Harold Godfrey Cole: The man from the Revenue
The chess column of the Belfast News-Letter for 11th November 1909 paid this valedictory testimonial to one of the strongest non-native players ever to play in Ulster and Irish chess:
"H. G. Cole:
The removal of this chess player from Ireland will be a heavy loss to students of the Royal game. Mr. Cole has been in Ireland for over five years, as Surveyor of Income tax at Galway, Newry, Fermoy and Cork. During that period he organised two consecutive correspondence matches of 70 and 80 a side. In 1908 Ireland beat Kent by 37 to 33; in 1909 Yorkshire beat Ireland by 42.5 to 37.5. Kent was at that time champion county of the South, and Yorkshire of the North of England. In addition to his labours in connection with these matches, he annotated for the Belfast News-Letter many of the games won by Ulster players. Mr. Cole wishes to acknowledge the great assistance given him by the Ulster players, especially those in Belfast, Lisburn and Portadown, who proved to be the most reliable and successful players. He has engaged to play for Kent, and has entered for the championship of the City of London Chess Club, the strongest club in England."
Cole finished 4th in the 1909-1910 City of London Championship and was 2nd in 1912-13. However, his finest achievement was tieing with F. D. Yates for 2nd and 3rd places in the British (BCF) Championship for 1912, beating the winner R. C. Griffith in their individual game. He died in 1922 after an operation when still only in his early forties.
Cole played for the Lisburn team that won the Ulster Trophy in the 1906-1907 League season. One of his team mates was the Ulster (and later Irish) champion J. J. O'Hanlon. Games like the following against such a strong opponent as Cole must have greatly benefited O'Hanlon in his development as a chess player.
H. G. Cole, - J. J. O'Hanlon [C29] friendly game 1907
[Annotations by O'Hanlon in the Belfast News-Letter for 31st January 1907]
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 Be7 7.d3 Nc5 8.Nd4 Bxe2 9.Qxe2 Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.d4 Ne6 12.Qg4 0–0 13.0–0 Rb8
White is threatening a King's side attack, and this move is played in order to bring the Rook to the defence.
14.Ne2 c5 15.c3 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.cxd4 Rb6 18.Be3 Kh8
If 18...Rxb2 19.Bh6 wins the exchange.
19.Rf2 f6 20.exf6
This exchange, which is forced, gives Black the better game.
20...Bxf6 21.Rc2 Re8 22.Bf2 Re4 23.Qg3 c6 24.Rd1 Qd7 25.h3 h6 26.a3 a5
A weak move, allowing the entry of the Rook at b3.
27.Qc3 Qa7 28.Re1 a4 29.Rxe4 dxe4 30.Qe3 Qe7 31.d5 Rb3
32.dxc6
By this clever sacrifice of the Queen, Mr. Cole expected to get out of his difficulties; but he overlooked the full force of Black's 35th move. After that the game could no longer be saved, although he might have made a longer defence by 35.Rc2.
32...Rxe3 33.c7 Qxc7 34.Rxc7 Rd3 35.Rc4 e3 36.Be1 Bxb2 0–1