The Time Traveller

Belfast Chess Club in the 1886-1887 Season

The Irish Chess Association Congress, held in Belfast from 20th September to 1st October 1886 and which featured the participation of the English masters, Blackburne, Burn and Pollock, had a profound effect on the immediately following chess season in the city. The Irish Chess Chronicle for 15th May 1887 reported:

On Saturday, 23rd ult., the Belfast Chess Club closed after the most successful season within the recollection of the oldest member. Everything is on the right side of the account with this fine Club. Two tournaments were carried on simultaneously, in which 32 players took part, with the following result:

	MAJOR TOURNAMENT
1st	E. L. Harvey	Class I	won 18	lost 1
2nd	Henry Seaver	Class IV	won 16.5	lost 2.5
3rd	A. Hill	Class I	won 15.5	lost 3.5
4th	James Neill	Class I	won 15	lost 4
	MINOR TOURNAMENT
1st	A. W. Child	Class V	won 10	lost 1
2nd	J. L. Downey	Class IV	won 8	lost 2

Both tournaments were handicaps, i.e. the players were allocated Classes according to their playing strength, and then played games at odds - the precise odds depending on which Class they were in. Players in Class I gave odds to all other players except those also in Class I.

The following game, between two of the three best Belfast players of the time, appeared in the same issue of the Irish Chess Chronicle, and was probably played in the Major Tournament.

James Neill - E. L. Harvey: Belfast Chess Club Major Tournament 1886-1887
[Annotations by A. S. Peake in the Irish Chess Chronicle for 15th May 1887]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Bd3
4.Nf3 is usually played first, but it is not of much importance.
4...Bd6
I have a preference for 4...c5. By the move in the text Black must lose a move, being obliged to defend the d-pawn.
5.Nc3 c6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be3 Nf6 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.Qe2 Qe7 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rae1 0-0 13.Qd1 Qd8 14.Bg5 Qc7 15.a3
Lost time. 15.Nh4 preserves the attack, and negatives the strong counter effect of the opponent. We give a diagram of the position; it is abounding in pretty variations.

15...h5 16.Bxf6 hxg4 17.Be7
Instead White might have played 17.Bxg6.
If 17...gxf3 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Bh5 winning the f-pawn, and retaining chances of winning the game (in this line 19.Bf5 is probably even better - Ed.).
If 17...fxg6 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Ng5 with fair prospects (as 18...Rxf3 in this line gives Black the advantage, White should content himself with 18.Ng5 Rxf6 19.Qxg4 giving equal prospects - Ed.).
If 17...gxf6 18.Bf5 gxf3 19.Qxf3.
If 17...Nxf6 18.Ng5 fxg6 19.Ne6
17...Bxd3 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Qxd3 gxf3 20.Qxf3 Rae8 21.Kh1 Qh6 22.Rg1 Re6 23.Qg4 Rfe8 24.Rxe6 Rxe6 25.f4 Nf6 26.Qf3 Nh5 27.Rg5 Nxf4
Brilliant and sound. A pretty termination to a well played game.
28.Qxf4 Qxh3+ 29.Kg1 Re1+ 0-1

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