Ulster Championship 1952: A Welshman wins
10 competitors entered the 1952 Ulster Championship. The 1951 champion W. D. Kerr was not defending his title, but two former winners, R. A. Heaney (1946) and G. A. Kearney (1950) were taking part. Perhaps the most interesting entry was that of Miss H. F. Chater, the first woman ever to enter the Ulster Championship. She was the aunt of the Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University, Sir Eric Ashby, and had come to Northern Ireland to live with her nephew. She was qualified to compete in the Championship by having been resident in Ulster for the required period of a year. As we shall see the eventual winner of the Championship also qualified by residence.
The tournament was a nine-round all-play-all. After seven rounds the leader was Robert Jones, who had only dropped half-a-point up to that stage. In Round 8 his two main rivals, Heaney and G. J. Boyd had to meet, with Heaney proving victorious. At the same time, Jones suffered a surprising defeat to Miss Chater and lost the lead to Heaney. However, the luck of the draw had paired Jones and Heaney in the last round, so it was still all to play for.
The Ireland's Saturday Night for 12th April 1952 takes up the story:
In the final for the Ulster Championship R. Jones, with a score of 6.5 met R. A. Heaney, who had 7.0 to his credit. The game was a Queen's Gambit Declined. Heaney, with Black adopted the Orthodox Defence, and a keen struggle resulted, which went to 66 moves, when Black resigned. Mr. Jones thus becomes Ulster champion at the first attempt. He won the Intermediate Championship earlier in the season, which is a record.
Final scores: R. Jones 7.5; R. A. Heaney 7.0; G. J. Boyd 6.5; T. C. Gallery 6.0; A. W. Turner and G. A. Kearney 4.0; F. E. Wallace and Miss H. F. Chater 3.5; J. B. Steen 2.0; J. W. B. Dodson 1.5
The new champion is a Welshman, who taught in Eastbourne Grammar School until the war, when he joined up. After the war he came to Belfast, and is in business here. He is also studying at Queen's for his Arts Degree.
R. Jones - A. W. Turner Ulster Championship Belfast (Round 5), 1952 [D56]
[Annotations from the Ireland's Saturday Night for 12th April 1952]
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 c6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bh4 0-0 9.0-0 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nd5
A common variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined has been arrived at by transposition. Here White usually exchanges Bishops.
11.Bg3 f5 12.Nxd5 exd5
12...cxd5 might have been better, leaving support for the f-pawn, which now becomes an object of attack.
13.Bd3 Nf6 14.h3 Ne4 15.Bh2
Having refused an even exchange, White will not let his Bishop go for the Knight.
15...g5 16.Ne5 Qe8 17.f3 Nf6 18.Qc2 Nh5 19.g4 Ng7 20.f4 Bd6
21.fxg5 hxg5 22.Rf3 Bxe5
The exchange brings White's dark-squared Bishop to the attack, which soon becomes irresistible.
23.Bxe5 fxg4 24.Rxf8+ Qxf8 25.Rf1 Qe7 26.Bh7+ Kh8 27.Qg6 Be6 28.Qh6 1-0
Black resigned as the threatened discovered check will be followed by mate.