Matches between the Belfast and Dublin Chess Clubs 1895-1896
The
1895 Match: 16th February 1895The Belfast News-Letter chess column for 21st February reported on the first over-the-board encounter between the two cities since 1887:
On Saturday a team of the Belfast Chess Club travelled to the Metropolis in order to try conclusions with an equal number of the Dublin Chess Club, at their rooms, Molesworth Street. It is many years since the
last trial of strength between these clubs, and on that occasion the match was played in Belfast, resulting in a win for the Dublin team. On Saturday clocks were used, and a time limit of twenty moves per hour was agreed upon.The play throughout was uniformly good, some brilliant flashes of genius being observable, and all the games were stubbornly contested. Mr. E.A. Robinson, the present Ulster chess champion, was to the front, and defeated his opponent Mr. Peake, the courteous secretary of the Dublin club, in a well-fought Ruy Lopez.
A.S. Peake - E.A. Robinson
Dublin CC -v- Belfast CC, Dublin, 16.02.1895
[Annotations by R.A. Williams in the Belfast News-Letter for 21st March 1895]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
19.Qxf3 exf3 20.Bxd6 cxd6 21.g3
28.a4?
Mr. Wm. L. Harvey, who always plays well, was opposed by Mr. S. Fitzpatrick, and managed in a well-contested Two Knights' Defence, to obtain a piece for two pawns, eventually winning. Mr. Wm. McCrum, playing a steady game, drew with Mr. W.H. Baker, who had adopted the French defence. So also did Mr. E.L. Harvey with W.E. Thrift in a Ruy Lopez. Mr. Sigerson, who was Mr. J.W. Carey's opponent, played French Defence, but the Belfast player was too careful and secured a draw. Out of the four games in which Dublin defended, three were French Defence, and one Ruy Lopez, and out of the five in which Belfast played black three were Ruy Lopez, one Two Knights, and one Zukertort. A large number of spectators, principally chess players, assembled to witness the match, which was won by the Dublin club. The following is the complete score
|
BELFAST |
3.5 - 5.5 |
DUBLIN |
|
Jos. W. Carey |
Draw |
G. P. Sigerson |
|
Jas. Gamble |
0-1 |
Major Woollett |
|
W. L. Harvey |
1-0 |
S. Fitzpatrick |
|
E. L. Harvey |
Draw |
W. E. Thrift |
|
C. Johnston |
0-1 |
J. Young |
|
W. McCrum |
Draw |
W. H. Baker |
|
E. A. Robinson |
1-0 |
A. S. Peake |
|
R. T. Roth |
0-1 |
D. Middleton |
|
R. A. Williams |
0-1 |
F. Hobson |
When play ceased the members of both teams and some friends were hospitably entertained by members of the Dublin club, and all present spent a most enjoyable evening.
R.A. Williams - F. Hobson
Dublin CC -v- Belfast CC, Dublin, 16.02.1895
[Annotations by J.A. Porterfield Rynd in the Dublin Saturday Herald for 23rd February 1895]
When Mr Frank Hobson, always to be trusted for a strong and plucky game, slashed out from behind the entrenchments of his French Defence, his Belfast opponent completely lost his cool head and the game. Here are the moves:-
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.e5 Be7 7.Qg4 g6 8.h4? c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.h5? Bxf2+!
11.Kd1
The 1896 Match: 21st March 1896
The Belfast News-Letter chess column for 26th March reported on the return encounter:
This match, the most important contested this season in Ulster, took place in the rooms of the Belfast chess Club on Saturday 21st inst. There was a very large attendance of visitors, principally chess players, all of whom manifested a deep interest in the match. The teams were 12 aside, and play, which commenced at three o'clock, and terminated at 9-30, was of a very high order, and the majority of the games was stubbornly contested. We were specially pleased to see the veteran president of the Belfast Chess Club, Mr. James Neill, take his place at the board, and give one more proof of that consummate skill for which he has been so long noted. His opponent, Major Woollett, having lost a minor piece, resigned. The game, a Guioco Piano, was, however, well fought on both sides. One of the special features of the match was the second meeting of Messrs. E.L. Harvey (Ulster chess champion) and W.E. Thrift. When these champions encountered each other last year in Dublin, the result was a draw, such was also the result of Saturday's game, which was a well-played Petroff Defence. Their next meeting will be looked forward to with intense interest. It may be remembered that last year Mr. R.A. Williams, who is so well known in Ulster as a writer on chess matters and a player, met Mr. F. Hobson, who, however, then proved too strong for his youthful opponent. This year they again encountered each other, and in a splendidly played Ruy Lopez, Mr. Williams came off victor. Mr. Wm McCrum, who last year drew with Mr. W.H. Baker, played on Saturday with against Mr. S. Fitzpatrick. The opening was [a] Petroff, and the Dublin player was caught in rather a peculiar trap, and had to resign in seven moves.
S. Fitzpatrick - W. McCrum
Belfast CC -v- Dublin CC, Belfast, 21.03.1896
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.e5 Ne4 5.Qxd4 d5 6.Nc3? Bc5 7.Qxd5 Bxf2+ 0–1
Mr Godwin was successful in his well-played game (French Defence) against Mr. H.G. Thrift, so also was Mr. S.J. Magowan, who played carefully against Mr. H.A. McNeill, the opening being a Ruy Loipez. Mr. Wm. Steen was too many for his opponent, Mr. A. Stephens. The opening played was King's Bishop, which was played with judgement by both players. Mr. James Gamble met a formidable antagonist in Mr. S.P. Johnston, who played 1.f4, and after a close contest neither player was able to obtain any advantage, and a draw was mutually agreed on. The first win for Dublin was gained by Mr. J. Young (honorary secretary of Dublin Chess Club), who mated Mr. D.Y. Chamberlain at the 20th move. The opening was Petroff's Defence. The game, a Scotch Gambit, between Mr. D. Middleton and Mr. J. Carey, was, after a long contest, won by the Dublin player. Mr. Carey was more fortunate last year, as he drew with Mr. Sigerson. The last player to succumb was Mr. J. Allen, who struggled long and manfully against his veteran opponent, Mr. Parker Dunscombe, so well and favourably known in Dublin chess circles. The opening was the English game. Only one game remained undecided at 9-15 p.m., and a considerable number of the spectators now gathered around the board, where Messrs. E.A. Robinson and W.H. Baker fought carefully and well for supremacy in a Centre counter Gambit, which, according to Mason, "finds scant encouragement in practice even among the strongest players." Now we had an advance, then a retreat all in vain - both ranks were too closely knit and guarded to admit of a break, and as the hour for adjournment had almost arrived, a draw was agreed upon, and thus ended the match with an unexpected victory for Belfast by 7.5 wins to 4.5. The following is the complete score:-
|
BELFAST |
7.5 - 4.5 |
DUBLIN |
|
E. L. Harvey |
Draw |
W. E. Thrift |
|
R. A. Williams |
1-0 |
F. Hobson |
|
W. McCrum |
1-0 |
S. Fitzpatrick |
|
E. A. Robinson |
Draw |
W. H. Baker |
|
James Neill |
1-0 |
M. S. Woollett |
|
W. Y. Chamberlain |
0-1 |
J. Young |
|
Jas. Gamble |
Draw |
S. P. Johnston |
|
J. W. Carey |
0-1 |
D. Middleton |
|
J. Allen |
0-1 |
P. Dunscombe |
|
S. J. Magowan |
1-0 |
H. A. McNeill |
|
Wm. Steen |
1-0 |
A. Stephens |
|
Wm. Godwin |
1-0 |
H. G. Thrift |
The visiting team were warm in their congratulations of the Belfast team for their splendid victory. During the hour of adjournment the players were hospitably entertained by the Belfast club.
On only four previous occasions had teams from Dublin and Belfast met - viz. In 1861, 1862, 1887 and 1895, and in all encounters Dublin proved successful. It is to be hoped, however, that the present match will become an annual fixture.
The report goes on to state that the first of these matches was by way of telegraph and that it took place on the 14th December 1861. In this regard a correction to the News-Letter's commentary must be made. There were two telegraphic matches played between the Belfast and Dublin Victoria chess clubs in the early 1860s - the first match did indeed start on the 14th December 1861 but was continued on the 15th February 1862. After the first evening Dublin had won two games, with four unfinished. On the second night, Belfast equalled the score with two victories. The two other games were left to be completed by correspondence but I have yet to find a contemporary source which gives the result of these games (or indeed any indication if they were in fact continued). The assertion in the 1896 report that Belfast lost all four previous matches therefore seems based on the misunderstanding that there was only one night's play in the first ever match encounter between the two cities.
The hope expressed that an annual fixture would result proved not to be and it was not until the period 1926-1936, and then starting again in 1945, than an annual encounter became established.
These later matches were not restricted to the Belfast and Dublin clubs but thrown open to all players having a connection with the two cities. In this regard it is worth noting, as revealed by the Belfast Chess Club's Accounts Book for the period, that the team put out by the Belfast Chess Club in the 1895 match actually contained one non-member, R.A. Williams (who was in fact a member of the Holywood club). In 1896 there were as many as 3 non-members playing for the Belfast club, Williams being joined by his club-mate W.Y. Chamberlain and J. Allen of the Victoria club.