21st Hastings Premier, 28 December 1945 - 9 January 1946

1945/46 Hastings Premier		Draw No.	Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
1	Saviely Tartakower	2	POL	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	1	9½
2	Folke Ekström	5	SWE	0	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9
3	Arnold Denker	9	USA	0	0	&;	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	7
4	Max Euwe	3	NED	1	0	½	&;	½	1	½	0	1	½	1	1	7
5	Herman Steiner	10	USA	0	1	0	½	&;	1	½	1	0	1	1	1	7
6	James Macrae Aitken	11	SCO	0	0	½	0	0	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1	6
7	Lodewijk Prins	8	NED	0	0	0	½	½	½	&;	1	1	½	0	1	5
8	Sir George Alan Thomas	12	ENG	0	0	½	1	0	0	0	&;	0	1	1	½	4
9	Martin Christoffel	7	SUI	0	0	½	0	1	0	0	1	&;	0	1	0	3½
10	Jacques Mieses	1	ENG	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	0	1	&;	½	½	3
11	Paul Devos	4	BEL	½	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	½	&;	½	2½
12	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	6	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	½	&;	2½

1945/46 Hastings Premier: Round by Round Scores

Round-by-Round Scores		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
1	Tartakower	1	2	2	2½	3½	4½	5½	6½	7½	8½	9½
2	Ekström	1	1	2	3	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
3	Denker	0	1	1½	2½	3	4	4½	5½	5½	6	7
4	Euwe	1	1½	2½	2½	3½	3½	4½	5½	6	6½	7
5	Steiner	1	2	3	3	3½	3½	4½	5½	6½	6½	7
6	Aitken	0	1	1	2	3	3½	4	4	5	6	6
7	Prins	1	2	3	3	3½	4	4½	4½	5	5	5
8	Thomas	0	0	0	1	1½	2½	2½	2½	2½	3	4
9	Christoffel	1	1	1½	2½	2½	2½	2½	2½	3½	3½	3½
10	Mieses	0	½	1	1	1½	2½	3	3	3	3	3
11	Devos	0	0	½	1	1	1	1	1½	1½	2½	2½
12	Sergeant	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	1	1	1½	2½

THE HASTINGS CHESS CONGRESS (BCM, February 1946, pp33-36)

"The Hastings International Chess Tournament which has now come to a close has been one of the most interesting events of its kind and worthily heralded the resumption of international chess after six years of war.

"There was general disappointment when it was heard-at the last minute that the Russian players would not be able to come. Their places were filled up and the following were the competitors: J. Mieses; Dr. S. Tartakower, Poland; Dr. M. Euwe, Holland; P. Devos, Belgium; F. Ekstrom, Sweden; E. G. Sergeant, England; M. Christoffel, Switzerland; L. Prins, Holland; A. Denker, U.S.A.; H. Steiner, U.S.A.; Dr. J. M. Aitken, Scotland; Sir G. A. Thomas, England.

"If some of the competitors showed, more than others, in their play the influence of past sufferings, this was more than counterbalanced by an exceptional liveliness and fighting spirit. A token of this is the quite exceptionally low proportion of draws (only 16 in 66 games) and the fact that King’s Pawn openings were played far more often than the closed Queen’s Pawn (36-18 with 10 Irregular openings).

"At the end of the Sixth Round only half a point separated the first seven, Euwe, Prins and Steiner 3½, Ekstrom, Denker and Aitken 3. From then onwards the two ultimate winners relentlessly forged ahead with an unbroken series of wins.

"The victory of Dr. Tartakower was very popular. But, such was the friendly spirit of emulation between the masters, that the victory of any one of them would have been popular too. After a bad start, with a loss against Dr. Euwe with one of his famous “funny” openings, Dr. Tartakower settled down in real earnest and dropped only another ½ point to win a most convincing victory earned by sound but enterprising play. This victory must be particularly gratifying to the veteran (he is nearly sixty) at a time when youth in chess is carrying all before it. The find of the tournament was Ekström, of Sweden. Granted that the war has left Sweden practically untouched and that he has lately had strong practice and exceptional success in-Swedish tournaments, this was his first effort outside his own country and in international company. He settled down after some early mishaps and wound up with six fine successive wins. His strength is his steady temperament and sound judgment. He is a player to be reckoned with in international chess.

"Dr. Euwe, who shared the third prize with the Americans Steiner and Denker (U.S.A. champion), started as a strong favourite but was not in the form which gained him the world’s championship in 1935. There is little doubt that the terrible hardships Holland has gone through have temporarily left their mark on a highly sensitive mind. He also made a trip by car to Southampton at the critical time of the tournament to meet his sister just back from four years in a Japanese concentration camp and on her way to Holland—rather a disturbing element when playing in a masters’ tournament.

"Steiner and Denker have struck the onlookers as highly talented players, with, outwardly at least, an exuberant self-confidence. They are both rather impatient and apt to strain a position instead of improving it first before trying a short cut.

"Dr. Aitken, one of the British players, came immediately after the prizewinners within 1 point of their score. He has increased his reputation in this tournament. With wide technical knowledge and practical skill, he is a most reliable player, and with adequate master practice he should achieve even more.

"Prins, of Holland, showed great improvement over his previous form and has definitely reached master rank. Throughout the first six rounds he was among the leaders. In the Seventh Round he met Mieses and played the whole day a game lasting 107 moves, trying to win a drawn position. It seems to have taken the heart out of him, for he scored only half a point after this and his aged opponent did not score at all.

"Sir George Thomas played unevenly, losing or drawing against opponents certainly not his equals, yet winning a brilliant game against Dr. Euwe.

"Christoffel, the champion of Switzerland, was a disappointment. This is the first time he has played away from home and he could not reproduce the fine form he has shown at home. If he could play with more confidence good results would follow.

"Mieses, aged over 80, could, of course, not repeat the successes of his prime. But he confounded the critics by scoring four good draws and winning a game against the youngest competitor, Christoffel, to whom he was conceding 57 years, for which he was awarded the only brilliancy prize in the tournament. Mieses is the sole survivor out of the masters who took part in the great Hastings Tournament of 1895, a unique occurrence in the history of chess.

"Devos, champion of Belgium, was in poor health, but even so he seems to lack the necessary enterprise.

"Sergeant, who pluckily stepped in when the Russian players failed to appear, was in very bad form and started with four consecutive losses. He improved towards the end with several draws, but his first win, a fine one, came too late—in the last round. Both he and Sir George Thomas are over sixty.

"Final score: Tartakower 9½, Ekstrom 9, Euwe, Denker and Steiner 7, Aitken 6, Prins 5, Thomas 4, Christoffel 3½, Mieses 3, Devos and Sergeant 2½.

"Space permitting, we shall give details of the Premier Reserves and other tournaments in a future issue, together with examples of the play, which generally speaking was on a high level. An indication of this is found in the fact that Opocensky, the Czechoslovakian champion, who should have played in the Masters’ Tournament but arrived two days late as his plane had to return to Prague owing to the weather, did not have an easy passage in Section A of the Premier Reserves. He had to be content to share the first prize with Dr. H. G. Schenk. A. R. B. Thomas, who played some very fine chess, was third, and S. Kesten, of France, was fourth. B Section was won by W. H. Sandifort in very convincing fashion. He is a young player of whom more should be heard. Captain P. D. Bolland was a worthy second and was followed by Dr. K. A. Hirsch and G. van Doesburgh. A very strong player also is W. J. Muehring, also of Holland, who won C Section with Dr. J. C. Scheffer second, E. Spanjaard third, with J. J. O’Hanlon and J. C. Waterman equal fourth.

"In the Major A the first prize was won by J. Hobbs, who played splendid imaginative chess. Gunner J. T. Keable, new to public competitive chess, started badly with several losses but played up strongly after that to share the second prize with R. C. Woodthorpe. Major B was won by Sub.-Lt. A. F. Truscott. More will be heard of him in future tournaments. J. Keuzenkamp, of Holland, was a good second.

"The ladies had it all their own way in Major C, although some strong men players competed there. First prize went to Miss E. Tranmer, who played strong steady chess, second prize going to Miss Elaine Saunders, the British woman champion. There will be a battle royal between these two in the next competition for the Women’s Championship.

"Midway through the tournament the Mayor of Hastings invited all the competitors to tea in the Council Chamber. The famous two maces which are in evidence only on State occasions and during the meetings of the Council were exhibited for the first time in the history of Hastings at a private function. All the visitors were asked to sign the Visitors’ Book in the Mayor’s Parlour. The whole function had a pleasant old-world atmosphere and will be remembered by those present.

"The prizes were distributed on the last day by the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Mrs. A. W. Farnfield, J.P.), and speeches were made by the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and the President of the Hastings Chess Club (Mr. A. F. Kidney). Mr. A. Rider, the secretary, and Mr. W. H. M. Kirk, the treasurer and assistant secretary, were received enthusiastically; a token of recognition of their sterling and unremitting work which alone made the Congress possible.

"Mr. B. H. Wood replied for the visitors in a speech in which subtle humour and deeper feelings were nicely balanced; nor must we omit a short speech in English by Dr. Euwe which emphasized the feelings of friendship traditional between the Dutch and British nations—an excellent speech."

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HASTINGS CONGRESS (BCM, April 1946, p152)

PREMIER RESERVES SECTIONS

"The Premier Reserves Sections at the Hastings Congress, were overshadowed by the Masters’ Tournament, the first since the war. They could not be said to be at full strength, many eligible players being still with the Forces, or not yet released from their war-time occupation. Nevertheless, there was some good chess and some close finishes, the most striking was in Premier Reserves “ A,” where Opocensky, the Czechoslovakian champion, who arrived too late to take part in the Masters’ Tournament, could only share the first place with Dr. Schenk, a point ahead of A. R. B. Thomas. Group “ B ” and “ C,” were Dutch victories, the winners being W. H. Sandifort and W. J. Mühring, respectively.

"W. J. Mühring’s win was the most convincing in the Tournament. He won with a margin of two points, and the quality of his play indicates that he might well be tried higher."

n.b. the following tables were given in draw order, rather than in descending score order, in BCM. All three were scheduled to be 12-player events.

1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves A

1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves A		Draw No.	Resid.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Karel Opocensky	11	CZE	&;	0	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	8
2	Dr Hans Georg Schenk	1	ENG	1	&;	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	8
3	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	10	Tiverton	½	½	&;	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	7
4	Stefan Kesten	7	Paris	0	½	½	&;	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	6½
5	J J van O Brujn	2	NED	0	½	½	½	&;	1	1	0	½	1	1	6
6	G Kapsenberg	9	NED	½	½	0	0	0	&;	½	½	1	1	1	5
7	Dr Antonie Theodoor Knoppers	3	NED	0	0	½	½	0	½	&;	1	1	½	1	5
8	Alfred Joseph Butcher	8	ENG	0	0	0	½	1	½	0	&;	½	1	1	4½
9	George Marshall Norman	12	ENG	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	½	&;	0	1	2½
10	Leonard Illingworth	4	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	&;	0	1½
11	Ronald Lee-Johnson	6	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1

n.b. draw number 5 was blank - probably a player dropped out at the last minute

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1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves B

1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves B		Draw No.	Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Willem Henri Sandifort	1	NED	&;	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	7½
2	Percivale David Bolland	9	ENG	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
3	Dr Kurt August Hirsch	3	Leicester	½	1	&;	0	½	1	1	1	1	0	6
4	Gerrit R D van Doesburgh	11	NED	½	0	1	&;	0	0	1	1	1	1	5½
5	Anthony Hendrik Roose	8	NED	0	0	½	1	&;	1	0	0	1	1	4½
6	David Brine Pritchard	2	ENG	0	0	0	1	0	&;	1	1	0	1	4
7	Robert Douglas Wormald	12	ENG	½	0	0	0	1	0	&;	½	1	1	4
8	Henry Holwell Cole	10	ENG	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	&;	1	1	3½
9	Hugh Edward Guy Courtney	5	ENG	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	&;	1	2
10	Harry Heilbut	4	Netherlands	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	1

n.b. draw numbers 6 and 7 must have dropped out in the case of the above tournament.

Biographical note: Harry Heilbut (April 1917, Netherlands – 29 April 1981, Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel, aged 64 years) was a chess composer.

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1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves C

1945/46 Hastings Premier Reserves C		Draw No.	Resid.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
1	Willem Jan Mühring	7	NED	&;	1	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	9½
2	Dr Jurrien Cornelis Scheffer	3	NED	0	&;	1	½	½	½	1	0	1	1	1	1	7½
3	Eduard Spanjaard	2	NED	0	0	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	7
4	John James O'Hanlon	6	IRL	½	½	0	&;	0	½	1	1	½	½	½	1	6
5	James Chrismas Waterman	4	ENG	0	½	0	1	&;	½	0	1	1	0	1	1	6
6	G J Leembruggen	9	NED	½	½	0	½	½	&;	0	0	½	1	1	1	5½
7	(Francis) Percival Wenman	12	SCO	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	0	½	1	½	1	5
8	I V A / J Wijker	11	NED	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	&;	½	½	1	0	5
9	W Arthur Winser	1	ENG	0	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	&;	1	1	1	5
10	Maurice Ellinger	5	London	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	½	0	&;	½	1	4
11	Raymond Hampden Blomfield	10	Surrey	0	0	1	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	&;	1	3½
12	Klaus Friedrich Roth	8	ENG	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	&;	2

Remaining scores from Hastings and St Leonards Observer - Saturday 12 January 1946, page 6 (not given in BCM)

Major A: (1) J Hobbs 8½; (2-3) John T Keable, Ralph Carter Woodthorpe 6; (4) H G Spence 5½; (5-6) Sydney Gerard Howell-Smith, A Slob(!) jnr 5; (7-8) Capt. Hugh Windsor Fiesch Heneage, J Primich 4½; (9) Edmund Arthur Beamish 4; (10-11) J Grossjohan, D Kuijl 3.

Major B: (1) Alan Fraser Truscott 6; (2) J Keuzenkamp 5½; (3) A L Gordon (Hampstead) 5; (4) Harold John Francis Stephenson 4½; (5) Francis Harry Senneck 4; (6-7) David C Egginton, Alfred Dempster Whyte 3½; (8) Robert Evelyn Hayley¹ 2½; (9) Alfred Herman Reeve 1½.

¹ Full name probably Robert Evelyn Hayley (1920-1996) but there's an outside chance his name could be Ronald Edwin Hayley (1923-2007).

Major C: (1) Eileen Betsy Tranmer 7½; (2) Elaine Saunders [later Pritchard] 6½; (3-4) Catharina Roodzant (NED), M E Smith 5½; (5-6) Fenny Heemskerk (NED), Edwin Arthur Herringshaw 5; (7) Herbert Francis Gook 3½; (8-9) George W Rutland, Thomas M Warburton 2½; (10) L Burland 1½.

First Class A: (1) J C Pearce 9; (2-3) Edith Mary Ann Michell [née Tapsell], F T Thomas 7½; (4-5) B J i D Bosch, D A Thomas 6½; (6) B E Bishop 5½; (7) W F Jonker 5; (8-9) W H Jones, George Arthur Peck 4½; (10) Ian R Plummer 3½; (11-12) Kate Harris Passmore, Samuel Frederick Dalladay 3.

First Class B: (1) (William) George Whitaker 8½; (2) Leslie E Vine 8; (3-4) Walters, Francis Avery Sisley 7; (5) (John Henry) Newman Clissold 6½; (6) C D Rooker 6; (7-8) J Hoffman, Patrick Humphrey Sullivan 4½; (9-10) C Maxwell, Charles Henry Taylor 4; (11) Frank Percival Pounce 3½; (12) E W Harrison 2½.

Second Class: (1) H Cohen (Hans Cohn?) 9; (2-3) Thomas Eagle Lovell Chataway, George William H Williams 6½; (4) Cecil George Harnden 6; (5) Mrs Melita Ida Elizabeth Seyd 5½; (6) Mrs Olive Cecily Richards¹ 4½; (7) Mrs Helen Muriel Cobbold 4; (8) Miss M Mannington 2; (9) Miss E B Johnston 1.

¹ In 1970 Olive Cecily Richards (1906-1986) married Thomas Eagle Lovell Chataway (1903-1971) who finished 2nd= in this section. Some biographical details about the two.

Third Class: (1-2) Walter Norman Emeny, Roy A Wagstaff [no score given]; (3) (Arthur) John Roycroft 5; (4-5) W G Baker, S G Mead 3½; (6) C Snook 2; (7) Miss J H van der Jagt 1.

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The Times, 29 December: "THE FIRST ROUND - FROM OUR CHESS CORRESPONDENT HASTINGS, Dec. 28 - The first International Chess Congress since the war opened here to-day with the following entry in the Premier Tournament:—J. Mieses, Dr. S. Tartakower (Poland), Dr. M. Euwe (Holland), P. Devos (Belgium), F. Ekstrom (Sweden), E. G. Sergeant (England), M. Christoffel (Switzerland), L. Prins (Holland), A. Denker (U.S.A.), H. Steiner (U.S.A.), Dr. J. M. Aitken (Scotland), and Sir George Thomas (England).

"This morning a telegram was received from the Soviet players regretting their inability to take part in the tournament, and their places were taken by Devos and Prins. In the absence of the Russians, Dr. Euwe must be reckoned favourite for the first prize, with Dr. Tartakower as the likely second.

"The English contingent will sadly miss the British champion C. H. O’D. Alexander, who finds himself unable to play. This is Dr. Aitken’s first appearance at a Hastings Christmas Congress, but his strong positional play should do well in the tournament. The participation of J. Mieses, the 80-year-old player, is something of a jubilee since he is the only survivor of the great Hastings Tournament of 1895.

"There are also three strong tournaments in the premier reserves, A, B, and C: the total number of competitors in the congress being 110."

"Mieses played a good game against Tarta-kower, but resigned when he had a probable draw under the impression that he had no move. Dr. Aitken lost a pawn in the middle game, and Dr. Euwe rapidly converted this advantage into a win. Steiner handled the opening in original style, and obtained a marked advantage. His opponent rashly accepted a pawn sacrifice and had a lost game when he threw his queen away."

The Times, Saturday 5 January 1946: "... [reporting on round 7] Dr. Euwe's game in this round against Sergeant had to be postponed till Sunday because his sister, who had been interned in a Japanese camp in Java throughout the war, was arriving to-day [4 January] at Southampton, where he has gone to meet her."

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1945/46 Hastings Pairing Table

1945/46 Hastings	1	2	3	4	5	6
Rd 1	1 v 2	11 v 3	10 v 4	9 v 5	8 v 6	7 v 12
Rd 2	3 v 1	7 v 8	6 v 9	5 v 10	4 v 11	12 v 2
Rd 3	1 v 4	2 v 3	9 v 7	10 v 6	11 v 5	12 v 8
Rd 4	5 v 1	4 v 2	8 v 9	7 v 10	6 v 11	3 v 12
Rd 5	1 v 6	2 v 5	3 v 4	10 v 8	11 v 7	9 v 12
Rd 6	7 v 1	6 v 2	5 v 3	9 v 10	8 v 11	12 v 4
Rd 7	1 v 8	2 v 7	3 v 6	4 v 5	11 v 9	12 v 10
Rd 8	9 v 1	8 v 2	7 v 3	6 v 4	10 v 11	5 v 12
Rd 9	1 v 10	2 v 9	3 v 8	4 v 7	5 v 6	11 v 12
Rd 10	11 v 1	10 v 2	9 v 3	8 v 4	7 v 5	12 v 6
Rd 11	1 v 12	2 v 11	3 v 10	4 v 9	5 v 8	6 v 7

This is the original BCF all-play-all pairing table which applied from 1904 to 1947.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
(some years ago)	Games previously uploaded as part of a collection of Hastings games
4 May 2022	Loaded as an individual file; All 66 of the 1945/46 Hastings Premier games, plus six games from subsidiary tournaments. The Premier games have been been available for some time here but now have dates and sources, with some move order adjustments. Also crosstables and results of minor events.
4 May 2022	Ulrich Tamm has contributed seven more games from subsidiary events. Premer Reserves A: (1) S Kesten 1-0 G Norman (rd 1); (2) G Kapsenberg 0-1 S Kesten (rd 3); (3) S Kesten ½-½ H Schenk (rd6). From Premier Reserves B: (4) P Bolland 0-1 W Sandifort (rd 8); (5) W Sandifort 1-0 H Cole (rd 9). From Premier Reserves C: (6) E Spanjaard 0-1 J Scheffer (rd 3); (7) W Mühring 1-0 WA Winser (rd 6). Many thanks, Ulrich.
1 June 2022	Two games from Premier Reserves B added: (1) H.Cole 1-0 H.Heilbut (rd 1); (2) H.Cole 0-1 G.Van Doesburgh (rd 8). My thanks to Brian Denman for the scores.
19 September 2023	Added three games played by Catharina Roodzant in Major C: (1) C.Roodzant 1-0 E.Herringshaw (rd 4); (2) G.Rutland 0-1 C.Roodzant; (3) E.Saunders ½-½ C.Roodzant. Many thanks to Ulrich Tamm for submitting the games.