3rd Anglo-Dutch Match: Great Britain vs Netherlands, The Hague, 28-29 May 1939 - Match Drawn 10-10

	Netherlands	Rd 1	Rd 2	Great Britain
1	Max Euwe	0-1	½-½	C Hugh O'D Alexander
2	Salo Landau	1-0	0-1	Sir George Thomas
3	Johannes van den Bosch	1-0	½-½	P Stuart Milner-Barry
4	Nico Cortlever	0-1	0-1	Reginald J Broadbent
5	Theo D van Scheltinga	½-½	½-½	Harry Golombek
6	George S Fontein	0-1	½-½	William Winter
7	Adrianus D de Groot	½-½	1-0	Edward Guthlac Sergeant
8	Willem Jan Muhring	1-0	1-0	Baruch H Wood
9	Emile Adolf J M Mulder	0-1	½-½	Frank Parr
10	J H C Fontein	½-½	1-0	Alfred Lenton
		4½-5½	5½-4½

GREAT BRITAIN v. HOLLAND [BCM, July 1939, p297]

The third annual Anglo-Dutch match was played at the Hague during the Whitsun holiday, and a very keenly contested struggle resulted in a draw. Some excellent games were played, and though on paper Holland seemed to have the strongest team, in actual practice the English side was rather unfortunate not to win.

The journey to the Hague was not without its incidents. The English team travelled to the Hague via Flushing [Vlissingen], and had to change half-way through the journey from a train which was going on into South Germany. Unfortunately one of the players was missing and considerable anxiety was aroused when the time drew near for the train to leave for its German destination. However, some vociferous shouting on the part of the English team proved effective and a face completely covered in lather popped out of one of the windows—the missing member of the team had taken it into his head to shave! He was persuaded to leave the train in the midst of this operation but not before his remarkable appearance—stripped to the waist and with face white with shaving-soap—had succeeded in sending the German and Dutch occupants of the train into fits of laughter.

This auspicious incident considerably encouraged the remainder of the English team (though not, we are afraid, the actual begetter of the affair); anyway, England unexpectedly won the first round by 5½-4½.

Dr. Euwe made a downright blunder in the opening losing a Pawn but gaining an attack in compensation. However, the middle game was played in excellent incisive style by the British champion, who found a combination which took the ex-world champion by complete surprise.

Thomas v. Landau was a hard fight which looked like a draw for some time, until Thomas made a mistake by which he had to lose either a Bishop or two Pawns. He chose the latter course but his game was naturally hopeless.

Van den Bosch unleashed a series of sacrifices against Milner-Barry, winning in a style very characteristic of his opponent. Broadbent won in very sound and impressive style against the new Dutch star, Cortlever. The northern champion has the ideal match temperament—aggressive, but never allowing his opponent the slightest chance.

Golombek won a Pawn in the middle game against van Scheltinga but was unable to win the resulting Queen and Pawn ending.

Winter won a very fine positional game against Fontein. The latter's King’s Indian was treated in model fashion by the ex-British champion. Sergeant defended the Ruy Lopez with the Steinitz Defence Deferred, to which de Groot replied with the fashionable P—QB4. Though the Dutch player lost a Pawn by a blunder, a drawn Rook and Pawn ending was eventually reached.

Muhring held on to the gambit Pawn against Wood who was unable to find any compensation for its loss. Parr won in most pleasing style against Mulder who badly neglected his development. Lenton v. Fontein was drawn all the way.

So England won the first round 5½-4½ and hopes ran high of securing a victory for the second year in succession. However, in the second round, after appearing likely to win for a considerable time, the English team just lost by 4½-5½.

Dr. Euwe obtained the better game out of the opening and increased his advantage in the middle game. However, Alexander played the ending resourcefully, and the position was given a draw by Flohr on adjudication.

Landau had somewhat the better position against Thomas but incautiously touched a Rook with the intention of moving it to a square which would have permitted Thomas to mate him in two moves. He hastily moved the Rook to a different square but the loss of time involved by this meaningless move allowed Thomas to work up a most formidable attack to which there was no adequate defence.

Milner-Barry won a Pawn against van den Bosch and appeared to have a win on the adjournment. After the resumption of play, however, the Dutch master put up an unexpectedly stern resistance and was able to obtain a draw by perpetual check.

Broadbent played a bad variation of the French against Cortlever but the Dutch player did not take full advantage of this and a position was reached in which neither side seemed to have more than a draw. From then on Broadbent completely outplayed his opponent and secured an easy win on adjudication, thereby setting up the magnificent record of six successive wins.

Golombek obtained an advantage out of the opening but his resourceful opponent eventually managed to equalise.

Winter had a difficult game for some time; however, he recovered ground through a lapse on the part of his opponent and a dead draw was soon apparent.

Sergeant had the draw well in hand right till the very end of his game v. de Groot, when he weakened just in the last few moves and the game was given a loss on adjudication.

Wood got hopelessly cramped in a King’s Indian and lost in 19 moves.

In the game Parr v. Mulder a completely blocked position was reached, Parr’s Pawn chain being aesthetically pleasing, but practically non-productive.

Lenton doomed himself to destruction by playing a bad variation of the Meran Defence.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
19 March 2002	Uploaded here as a zipped file.
13 October 2020	Now complete with dates, plus crosstable, more detailed names and the BCM match report.
14 October 2020	Small amendment suggested by Andy Ansel to Alexander-Euwe, round 2 (½-½) with Black playing 53...Rb8 rather than 53...Rb2 as given on Big/Mega Database 2020. 53...Rb8 is given in a newspaper source and also in Tony Gillam's 'Tournaments of 1939' booklet whereas I can't find any primary source for 53...Rb2. It doesn't make a huge difference to the game as a draw is agreed a couple of moves later.