The Time Traveller

The 16th Willliamson Shield competition started in early November 1950, some eighteen months after the 15th edition had ended. The six players were W. D. Kerr (the winner for the previous two years), W. Minnis (the 1947 winner), G. A. Kearney (the reigning Ulster champion), the veteran lady player H. F. Chater, G.J. Boyd and C. Shanks. They played a single round all-play-all, after which Kearney and Kerr were tied for first with four points out of a possible five.

Here is how Kerr notched up one of his four victories.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nc6
6...Ne7 is better and if then 7.Qg4 Nf5.
7.Qg4 g6 8.Nf3 Qa5
Loss of time as it merely develops White's black-squared bishop.
9.Bd2 c4
[9...Qa4 now or on the next move would be more logical - Editor]
10.Be2 Qc7 11.0-0 Bd7 12.Rfb1 0-0-0
Castling on the queenside is decidedly dangerous in view of White's possession of the b-file.
13.a4 Re8 14.Bc1 Qa5 15.Ng5
A good threat which keeps Black busy for some moves.
15...Rf8 16.Ba3 Nge7 17.Qf3 Be8 18.Rb5
White gives up two pawns to clear the line for an attack on the castled king.
18...Qxa4 19.Rbb1 Qxc2

20.g4
To prevent 20...Qf5 and a possible exchange of queens.
[In fact, White's sacrifice would be immediately justified by 20.Qf6! If 20...Qxe2 21.Bxe7 Nxe7 22.Qxe7 Bc6 23.Rxa7 and mate cannot be prevented. 20...Rfg8 also does not work after 21.Bxe7 Qxe2 22.Nxf7. Then if Black plays 22...Bxf7 the most eye-catching finish would be 23.Qxf7 Qg4 24.Bd6 Kd8 25.Qc7+ Ke8 26.Qxc6+ bxc6 27.Rb8+ Kf7 28.Rxa7# - Editor.]
20...h6 21.Rb2 Qa4 22.Nh3 Qa5 23.Rba2 Qc7 24.Bd6 Qd7
24...Qb6 seems necessary here. The text move permits the sacrifice of the rook for which white obtains two pieces and a pawn.
25.Rxa7! Nxa7 26.Rxa7 Qb5 27.Bxe7 Kb8 28.Ra1 b6 29.Qf6 1-0
Qd7 meets the immediate threat but then 30.Bxf8 leaves White a piece ahead.

A three-game tie-breaking match was commenced on the 5th December. Kearney, who had beaten Kerr in their individual encounter, was again successful in the first match game, forcing Kerr to resign after 41 moves. Kerr then won the second game, and the third was drawn. A further game was arranged to break the tie, but it had to be postponed for a week due to Kerr being ill. This game was finally played in the New Year on the 9th January.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3
3.Nf3 is generally played to prevent the reply which Black here makes and which gives him an equal game.
3...e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Nc3 c5 10.Nxd7
Or 10.Nf3 which would enable him to exchange off the weak isolated d-pawn.
10...Qxd7 11.d5 a6 12.a4 b6 13.Qb3 Qc7 14.f3
Obviously 14.f4 at once was better. Again at move 19 White makes two bites of the cherry.
14...Bd6 15.f4 Re8 16.Qc2 Bb7 17.Bd2 Re7 18.Qd3 h6 19.Rad1 Qd7 20.Rde1 Rxe1 21.Rxe1 Bc8
If played at all this should have been preceded by 21...Rd8

22.Ne4 Nxe4 23.Qxe4 Qxa4
A bad move permitting the exchange of Queens after which Black comes out a Pawn down.
24.Qe8+ Qxe8 25.Rxe8+ Kh7 26.Bd3+ g6 27.Bxa6 Rxa6
[Here Black could have maintained material equality by playing 27...Bb7 28.Rxa8 Bxa8 - Editor]
28.Rxc8 b5 29.Bc3 g5 30.f5 f6 31.Bxf6 Bxh2+ 32.Kxh2 Rxf6 33.Rxc5 Rxf5 34.Rxb5 h5
34...Rf2 - d2 getting behind the advanced Pawn looks best, but the extra Pawn will probably win. This game following a drawn match shows that the two players are well-matched.
35.Rc5 Kg7 36.b4 Kf7 37.b5 Ke8 38.b6 Kd7 39.Rc7+ Kd8 40.d6 1-0

With this victory Kearney had completed the treble in 1950 of the three major individual Ulster competitons - the Ulster Championship, the Belfast Feis Major tournament and the Williamson Shield.