas was the first player. 26 The Daily News (June 26, 1897) wrote that Forbes-Sharp moved the White pieces. 27 The Field (July 3, 1897) claimed that this game was not adjourned. 28 The Field (July 3, 1897) wrote that Müller-Hartung moved the White pieces. 29 The Field (July 3, 1897) wrote that Sidney had White. 30 The Field (July 10, 1897) claimed that this game was forfeited to Müller-Hartung. 31 The author has tried to search all important sources, but makes no claim having conducted exhaustive research. Some sources were not available, for instance the columns of Mrs. Gunsberg in The Lady's Pictorial. ---------- Pictures:
First
International Ladies’ Chess Congress (The
American Chess Magazine, July 1897); Miss Eschwege (Courtesy of the
Cleveland Public Library); Madame
Marie Bonnefin (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library); Miss Gertrude
Field (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library); Miss Kate B. Finn (Courtesy
of the Cleveland Public Library); Miss Müller-Hartung (Courtesy of the
Cleveland Public Library); Mrs. F. Sterling Berry (Courtesy of the
Cleveland Public Library); Miss Forbes-Sharp (Courtesy of the Cleveland
Public Library); Madame de la Vingne (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public
Library); Mrs. Louisa M. Fagan (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library);
Miss Anna Hertzsch (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library); Miss Mary
Rudge (Courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library); Mrs. Rhoda A. Bowles (Courtesy
of the Cleveland Public Library). © June 2016 Joost van Winsen. All Rights Reserved |
Miss
Gertrude Field, Miss Kate B. Finn
Miss
Müller-Hartung, Mrs. F. Sterling Berry
Miss
Forbes-Sharp, Madame de la Vingne
Mrs.
Louisa M. Fagan, Miss Anna Hertzsch
