Williamson Shield 1927: McMahon retains the Championship of Belfast
The Belfast News-Letter for the 13th January 1927 announced the composition of the 8th tournament for the Championship of Belfast.
The competitors in the Williamson Shield tournament this year are:- P. J. McMahon (holder), J. O'Hagan (St. Paul's), T. Kirkpatrick (North Belfast), A. Orr (Strandtown) and W. J. Allen (CIYMS). Messrs. O'Hagan and Kirkpatrick are new entrants, and should introduce a little fresh interest.
The favourites in this double-round all-play-all were undoubtedly the holder McMahon and three-time former winner Allen. They were also in good current form - the previous month they had been in a three-way tie for first place with J. J. O'Hanlon in the 1926 Irish Championship, held in Belfast (though O'Hanlon had triumphed in the play-off completed only in the first week of January 1927.)
The first news of the progress of the tournament did not appear in the News-Letter until the 28th April when it was reported that McMahon had won the first of his two games with Allen. The scores at that stage were McMahon 3.0/4, Orr and O'Hagan 1.5/2, Allen 1.0/2. Kirkpatrick had retired from the fray after losing to Allen and Orr.
The tournament was supposed to be completed by the end of June, but by that stage only two further games had been completed - Allen beating Orr in both their encounters, bringing him level with McMahon at the top of the table.
Allen and O'Hagan then played their two games in early July recording a win apiece. In the News-Letter for 14th July the positions were given as: Allen 4 and 1 to play; O'Hagan 3.5 and 1 to play, McMahon 3 and 3 to play, Orr 1.5 and 2 to play.
McMahon then ended O'Hagan's chances of overall victory when he defeated him in their second game and then on 11th August the News-Letter revealed that the Shield was to remain with the defending champion:
By drawing his adjourned game with W. J. Allen, P. J, McMahon has made sure of retaining the Williamson Shield and Belfast Championship for another year.
|
|
|
PJM |
WJA |
JOH |
AO |
TK |
Total |
|
1 |
P. J. McMAHON |
X X |
1 = |
= 1 |
= A |
1 |
4.5 |
|
2 |
W. J. ALLEN |
0 = |
X X |
0 1 |
1 1 |
1 |
4.5 |
|
3 |
J. O'HAGAN |
= 0 |
1 0 |
X X |
1 = |
1 |
4.0 |
|
4 |
A. ORR |
= A |
0 0 |
0 = |
X X |
1 |
2.0 |
|
5 |
T. KIRKPATRICK |
0 * |
0 |
0 * |
0 |
X X |
0.0 |
A = adjourned game between Orr and McMahon, which was still pending when the crosstable appeared in the Belfast News-Letter on 11th August 1927. No record of the result is available and the game was probably not played out.
* = Kirkpatrick retired from the contest after playing two games, and those marked with an asterisk went by default.
The winner of the tournament had a narrow escape in the following game.
A. Orr - P. J. McMahon: Williamson Shield, 1927
[Notes by W. J. Allen in the Belfast News-Letter 23rd June 1927]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5
17...Ne7