5th Hastings Congress, 27 December 1924 - 3 January 1925, Hastings Town Hall

1924/25 Hastings Premier Section 1 (27 December 1924 - 2 January 1925)

1924/25 Hastings Premier Section 1		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Geza Maroczy	HUN	&;	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	6½
2	Fred Dewhirst Yates	ENG	0	&;	1	½	1	1	1	1	5½
3	(Jakob) Adolf Seitz	SUI	½	0	&;	½	1	1	1	1	5
4	Reginald Pryce Michell	ENG	0	½	½	&;	½	1	1	1	4½
5	Capt. Percivale David Bolland	ENG	0	0	0	½	&;	0	1	1	2½
6	Hubert Ernest Price	ENG	0	0	0	0	1	&;	0	1	2
7	Lajos Steiner	HUN	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	2
8	Leslie Charles Gwyn Dewing	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	0

1924/25 Hastings Premier Section 2 (27 December 1924 - 2 January 1925)

1924/25 Hastings Premier Section 2		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Endre (Andreas) Steiner	HUN	&;	1	½	½	1	1	0	1	5
2	Dawid Przepiorka	POL	0	&;	½	1	1	½	1	1	5
3	Saviely Tartakower	FRA	½	½	&;	0	1	1	1	1	5
4	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	ENG	½	0	1	&;	½	1	½	1	4½
5	Edgar Colle	BEL	0	0	0	½	&;	1	1	0	2½
6	George Marshall Norman	ENG	0	½	0	0	0	&;	1	1	2½
7	Harold Saunders	ENG	1	0	0	½	0	0	&;	1	2½
8	Arthur John Mackenzie	ENG	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	&;	1

Hastings Premier, Final Round, 3 January 1925 [Play-Off involving top three finishers of the two sections]

1924/25 Hastings Premier Play-Off
G Maroczy	½-½	S Tartakower	Alekhine's Defence, 23 moves
E Steiner	0-1	F Yates	Zukertort's, 20 moves
D Przepiorka	1-0	J A Seitz	QGD, 26 moves

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1924/25 Hastings Premier Reserves

1924/25 Hastings Premier Reserves		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Karel Opocensky	CZE	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	6½
2	John Arthur James Drewitt	ENG	½	&;	1	½	½	½	1	0	4
3	Edmund Tom Jesty	ENG	0	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	4
4	John MacAlister	ENG	0	½	1	&;	0	½	1	1	4
5	Dr Vickerman Henzell Rutherford	ENG	0	½	0	1	&;	½	1	½	3½
6	Patrick Charles Littlejohn	ENG	0	½	0	½	½	&;	0	1	2½
7	Richard Edward Lean	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	2
8	George Wright	ENG	0	1	0	0	½	0	0	&;	1½

1924/25 Hastings First Class Section 1

1924/25 Hastings First Class Section 1		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	George Frederick Harold Packer	ENG	&;	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	6
2	Edith Charlotte Price	ENG	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	1	5
3	Sydney Gerard Howell-Smith	ENG	0	1	&;	½	1	0	1	1	4½
4	Henry Wickham Hore	ENG	0	0	½	&;	½	1	1	1	4
5	Francis Albert Joyce	ENG	1	0	0	½	&;	½	0	1	3
6	Frederick Wilkinson	ENG	0	0	1	0	½	&;	½	1	3
7	(William) Arthur Winser	ENG	0	0	0	0	1	½	&;	½	2
8	E J Scrimgeour	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	&;	½

1924/25 Hastings First Class Section 2

1924/25 Hastings First Class Section 2		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Lachlan McLean	ENG	&;	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	6
2	Vera Menchik	CZE	½	&;	1	½	0	1	1	1	5
3	Wallace Henry King	ENG	½	0	&;	0	1	½	1	1	4
4	Alfred Dudley Barlow	ENG	0	½	1	&;	0	1	1	0	3½
5	Commander Robert Douglas Graham	ENG	0	1	0	1	&;	0	1	0	3
6	R H Brown	ENG	0	0	½	0	1	&;	0	1	2½
7	Major E M Jones	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	2
8	Agnes Bradley Stevenson (née Lawson)	ENG	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	&;	2

In the play-off between the two First Class sections on Saturday, Packer beat McLean, Miss Price and Miss Menchik drew, and Howell-Smith and King drew.

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[BCM, February 1925, ppn 49-64]

HASTINGS CHRISTMAS CHESS FESTIVAL.

The fifth annual gathering of chessplayers at Hastings, under the auspices of the Hastings Borough Council and the Hastings Chess Club combined, met in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall on the evening of Saturday, December 27th, and daily from Monday, December 29th, to Friday, January 2nd. No less than ninety-two players participated in the tournaments, nine of them being masters or strong amateurs from the Continent. As Mr. H. E. Dobell, president of the club, remarked at the preliminary assembly, the large number of entries received this year had enabled the organisers to make a considerable enlargement of their original plans. But for this, of course, larger funds were required, the prize fund of £175 being by no means the only item. The loan of the Council Chamber, however, and a liberal contribution from the Council are two of the things that put Hastings in a position to carry on so successfully this annual affair.

Alderman W. J. Fellows, the Mayor, having welcomed the visitors to Hastings on behalf of the Town and Corporation, the actual work began just after 6 p.m. on December 27th. All the competitors in the two Premier sections put in their appearance, except that Price was a victim of holiday railway derangements (as also was Joyce in first Class, Section I). The Premier Reserves were even stronger than was originally announced, Opocenski (Czecho-Slovakia) sending in a late entry, and Drewitt consenting to fill a vacancy. A few vacancies in lower sections were filled up by Monday, so the number for which the programme allowed—ninety-two—was complete.

We give below a record, round by round, of the two Premier ournaments, some account of the Premier Reserves, and very brief descriptions of the other tournaments.

As a matter of fact, the round-by-round record does not represent the exciting nature of the finish in both sections, as it gives the results on which they did not occur! The exact position at 5-30 p.m. on Friday [2 January] was:—

Section I—Maroczy first, with 6½; Seitz, finished, 5; Yates, 4½ with a game to finish with Dewing; Michell, 3, with games to finish with Dewing and Bolland.

Section II.—Tartakover and Przepiorka, 4½ each, still playing another; Sergeant, finished, 4½; A. Steiner, 4, finishing a game with Colle. But five minutes after the half-hour Steiner had beaten Colle, so that if Tartakover and Przepiorka agreed to draw, they would both only tie with him.

In Section I Michell disposed of Dewing, but could only draw with Bolland. Yates, taking on Dewing after the latter had played Michell, at the third sitting brought about a book-ending Rook and Pawn v. Rook, in which the superior forces win. Thus he gained second place in the section with a score of 5½, Seitz being third with 5.

As has already been said, Tartakover and Przepiorka could only draw, which produced a triple tie in Section II. There was no time to play the tie off, and the players being willing to leave the arrangement of the pairing to the Committee (the financial aspect of the prize distribution being duly attended to), the Committee settled the pairs for the next day. Where one player had had four Blacks during the week he was given White ; where both had, the decision was by lot.

Final Round, January 3rd [1925]

1924/25 Hastings Premier Play-Off
G Maroczy	½-½	S Tartakower	Alekhine's Defence, 23 moves
E Steiner	0-1	F Yates	Zukertort's, 20 moves
D Przepiorka	1-0	J A Seitz	QGD, 26 moves

The first game was of a conventional character and presented no particular points of interest. The other two, on the contrary, were fine efforts on the part of Yates and Przepiorka, and showed that neither of these players had been exhausted by a week’s hard chess.

Premier Reserves.

In the first round Opocenski and Drewitt met, and after they had drawn it was hoped that there might be a good race for first prize between these two. As a matter of fact, however, there was no such race. Opocenski won his remaining six games, whereas Drewitt dropped half in the third round, another half in the fifth, and a whole point in the sixth, when Jesty passed into second place. It then looked as if, while Opocenski must be first, Jesty would be second and either Drewitt or Macalister third—Jesty being 4, Drewitt 3½, and Macalister 2½, with an adjourned game. But Macalister drew his adjourned game and beat Jesty in the final round, Drewitt halved the points in his last game, and so there came about a triple tie for second and third prizes. As time was so short, a division of the prizes was agreed to.

The Czecho-Slovakian master had an easy run; but we cannot help feeling that Drewitt could have pressed him much more closely, had he had a mind to. It was, perhaps, unfortunate that they met in the first round. Jesty and Macalister played some good chess, as also did Dr. Rutherford.

First Class.

In Section I Packer walked right away from the start and dropped nothing until the last round, when Joyce defeated him—the first prize then being safely his. Miss Price and Howell-Smith had a good race for second place, the lady champion gaining it by half a point.

In Section II MacLean, as might have been expected of the old Cambridge University player, rather outclassed the rest. He had however, a narrow escape against Miss Menchik in the second round ; and in the last round he was content to draw with King. The last-named won his first three games, but scored nothing further till the 6th round. Miss Menchik, who, though inconsistent, played some very good chess, passed King in the 5th round and secured second Pnze.

In the play-off between the two sections on Saturday, Packer beat McLean, Miss Price and Miss Menchik drew, and Howell-Smith and King drew.

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First Class Reserves, Section I: (1-2) Stephen Poulson Lees, H Ward 5½/7; (3-4) Mrs. Amabel Nevill Gwyn Sollas, J H Wise 4; (5) E Atkinson 3; (6) W D Wyght 2½; (7) Miss Emily Eliza Abraham 2; (8) T Moody 1½.

1924/25 Hastings First Class Reserves Section 2		Draw No.	Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Dr. E H Smith	2	ENG	&;	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	5½
2	Laszlo Toth	3	HUN	½	&;	1	0	1	1	½	1	5
3	William Gordon Watson	7	ENG	0	0	&;	1	1	1	0	1	4
4	Captain Arthur Edward Dickinson	8	ENG	0	1	0	&;	0	1	1	1	4
5	Mrs. Edith Mary Ann Michell	1	ENG	½	0	0	1	&;	0	1	1	3½
6	Henry Monmouth Basing Paulet	6	ENG	½	0	0	0	1	&;	½	½	2½
7	Hon. Frederick Gustavus Hamilton-Russell	5	ENG	0	½	1	0	0	½	&;	0	2
8	Francis Albert Riley	4	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	&;	1½

Source of crosstable and draw numbers for this section: Magyar Sakkvilag (my thanks to Ulrich Tamm for supplying information)

In the play-off Dr. Smith beat Ward, Toth (a Hungarian amateur) beat Lees, Watson beat Mrs. Sollas.

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Second Class, Section I: (1) Robert Don Gillon-Fergusson 5½/7; (2) W Stevens 5; (3-4) A S Kidney, Alfred Herman Reeve 4½; (5) Professor Robert William Genese 3½; (6) Albert Henry Hart 3; (7) Walter Ernest Leffler 2; (8) H J Ewart 0.

Second Class, Section II: (1) Philip Ashby Ursell 6/7; (2-3) Raymond Hampden Blomfield, Miss Minnie Musgrave 4½; (4) Captain Hubert George McMullon 3½; (5) Alfred Mortlock 3; (6-7) A Kirby, (Philip) Leslie Jones 2½; (8) Wilfred J Baumgartner 1½.

In the play-off Gillon-Ferguson beat Ursell, Miss Musgrave beat Stevens, Reeve drew with Blomfield.

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Third Class, Section I: (1) Victor Arthur Coates 8/9; (2-3) Mrs. Chase, John E Coleman 6½; (4) Henry Stanley Shelton 6; (5) W A Boutcher 5; (6) Rev. W Harvey 4; (7) A E Grey 3½; (8) Mrs. Ayris 3; (9) D R Mitchell 1½; (10) Miss Jennings 1.

Third Class, Section II: (1) H N Collins 8/9; (2) Leonard Stanley Hanson-Powter 7; (3) L G Norman 6½; (4) W F Freeman 6; (5) A Deitz 5; (6) Miss Rogers 4½; (7) George Shoesmith 4; (8) W Harvey 2½; (9) D W Riley 1½; (10) Miss Watson¹ 0. (There was no play-off for the prizes in these sections.) ¹ not Miss Georgiana Watson, who played in pre-war BCF congresses, as she died in 1919.

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The prize-distribution took place in the Council Chamber at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 3rd, the Mayor of Hastings presiding, and Lady Margaret Hamilton-Russell making the presentations to the fortunate winners.

There were only two extra events during the week. On Monday afternoon there was a lightning tournament of 28 players, in which the four prizes were won by Tartakover, Przepiorka, Opocenski and A. Steiner respectively. On Friday night Tartakover gave a simultaneous exhibition against 19 opponents, defeating 18 and drawing with one.

On Wednesday morning, December 31st, play was interrupted for a few moments, in order that Mr. Dobell should make a presentation to Mr. Burn of an album containing the signatures of the town officials, the committee, the players, and the visitors, and conveying the heartiest congratulations to the great English master on his attainment of his 76th birthday. The very warm applause showed that Mr. Dobell’s words in presenting the album were echoed by all.

Once more we must congratulate Hastings and the Congress sub-committee—on this occasion, Messrs. Dobell, Wickham Hore, Jackson, Kirkpatrick, Lewcock, Packer and Norman (hon. secretary) —on a splendidly managed chess festival.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
(some years ago)	Original upload as separate files.
9 March 2022	Now brought together into one file covering both sections of the Premier; added full dates, crosstables, results of other sections, etc.
12 February 2023	Added one game: V.Menchik 0-1 R.D.Graham (First Class Section 2). Many thanks to Brian Denman.
13 February 2023	Added one game: Dr. E.Smith 1-0 W.G.Watson (First Class Reserves Section 2). Many thanks to Andy Ansel. Note that I have also corrected and adjusted the headers and names of other games from lower sections. A major contributory factor was the confusing and arbitrary naming of subsidiary sections at Hastings which was particularly so in 1924/25 with classes divided up into two sections. This made it harder to fit in a suitable competition identifier into the field provided by chess database software.
19 February 2023	Game score amendments applied to the following: (1) Yates 1-0 Bolland (Section 1, rd 4); (2) Sergeant 1-0 Tartakower (Section 2, rd 3); (3) Przepiorka 1-0 Mackenzie (Section 2, rd 4); (4) Norman 0-1 Colle (Section2, rd 6). Many thanks to Andy Ansel. I have also added some source references.
13 September 2023	Added a game: L.Toth 1-0 F.Riley (1st Class Reserves, Section 2). Also added, a crosstable for the section in which this game was played. My thanks to Ulrich Tamm for supplying the game and the information.
12 October 2024	Added the game WE Leffler 0-1 W Stevens, 2nd Class Section 1. Contributed by Gerard Killoran via the English Chess Forum, 11 October 2024, for which many thanks.