1923/24 Hastings Premier, Town Hall, 27 December - 4 January

1923/24 Hastings Premier		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Max Euwe	Netherlands	&;	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7½
2	Geza Maroczy	Hungary	½	&;	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
3	Edgar Colle	Belgium	1	½	&;	½	0	1	0	1	1	1	6
4	Fred Dewhirst Yates	Leeds	0	1	½	&;	1	0	1	½	1	1	6
5	(Jakob) Adolf Seitz	Munich	0	0	1	0	&;	1	1	1	0	1	5
6	Reginald Pryce Michell	Surrey	0	0	0	1	0	&;	1	1	1	1	5
7	Joseph Henry Blake	Surrey	0	0	1	0	0	0	&;	½	½	1	3
8	Jacques Mieses	Leipzig	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	&;	1	1	3
9	George Marshall Norman	Hastings	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	0	&;	1	2½
10	Hubert Ernest Price	Birmingham	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

Time limit: 17 moves per hour

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BCM, February 1924, ppn 33-52

THE FOURTH CHRISTMAS CHESS CONGRESS AT HASTINGS.

Another triumph for the chess-lovers off Hastings and St. Leonards has to be recorded. The best way, however, to give an idea of their achievement is to describe first what happened and to reserve for the end a few words of appreciation.

Proceedings started shortly before 6 p.m. on Thursday, when the Mayor of Hastings, Councillor A. Blackman, J.P., took the chair in the Council Chamber. Mr. H. E. Dobell, as president of the Hastings Chess Club, moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor, to whom, with the Council, they were indebted for the excellent accommodation provided for the congress, and alluded sympathetically to the recent illness of the Mayoress, but for which they would have hoped to have been honoured with her presence that evening. Mr. E. J. Ackroyd having seconded the vote, it was carried with acclamation. His Worship returned thanks on behalf of his wife and himself, and offered a hearty welcome to the many distinguished players of the noble game whom he saw before his eyes. He was especially pleased, he said, to notice so many ladies there, but also at the presence of a strong representation of the Press. He then declared the congress open, and almost exactly at 6 play began.

We give a daily report on the Premier tournament, and a summary account of the other events.

Premier Tournament Round 1, December 27th [28th given in BCM but it must be a typo - JS]

Round 1, December 27th1			Opening	No of Moves
Colle	½-½	Yates	QP (Tchigorin Defence)	*46
Seitz	1-0	Price	English	31
Euwe	½-½	Maroczy	French	29
Blake	½-½	Norman	Caro-Kann	* 49
Michell	1-0	Mieses	Centre Counter	* 48

Of the games finished during the evening, that between Euwe and Maroczy was a cautiously played affair, in which a draw was and foreshadowed fairly early, with the disappearance of the Queens, and was the legitimate result. Seitz v. Price turned into a kind of Sicilian, with White's Queen’s Bishop’s Pawn advanced. After three hours' play Price lost the Exchange and, in spite of a good struggle, his defeat became inevitable.

The three remaining games went over to Friday afternoon [28 December]. Of these, Michell’s against Mieses was won in excellent style, after he had given up Queen for two Rooks on his 27th move and then proceeded to gain a minor piece. Colle v. Yates (which we give below) was a complicated and adventurous game, such as Yates delights in. After being forced to sacrifice Queen for Rook and Bishop, the former British champion got left ultimately with Rook, two Bishops and three Pawns against Queen, Knight and five Pawns. He defended well, and Colle could do no better than draw. The last to finish were Blake and Norman, the former, after some thirty moves with level forces, getting Queen, Bishop and three Pawns against two Rooks, Bishop and two Pawns. The Bishops having been exchanged off a draw came about legitimately enough.

Round 2, December 28th			Opening	No of Moves
Price	0-1	Colle	QP (Tchigorin Defence)	31
Maroczy	1-0	Seitz	English	* 54
Michell	1-0	Yates	QGD	36
Mieses	½-½	Blake	Scotch Game	* 39
Norman	0-1	Euwe	QGD	19

Norman brought about his own defeat in less than two hours, embarking on a combination by which he hoped to win two pieces for a Rook; but he found himself faced with the loss of his Queen, and resigned. Price lasted an hour and a half longer against Colle. He had some attack, as against a piece lost, and the compensation of three Pawns at first. He was obliged, however, to lose one Pawn and then another, when all his compensation vanished, and there was no point in continuing. Michell and Yates only changed off Queen and one Pawn each in the first two hours. Afterwards Michell gave up the Exchange to get a very superior position, in which he won a minor piece. Being very short of time, Yates could find nothing better to do than to yield back the Exchange, which left him a clear piece and a pawn down. He thereupon resigned.

Resuming the same afternoon, Maroczy, who had played an old-fashioned continuation against the French, with an early P—K 5, and had even on the 22nd move looked like winning quickly, brought the game down to Rook, Bishop and three Pawns v. Rook, Bishop and one Pawn; and, although the Bishops were of opposite colours, Seitz had no chance of staving off defeat. The remaining game was not finished until the evening. Mieses, having gained a Pawn early, could not keep it, and an ending with level forces came about, which led to a draw by repetition of moves.

Round 3, December 29th			Opening	No of Moves
Blake	0-1	Michell	Vienna	* 48
Euwe	1-0	Mieses	QP (Budapest)	32
Seitz	0-1	Norman	English	29
Yates	1-0	Price	Ruy Lopez	24
Colle	½-½	Maroczy	Queen's Gambit	35

Price fell into the old trap Tarrasch-Marco, Dresden, 1892 (though discovered by Mieses earlier still): 1 P—K 4, P—K 4 ; 2 Kt—KB3, Kt—Q B 3; 3 B—Kt 5, Kt—B 3 ; 4 Castles, B—K 2 ; 5 Kt—B 3, P—Q 3 ; 6 P—Q 4, B—Q 2 ; 7 R—K1, Castles ?; 8 BxKt, BxB; 9 PxP, PxP; 10 QxQ, QRxQ (KRxQ is worse); 11 KtxP, BxP; 12 KtxB, KtxKt; 13 Kt—Q 3, P—K B 4 ; 14 P—K B 3, B—B 4 ch ; 15 KtxB, KtxKt; 16 B—Kt 5, winning the Exchange and the game.

Seitz v. Norman was the next to finish, the German player making an unsound sacrifice on his 18th move, which Norman smartly refuted. The game is given below. Just about the end of three hours’ play Euwe, who had been conducting a fine, vigorous game, forced a win against Mieses.

Colle appeared for a time to be working up the better game against Maroczy; but his attack in the end only resulted in his being a Pawn down, with Bishops of opposite colours, and there was but a draw in view, which he was naturally content to accept.

Blake v. Michell, which was reaching the end-game stage with level forces, was adjourned until Monday afternoon, when Michell won, the termination being shown below. It may be noted that Blake had previously had the best of the game and was unlucky to lose as he did.

Round 4, December 29th			Opening	No of Moves
Mieses	0-1	Seitz	Sicilian	* 49
Blake	0-1	Euwe	Sicilian	37
Maroczy	0-1	Yates	English	48
Price	0-1	Michell	QGD	36
Norman	0-1	Colle	QP (Irregular Defence)	* 50

The first game to flnish ln the evening was Euwe’s, which he won with his usual polish, after securing a decided advantage about the 20th move and getting a Queen against Rook and Bishop in the ending—the Queen having control of a sparsely occupied board.

Michell’s victory over Price followed; but the latter played very much better in the opening than in any of his three previous games, and Michell himself confessed that the most he had hoped for, after becoming a Pawn down, was to escape with a draw. As it was, he picked up Pawns until he had a clear win.

Of the games necessitating an adjournment Mieses v. Seitz was quickly finished off. The older player, who had met the Sicilian with P—Q 3 (not Q 4) and a King’s fianchetto, got a good game early, but frittered his advantage away, lost a Pawn and, after the resumption, two more, Seitz grasping his opportunity with alacrity. In Norman v. Colle, which opened with 1 P—Q4, Kt—KB3; 2 P—QB4, P—Q3 ; 3 Kt—QB3, B—B4 (Reti’s variation), the Hastings man had a good enough game on the 13th move and again a little later; but he fell away and on move 32 lost a Pawn. On the 39th he had become two Pawns down—passed Pawns on the Queen’s wing. The position was obviously hopeless against an opponent of Colle’s strength.

Maroczy v. Yates was not resumed until Monday afternoon, when Yates put an excellent victory to his credit. Maroczy, at the adjournment, had already lost a Pawn, and had his King’s Bishop and King’s Rook absolutely locked in on the King’s side, so that the result was practically inevitable.

The scores at the end of the first week’s play (anticipating the results of the unfinished games) were : Michell, 4; Euwe, 3½; Colle, 3; Yates, 2½; Maroczy and Seitz, 2; Norman, 1½; Blake, 1; Mieses, ½; and Price, 0.

Round 5, December 31st			Opening	No of Moves
Colle	1-0	Mieses	English	* 49
Seitz	1-0	Blake	English	** 70
Michell	0-1	Euwe	Grünfeld	* 46
Price	0-1	Maroczy	Grünfeld	40
Yates	1-0	Norman	Caro-Kann	* 48

The English Opening enjoys some popularity in this tournament—though it isn’t the English players who adopt it. The Grünfeld Defence is also popular; but that form of answer to the Queen’s Pawn Game (which, we believe, has been played by Mr. McLean, of Brighton, very many years before it received its baptismal name from the Austrian master) tends often to transpose into some other form of the opening.

Price’s run of ill-success continued in Round 5. Near the end of the second hour he had to lose the Exchange for a Pawn, and Maroczy reduced matters to a simple ending, in which the Rook utterly mastered the Bishop. All the other games in the round were adjourned. In the afternoon, Colle, who had previously got Mieses into a difficult position and won a Pawn, conducted the end-game relentlessly, forced a Pawn down to the 7th, and won. Yates resumed his game with Norman immediately after his victory over Maroczy in Round 4. He won again, after getting a pull when emerging from the opening.

In the evening Michell v. Euwe was resumed in a position where the Dutch champion was a Pawn ahead. As we shall be publishing this in our Games Department, we shall say no more than that things were level until Michell, in a fit of indecision, made a weak 15th move. The young Dutch champion won a Pawn in consequence, and conducted the rest of the game in his usual classical style.

Only Seitz v. Blake remained, and this required a second adjournment, until Tuesday evening. All sixteen Pawns remained on for over two hours. After fifty moves material was level, but Blake had a Rook quite hemmed in and a dreadfully cramped position. Nevertheless, he made a capital fight until at last, after having given up the Exchange, he made a blunder, and Seitz registered a very hard-earned victory.

Euwe has thus wrested away the lead and is 4½. Michell and Colle are 4; Yates, 3½; and Maroczy and (counting in the game against Blake) Seitz, 3.

Round 6, January 1st			Opening	No of Moves
Norman	1-0	Price	Grünfeld	30
Michell	0-1	Maroczy	Sicilian	* 50
Euwe	1-0	Seitz	QGD	34
Mieses	½-½	Yates	Scotch	* 53
Blake	1-0	Colle	Sicilian	38

In four of the, games material remained level for the first two hours; but in Mieses v. Yates it was different. The German master played his best game of the tournament so far and on the 18th move was a Pawn to the good. There were Bishops of opposite colours; but Mieses captured Yates’s Bishop with a Rook, and promptly won back the Exchange, with another Pawn. When the game was continued on Wednesday afternoon, Yates was still a Pawn down; but the ending, with all the pieces except the Queens off, came legitimately to a draw.

This, however, did not finish until next day. On the morning of Tuesday Price suffered his usual fate in this tournament. At the end of three hours he was level in material; then he collapsed. Euwe played a delightful game, taking far less time over it than his opponent, and winning handsomely. Blake had a welcome change of fortune. For long he was very much on the defensive; but on move 27, taking advantage of a blunder by Colle, he had secured two minor pieces for a Rook, and he made the odds tell.

Michell v. Maroczy was resumed in the afternoon, the Hungarian, who had previously held a strong advantage and could apparently have won a piece, having no longer much the better of it. However, matters went slightly in his favour until, on the 43rd move, Michell, who was getting very short of time, made a distinctly inferior move and threw away his drawing chances—and any hope of the first prize.

Leading scores: Euwe, 5½; Colle, Maroczy, Michell and Yates, 4 each.

Round 7, January 2nd			Opening	No of Moves
Price	0-1	Mieses	QP (Dutch)	24
Yates	1-0	Blake	Ruy Lopez	42
Colle	1-0	Euwe	Queen's Pawn	25
Seitz	1-0	Michell	QGD	*54
Maroczy	1-0	Norman	Grünfeld	40

Price, totally out of form still, had a terribly bad game before the end of an hour apiece, and was faced by a mate when he resigned. Maroczy was the next to score. In less than an hour he had a practically won game, with two open files against Norman’s Castled King, and he came to the ending with two Rooks against Rook and Bishop. It was only a matter of time then. A big sensation followed, Euwe being outplayed for the first time in the tournament and, going entirely astray, allowing his young Belgian antagonist to finish brilliantly. We give the game below. Further, in the course of the morning’s play Yates added a vital point to his score. Blake on the 20th move indulged in a Queen sacrifice, getting as compensation two minor pieces and three Pawns. Yates refuted this combination admirably, reducing the game to an ending, Queen and three Pawns against Knight and seven Pawns. He then picked up two Pawns, and Blake bowed to the inevitable. This concluded an exciting morning.

In the afternoon, Seitz and Michell, who had had a much sedater game than any of the foregoing, resumed at the 36th move, with material level. Unluckily, however, Michell made a slip not long after the adjournment, and the consequences were so serious that he suffered his third consecutive defeat.

Leading scores : Euwe, 5½; Colle, Maroczy and Yates, 5 each ; Michell and Seitz, 4 each.

Round 8, January 3rd			Opening	No of Moves
Mieses	0-1	Maroczy	Sicilian	38
Seitz	1-0	Colle	Sicilian	* 51
Euwe	1-0	Yates	Ruy Lopez	36
Blake	1-0	Price	Vienna	* 69
Norman	0-1	Michell	QP (Irregular Defence)	* 49

There was a mere classical, and less “hyper-modern,” note about the openings in this round. Norman v. Michell, however, was unusual: 1 P—Q4, Kt—KB3 ; 2 P-QB4, P-K3; 3 Kt—QB3, B—Kt5; 4 P—QR3, BxKt ch; 5 PxB, P—QKt3 ; 6 P—B3, B—Kt2. Blake got his favourite P—B5 in the Vienna. Euwe exchanged his King's Bishop for Queen’s Knight on move 9 in the Lopez. Finally, the two Sicilians were widely different in form; Mieses, for White, again playing P—Q 3 (not Q 4), and Colle, for Black, adopting the awkward line of defence now fashionable on the Continent, with Pawns at K 3 and Q 3.

Mieses and Maroczy played at a fairly brisk pace, the Hungarian soon getting up an attack against the Castled King. Mieses gave up the Exchange for a Pawn, and momentarily looked like getting a counter-attack. But Maroczy penetrated among his opponent’s Queen-side Pawns, and, Mieses refusing a chance to exchange Queens, brought the game to a speedy conclusion. In the next game to finish, the death-blow was given to British hopes; for Yates, after getting a promising position out of a cramped opening (on Steinitz Defence lines), had the better middle-game. Then, under his usual time-pressure, he made a bad slip and lost.

The other three games were adjourned. Of these Seitz v. Colle was the first to finish. Colle allowed his opponent to get a Pawn ahead, which he might have won back. When the Queens came off, this extra Pawn, “on sufferance,” developed into a formidable menace, and Seitz won.

In Blake v. Price the latter seemed at least to have a chance of breaking his spell of ill-success. He gave up a piece for three Pawns; but the game later came down to a level ending, which was very cleverly won by Blake. Michell returned to his winning vein against Norman, after a very strenuous game of a congested type.

Leading scores : Euwe, 6½; Maroczy, 6; Colle, Michell, Seitz and Yates, 5 each; Colle having to play Michell, and Seitz Yates in the concluding round, which could not have been a more exciting position if it had been stage-managed!

Round 9, January 4th			Opening	No of Moves
Colle	1-0	Michell	QGD	* 65
Maroczy	1-0	Blake	Queen's Pawn	34
Price	0-1	Euwe	QP (Tchigorin Defence)	21
Yates	1-0	Seitz	Sicilian	* 49
Norman	0-1	Mieses	QP (Dutch Defence)	35

Price lasted through his first hour; and that is all that can be said. This, of course, secured Euwe the first prize. Maroczy followed next with a beautiful win against Blake—though a draw would have sufficed to give him second prize. Norman against Mieses got an exceedingly strong game and played so strongly that he could have won a piece—instead of which, he went in for a combination where Mieses got two Rooks, two Bishops and three Pawns against Queen, Rook and five Pawns. On adjournment-time Norman recognised that he had erred, and resigned.

The four candidates for the third prize resumed after lunch, Michell with a distinct positional superiority against Colle, and Yates with a Bishop against Seitz’s Knight, other things being equal. Yates handled the ending far better than his opponent, got the Knight as against two Pawns, and won comfortably, making sure of at least a half-share of the third prize. His showing against the foreign masters is noteworthy, especially in view of the fact that he should not have lost against Euwe.

The only remaining game, which had a chance of affecting the third prize, was continued right up to 7 o’clock. Michell, for once in a way, was too venturesome, and lost a Pawn, under which disadvantage he came down to an ending with Rooks and Pawns. Whether he could have saved the game requires very close analysis. Anyhow, he did not; and Colle thus succeeded in dividing the third prize with Yates.

The victory of the 22-year-old Euwe was by no means unexpected, and it was certainly well deserved. He played in convincing style throughout, with practically only one serious slip—that which cost him the game against Colle. Maroczy did not start too well, with only two points in the first four games; but he finished splendidly with five wins off the reel, and no doubt would have been better suited by a longer tournament. Yates once more demonstrated what a sterling fighter he is. Against the foreign masters, though he had Black four times, he only lost one game; and that he should not have lost. Colle is evidently much stronger than he has hitherto been considered, and played some really fine games. Seitz has also improved his reputation, and though not so free in style as Colle, can never again be looked on as unlikely to bring off a surprise. Michell started splendidly. There, as at Malvern in 1922, he unaccountably fell away—though it may be noted that of his early victories three were against the tail-men. Possibly he is more affected by nerves than one would gather from his calmly impassive demeanour at the board. Nevertheless he produced some extremely fine chess. Blake and Mieses were both somewhat disappointing, most of all, no doubt, to themselves; but there is happily a lot more chess in them still! Norman showed the effect of recent very hard work in other directions and was obviously out of practice. Price’s form was unaccountable. He, too, was out of practice, but he also played without spirit, and without the tenacity we have learnt to expect of him.

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1923/24 Hastings Major

1923/24 Hastings Major		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	John Harold Morrison	Leeds	&;	0	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7½
2	Capt. Percivale David Bolland	Weston-super-Mare	1	&;	½	1	1	0	1	1	1	½	7
3	John Arthur James Drewitt	Hastings	0	½	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6½
4	James Arthur Watt	Hastings	0	0	0	&;	1	½	1	1	½	1	5
5	William John Berryman	Barnsley	½	0	0	0	&;	1	0	1	½	½	3½
6	Ernest Arthur Lewcock	Hastings	0	1	1	½	0	&;	0	0	0	1	3½
7	Dr Robert Dunstan	Brighton	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	0	1	0	3
8	Richard Edward Lean	Brighton	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	0	1	3
9	Patrick Charles Littlejohn	Rugby	0	0	0	½	½	1	0	1	&;	0	3
10	John MacAlister	London	0	½	0	0	½	0	1	0	1	&;	3

Time Limit: 20 moves per hour

The Major Tournament was robbed of most of its importance by the non-participation of any foreign players. On the face of it, at the start, it looked a “good thing” for Drewitt; but, with his secretarial duties to perform, he made no serious effort. In the second round he lost to Morrison on the time-limit. Morrison and Bolland met in Round 4, both unbeaten. Bolland won and so established a clear lead. In Round 5 he and Morrison both drew their games ; but next round Bolland lost to the astonishing Lewcock, who had previously lost a dead-won game against Morrison and had also let Dunstan off. Morrison, therefore, winning against Littlejohn, came up level with Bolland again; and both won their next two games. In the 9th and final round Morrison beat Dunstan, while Bolland could only draw with Macalister. This settled the destination of the first two prizes. Drewitt, by beating his most dangerous rival, Watt, secured third prize.

In the First Class, Section A, G. Wright, of York, went through the whole of the nine rounds without dropping even a half-point— though he ought to have lost to Meymott in Round 7. Miss Price won her first three games, and then adjourned one with Miss Menchik, which was not finally concluded until January 2nd, when after many vicissitudes it ended in a draw. Miss Price had meanwhile won two more games. She concluded with losses against Meymott and Wright; but her score of 6 was sufficient to gain her second prize, half a point ahead of Joyce, the third prize-winner. The complete final scores were: (1) G. Wright, 9/9; (2) Miss Edith Charlotte Price, 6; (3) Francis Albert Joyce, 5½; (4-5) the Hon. F. G. Hamilton Russell, F. A. Riley, 4½; (6) S. P. Lees, 4; (7-8) J. W. Danahay, Miss Vera Menchik, 3½; (9) Sydney Meymott, 3; (10) Alfred Herman Reeve, 1½.

Mention must be made in this section of the very promising play of Miss [Vera] Menchik, a 17-year-old girl of Russo-English parentage, who has been in Hastings two years and is a pupil of Maroczy. She conducts her games with wonderful steadiness and may do well after the experience she has gained in this, her first big tournament. In the game with Miss Price, which was no doubt a nervous affair for both players, many chances were missed. The British woman champion had a clear win at one time. Later Miss Menchik should have won; but a draw was no doubt a fairly just result.

In First Class, Section B, young R. M. Norman, of Weston, nearly emulated Wright’s record; but in the eighth round he lost half a point to Miss Abraham. King, with losses in the second and eighth rounds and a draw in the fifth, just won the second prize above Montague Jones, who lost in the third, fourth and ninth rounds, and had to be content with third prize. Final scores : (1) R. M. Norman, 8½/9; (2) Wallace Henry King 6½; (3) Major Edgar M Montague Jones, 6; (4) Miss Emily Eliza Abraham, 5½; (5) Mrs. Edith Mary Ann Michell, 5; (6) Mrs. Sollas, 4½; (7) A. D. Barlow, 4; (8-9) Prof. R. W. Genese, W. G. Watson, 2; (10) Capt. A. E. Dickson, 1 (retired after three games).

In the Second Class, Smith, Glyde and Leffler won their first two rounds. After Round 4 Glyde was 4 to Smith’s 3. Glyde kept ahead till Round 6, when he lost to Leffler. He then lost also to Covell, by a sad blunder, and Smith passed him, to win first prize. Final scores: (1) E. H. Smith, 7½/9; (2) Lawrence A. J. Glyde, 7; (3) T. Moodie, 5 ; (4) Miss Minnie Musgrave, 4½; (5-7) C. F. Covell, Miss C Home, Walter Ernest Leffler, 4; (8-10) Miss Ella Margaret Beddall, the Rev. J. G. Watson, J. M. Wechsler, 3.

In Third Class, Section A, McMullon and Owen left the rest behind, McMullon beating Owen, but losing to little Mortlock, who is only twelve. Final scores : (1-2) Capt. McMullon and R. Owen, 7/9; (3) Alfred Mortlock, 5½; (4) Miss Thomas, 3½; (5-6) Miss Ida French-Lucas, Miss Watson, 3; (7-8) Mrs. Ayris, the Rev. W. Harvey, 2½; (9) J. E. L. Black, 2.

In Third Class, Section B, there was only one player in the hunt, Baumgartner, who drew with Shoesmith and Coleman, but won all his remaining games. Final scores : (1) Wilfred J Baumgartner, 7/9; (2-3) F. C. Hanson Powter, Councillor George Shoesmith, 5½; (4) Dr. W. L. Hubbard, 5 ; (5) John E Coleman, 4½; (6-7) Miss Jannings, Miss Jennings, 3; (8) W. Harvey, 1½; (9) W. E. Freeman, 1.

In each section of the Third Class one entrant retired without playing a game.

In the Evening tournament of eight competitors, the struggle from the start was between Stephenson and Dobell, the former winning first prize by half a point. Final scores : (1) H. J. Stephenson 6/7; (2) H. E. Dobell, 5½; (3) G. F. H. Packer, 4; (4-5) G. E. James, E. J. Merrill, 3½; (6-7) H. W. Wickham Hore, W Arthur Winser, 2; (8) R. H. Brown, 1½.

Besides the regular tournaments there were two lightning tournaments held during the congress, the four prize-winners on the two occasions being :—

First: (1) M. Euwe; (2) E. Colle; (3) J. Mieses; (4) G. M. Norman.

Second : (1) M. Euwe; (2) J. H. Blake; (3) G. M. Norman; (4) J. Mieses.

At 8 p.m. on the concluding day, January 4th, the prize-giving ceremony took place in the Town Hall, the Mayor of Hastings presiding. In a brief speech His Worship spoke of the great interest with which he had watched the games many mornings, and then introduced Lady Margaret Hamilton Russell, who had kindly ented to present the prizes. The list of the winners having been read out and their rewards having been distributed to them, Mr. Dobell proposed, and Mr. Burn seconded, a vote of thanks to Lady Margaret, which was carried amid very hearty applause. Lady Margaret made a short and felicitous response.

Councillor Shoesmith, for the town, and Mr. Stephenson, for the Sussex C.A., next proposed “The Press,” to which Mr. Guest replied. Mr. Michell followed with a vote of thanks to the Hastings Chess Club, the tournament committee, and the ladies who looked after the refreshment-room. Capt. Bolland having seconded, Mr. Ackroyd replied, saying that he hoped to see all the visitors at Hastings again for the next annual congress. A vote of thanks to the Mayor, proposed by Mr. Kirkpatrick and seconded by Mr. Tinsley, was received by His Worship with much appreciation, and with an expression of his complete association with what had been said of both the Hastings C.C. and the Press.

An exhibition of simultaneous play by Maroczy followed immediately. Playing on 26 boards, the master won 19 games, drew 4, and lost only 3.

Thus concluded a highly successful congress—quite one of the pleasantest, we may venture to say, in the now not inconsiderable series of such affairs promoted by the chess enthusiasts, and their friends, in Hastings. Although each member of the promoting committee on this occasion disdains, for himself, any title to gratitude we cannot refrain from mentioning here their names: H. E. Dobell, T. R. Kirkpatrick, E. J. Ackroyd, J. A. J. Drewitt, H. W. Wickham Hore, G. M. Norman, E. A. Lewcock and H. J. Stephenson. Nor must we omit to allude to the generous support and kindly hospitality of the Mayor, who in himself played a great part in the success of the congress, and made competitors, pressmen and visitors alike realise that Hastings was happy to welcome them there.

Finally, we should like to note what foresight the Hastings Chess Club showed in the engagement of Geza Maroczy, now resident at the Albany Hotel and in daily attendance at the club for instruction, advice and play. The consequent improvement, especially among the younger generation of players, is most marked. No better mentor could have been chosen than Maroczy Ur; for that, not Herr Maroczy, he tells us, is his proper designation—unless we prefer to call him, as a Hastings man, Mr. Maroczy.

P.W.S[ergeant].

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The Times, 27 December 1923: CHESS TOURNAMENT AT HASTINGS. VISIT OF LEADING FOREIGN PLAYERS. (From Our Chess Correspondent.) HASTINGS, Dec. 26.

"The enterprising Hastings Chess Club has again provided a Christmas Congress, beginning in the Town Hall at 6 o’clock this evening. The building has been lent for eight days by the Mayor of Hastings, Councillor A. Blackman. It is a coincidence that Councillor Blackman was also Mayor of Hastings in 1919, the year of the historic Victory Congress in this town, when Señor Capablanca competed for the first time in a tournament in this country."

"The present Congress is not quite on the same scale, but the organizers have been able to secure the entries of between 70 and 80 players in the various classes, and in the Premier Tournament the selected ten consists of five English players, with a like number of Continental competitors. In this way these annual congresses provide an excellent opportunity, for those of our players who can spare the time, of meeting the leading players of the Continent, unhampered by the strain of playing for a championship title. There is a desire to uphold the chess reputation of this country, which makes the play none the less keen, but there is also a feeling of greater freedom with perhaps less responsibility. The standing of competitors with their fellow-countrymen is not affected by the results of their individual encounters, but there is undoubtedly a keener pleasure in doing well against those of other nationalities than their own.

"England's five in the above-mentioned tournament are:—Messrs. J. H. Blake, R. P. Michell, G. M. Norman, H. E. Price, and F. D. Yates. The Continental five are:—E. Colle (Belgium), M Euwe (Holland), G. Maroczy (Hungary), J. Mieses (Germany), and A. Seitz (Bavaria). It is to be regretted that a badminton engagement prevents Sir G. A. Thomas, the Britlsh Champion, from competing, but after Mr. Michell’s performance last Easter at Margate, one may reasonably hope he will come out not far from the first place. Nor will any of the others find Messrs. Blake or Yates easy propositions to handle, and there is a great deal of good chess in Messrs. Price and Norman. Of the Continental players, MM. Colle, Euwe, and Seitz belong to the young generation, while Maroczy and Mieses represent the veterans, both having passed the half-century mark. Their long experience of tournament play is a valuable asset, and any player who obtains more than a draw against either will probably have thoroughly earned the point. It is a pity Dr. Vidmar’s entry had to be cancelled through his inability to arrive until December 28, but that would have entailed at least two postponed games—a serious handicap for the other competitors concerned.

"For the Major Open Tournament the entries are:— Messrs. W. J. Berryman, Captain P. D. Bolland, J. A. Drewitt, Dr. R. Dunstan,
R. E. Lean, E. A. Lewcock, J. Macalister, J. H. Morrison, A. J. Spencer, and J. A. Watt. Here again, one may expect some lively encounters, especially if such aggressive players as Captain Bolland get a position to their liking. Mr. Drewitt one would rather see in the higher section, but, presumably, he is placed lower by his own request, and one must not forget the veteran in this section, Dr. R. Dunstan, now well over three score years and ten. And he can still give food for thought to any who may rashly take liberties with a position!

"The First-class Tournament, Section A, is again interesting, for Miss Price, the British Lady Champion, is the outstanding figure. The others are:— Miss Menchik, the Hon. F. G. Hamilton-Russell (donor of the cup in the competition among the West End clubs), J. W. Danahay, F. A. Joyce, S. P. Lees, S. Meynott. A. H. Reeve, A. Riley, and G. Wright. Miss Menchik is a Russian and has, I hear, been receiving considerable instruction from Herr G. Maroczy. Her play will be watched with considerable interest, and young Danahay, though too easily tempted into attacking variations, is a type of player never dull to watch.

"In Section B of the same tournament the entries are:—Miss Abraham, Mrs. R. P. Michell, Mrs. Sollas (an ex-champion of England), Major E. Montague Jones (donor of the cup in the current Six Counties Competition), Messrs. A. D. Barlow, Captain Dickinson, Wallace Henry King, P. C. Littlejohn, R. M. Norman, and W. G. Watson. Each of these sections ranks as a separate tournament, and the same applies to the second and third-class tournaments, there being one second-class section and two third-class sections; every section in the congress consisting of ten players. Two rounds will be played on Saturday, December 29, so as to finish all the sections, if possible, by Friday morning, January 4, leaving the afternoon free for the final prizegiving ceremony.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
Previously	All the Premier games have been available here and elsewhere for some years.
8 December 2022	Premier updated with game dates; nine subsidiary games added, plus crosstables.
27 November 2023	Added the game G.Wright 1-0 E.Price, First Class A.