22nd Hastings Premier, 30 December 1946 - 8 January 1947

Hastings Premier 1946/47		Fed	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	(Conel) Hugh O'D Alexander	ENG	&;	0	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	7½
2	Dr. Saviely Tartakower	FRA	1	&;	½	½	1	½	1	0	1	1	6½
3	Gudmundur S Gudmundsson	ISL	0	½	&;	½	½	1	1	1	1	½	6
4	(Daniel) Abraham Yanofsky	CAN	0	½	½	&;	½	1	1	1	½	½	5½
5	Gerald Abrahams	ENG	0	0	½	½	&;	½	1	1	1	0	4½
6	Harry Golombek	ENG	½	½	0	0	½	&;	1	½	0	1	4
7	Dr. James M Aitken	SCO	0	0	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	3
8	Maurice Raizman	FRA	0	1	0	0	0	½	0	&;	1	½	3
9	Lodewijk Prins	NLD	0	0	0	½	0	1	0	0	&;	1	2½
10	Gabriel J Wood	ENG	0	0	½	½	1	0	0	½	0	&;	2½

(BCM, February 1947) "THE 22nd HASTINGS CHESS CONGRESS

"THE Congress was opened by the Mayor of Hastings, Councillor F. W. Chambers, and Mr. Neill Cooper-Key, M.P., in the beautiful Lower Hall of the White Rock Pavilion, on Monday, December 30th, 1946. Reference was made to Major Everard Woods, of Ulster, who played in the First Class A Section. He learned his chess while in a Japanese prison camp. So enthusiastic had the players become, that a copy, written out by hand, was made of Dr. Tartakower’s famous book, “ A Breviary of Chess,” for the benefit of another camp. The major and Dr. Tartakower shook hands.

Hastings 1946/47 - photo from The Sphere, 11 January 1947
Round 1, 30 December 1946 - Dr JM Aitken (Black, with back to camera) faces Lod Prins

Then began a tournament in the Premier Section which, for interest and excitement, would be hard to beat.

Round 1: Yanofsky-Tartakower was a hard struggle, Yanofsky eventually emerging with the better ending, which he conducted skilfully until he reached a won position, only to relax and allow his opponent to snatch a draw by an astute manoeuvre. We give the game in full. Alexander was in his best form in his game against Wood. Aitken carried out a masterly attack and brought off a nice finish. Abrahams obtained a strong attack in the centre, which, however, left his King exposed, and he had nothing better than a repetition of moves. Raizman played strongly, but could not overcome the Icelander’s steady defence, which secured him an extra pawn.

Saviely Tartakower, Rd 1, 30 December 1946 - Hastings 1946/47 - photo from The Sphere, 11 January 1947

Daniel A Yanofsky - Hastings 1946/47 - photo from The Sphere, 11 January 1947

Round 2: Wood narrowly missed bringing off a sensational brilliancy which would have ranked as one of the best in chess literature, besides being of considerable theoretical interest. At the critical point and under time pressure he decided for the “ safe ” continuation and scored a meritorious draw. We shall give the game in full. Alexander won a good open game against Aitken. Gudmundsson showed himself equally at home in attack and defence. After Prins declined a draw, Gudmundsson proceeded to win... The finish is unusual, as both sides obtain a second Queen, Black Queens with a check, but is faced with an unavoidable mate. Note that after 1...Kf7; Black can only draw. Golombek-Raizman was a hard game in which the Frenchman showed his combinative qualities in a difficult position.

Round 3: Aitken’s game was a tragedy for the Scotch master. After the nervous strain of a complicated combination he sought relief in a manoeuvre which appeared to force exchanges with a won ending, but which in fact left him open to an elementary trap and immediate loss. We give the position in Diagram 3 as an earnest warning to the unwary, but without much conviction. Wood held his own for a long time until a subtle sacrifice by the French master brought about an immediate decision. Alexander played Alekhine’s attack... by strictly logical and powerful play scored his third win and took the lead, which he was to keep to the end. Prins did well to win a long and difficult game which looked drawish at the adjournment. Raizman-Abrahams was even at the adjournment, but Abrahams in the afternoon scored a well-earned point by a series of ingenious manoeuvres.

Round 4: After the intricacies of the middle game, Yanofsky had Rook and 3 pawns against Rook and 2, and Gudmundsson played very well to avoid defeat. Aitken had a dangerous attack, but after Tartakower had taken the necessary measures, the counter-attack prevailed. Golombek was a pawn up against Alexander, but it proved insufficient to win. Raizman’s first full point was gained by excellent play. The most exciting game in this round was Wood-Abrahams. Wood had two pawns in the centre against Abrahams’ two advanced pawns on the Queen’s wing. At the critical point Abrahams tried a most ingenious manoeuvre, but Wood found the right reply and won comfortably.

Round 5: Yanofsky-Golombek appeared fairly even at the adjournment, but Golombek, having played ...e6 in the Panov variation of the Caro-Kann, was still struggling to get his Q B into play when Yanofsky won by one of the best combinations of the Congress. Tartakower had an advantage against Gudmundsson who cleverly extricated himself. Wood overstrained his position against Aitken, who played very soundly to win in 28 moves. The game is given in full. Alexander had by no means the best of it against Raizman, who, however, relaxed, leaving Alexander with a won ending. Abrahams-Prins seemed to be in favour of Black at the adjournment, but Abrahams proved that this was not so, and won by a series of attractive and ingenious manoeuvres.

Round 6: Yanofsky won a fine game against Raizman. Golombek had the better position against Tartakower, who restored the balance by skilful manoeuvring. Gudmundsson had the worst of the position against Wood, who, however, failed to make headway against a stubborn defence and had to be content with a draw. Prins v. Alexander was an exciting affair; the Dutch player had by far the best of the exchanges, but, having secured a winning attack, he played an injudicious defensive move, and this one “ tempo ” changed the fortunes of the game. It let Alexander in with a deadly counter, and three moves later Prins resigned. We shall give the game in full. Aitken seemed lost defending the Wing Gambit in a Sicilian against Abrahams, who won as he pleased.

Round 7: Prins had the better of the exchanges against Yanofsky and had declined a draw before the adjournment. A premature advance of his Queen’s Pawn jeopardised his chances. The pawn became isolated and fell. It took very many moves after that to secure the draw. Tartakower was under the handicap of having to play for a win against his countryman, and Raizman, playing his best game in this tournament, scored a convincing victory. Wood-Golombek was an interesting game. Wood managed to set up a fierce attack, and at one point might well have won by exercising more restraint. The highlight of the game was Golombek’s subtle and far-seeing defence, which deserves to be called masterly, though his opponent no doubt called it heartbreaking in its accuracy. At one time Wood had by far the better chances. Gudmundsson’s handling of the French Defence against Aitken was typical of the Icelanders’ logical and imperturbable style. Alexander was in his element in a lively form of the Four Knights, beating Abrahams by a typical frontal attack in a war of movement.

Round 8: The tit-bit of the tournament: Alexander, with a lead of 2 points over his nearest rival and 2½ points over Gudmundsson and Yanofsky, scorned to play to the score and played all out to win. A game of the utmost brilliance resulted, in spite of Yanofsky’s resourceful defence. Alexander wended his way through a maze of .complications, and the spectators watched spellbound. The game will explain why. Prins-Tartakower and Raizman-Wood were two good fighting games, while Golombek beat Aitken in a good, if quiet, game. Abrahams, as Black, did not succeed in getting his usual attack going against Gudmundsson’s and scored a legitimate draw by perpetual check.

Round 9: Although the first prize had already been secured by Alexander, there was plenty of interest left in the last round, with Tartakower 5½, Yanofsky 5, and Gudmundsson 5, all in the running for second place, and Wood 2½, Aitken 2, and Prins 1½, trying to avoid the doubtful distinction of being last. Abrahams, playing Black against a Ruy Lopez specialist in Yanofsky, selected the Tarrasch Defence which, in spite of Euwe’s successful advocacy, is still thought by many to be inferior. Abrahams deserves praise for securing a draw, and a fighting draw to boot.

After yesterday’s pyrotechnics by Alexander, his play against Tartakower came as an anticlimax. He played rather lightheartedly and started a combination “ on spec ” without giving it his usual exhaustive analysis. The wily Dr. was not slow in finding a clever counter combination, which gave him the win and second prize after 30 moves.

Wood-Prins was an uphill struggle with chances for both... the critical position ... is worth studying. If readers will give us their analysis of the manifold and fascinating possibilities should White try to preserve his Rook, we shall publish the best effort in our next issue. Aitken-Raizman also was a tough struggle, as shown by the number of moves. In the end both had two Rooks, but Aitken had two extra if isolated pawns. Gudmundsson confirmed the high opinion which experts have formed of his play. Golombek is an opponent proverbially hard to beat. As a result of this round the ever-popular Dr. Tartakower secured the second prize, while Prins and Wood shared the last. Both had missed many opportunities to draw!

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1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves A

1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves A		Fed	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Eugene Znosko-Borovsky	France	&;	1	1	1	1	0	½	1	½	1	7
2	Hendrik Jan van Steenis	Netherlands	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
3	Dr. Kurt August Hirsch	Leicester	0	1	&;	1	0	1	1	1	0	½	5½
4	Richard Hilary Newman	London	0	0	0	&;	1	1	½	1	1	1	5½
5	Alfred Joseph Butcher1	Wolverhampton	0	0	1	0	&;	1	0	1	1	1	5
6	John James O'Hanlon	Ireland	1	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	0	4
7	Marcel Barzin	Brussels, Belgium	½	0	0	½	1	0	&;	0	½	1	3½
8	Henry Holwell Cole	London	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	1	3
9	J Wijker	Netherlands	½	0	1	0	0	0	½	0	&;	1	3
10	Theodore Magnus Wechsler	London	0	0	½	0	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1½

¹ BCM gives "A S Butcher" but newspapers (e.g. Hastings & St Leonards Observer) have A. J. Butcher

(BCM, March 1947) "The three sections of the Premier Reserves produced some very good chess, although quite a few of the games were not up to the standard expected of Premier Reserves. In looking through the lists one is struck by the number of fine players taking part, some of them of full master strength, to name but a few: Znosko-Borovsky, Milner-Barry, Ritson-Morry, Buerger, who was in the top flight until business cares made him give up chess, R. H. Newman, the first Army Champion, E. G. Sergeant, and others.

"May we suggest that a very fine tournament would have resulted by having only one section. Not only would it have been a very close contest and a help to the selectors for future premier events, but it would have been possible to give such a tournament proper notice in the press, an impossibility, when even a chess magazine could not give an adequate report on three sections. Nevertheless we give the tables of results of the three sections, and, space permitting, we hope to give some games in the March issue.

1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves B

1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves B		Nat'y/Resid.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Gordon Thomas Crown	Liverpool	&;	½	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	6½
2	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	Tiverton	½	&;	1	½	1	1	1	0	1	6
3	Michael Yatron	USA	0	0	&;	1	½	1	1	1	½	5
4	Edward Guthlac Sergeant	London	1	½	0	&;	0	½	1	1	0	4
5	Pieter C Seewald	Netherlands	0	0	½	1	&;	0	½	1	1	4
6	Francis Percival Wenman	London	0	0	0	½	1	&;	½	1	1	4
7	William Leonard Brierley	London	0	0	0	0	½	½	&;	½	1	2½
8	S H Roberts	Southport	0	1	0	0	0	0	½	&;	1	2½
9	Maurice Ellinger	London	0	0	½	1	0	0	0	0	&;	1½

1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves C

1946/47 Hastings Premier Reserves C		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	(Philip) Stuart Milner-Barry	London	&;	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	7
2	William Ritson Morry	Birmingham	½	&;	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	7
3	Eduard Spanjaard	Netherlands	½	½	&;	1	0	½	½	1	1	1	6
4	Victor Buerger	London	0	½	0	&;	½	1	1	½	1	1	5½
5	Dennis Morton Horne	London	½	0	1	½	&;	1	0	1	½	1	5½
6	Cecil George Butcher	London	0	0	½	0	0	&;	1	1	1	1	4½
7	Leonard Illingworth	Royston	½	½	½	0	1	0	&;	0	1	1	4½
8	Dr. Hans Georg Schenk	Oxford	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	&;	0	1	2½
9	Raymond Hampden Blomfield	London	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	&;	½	2
10	R E Hayley	Middlesex	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	&;	½

1946/47 Hastings Major A

1946/47 Hastings Major A		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Ralph Carter A Woodthorpe	Bushey	&;	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	7
2	Herbert Francis Gook	Croydon	0	&;	½	1	0	1	1	0	1	1	5½
3	Arthur Charles Samuel Pindar	Middlesex	0	½	&;	0	½	1	1	1	½	½	5
4	(William) George Whitaker	West London	0	0	1	&;	½	0	½	1	1	1	5
5	G Vader	Netherlands	0	1	½	½	&;	½	½	½	½	½	4½
6	Edwin Arthur Herringshaw	Sussex	0	0	0	1	½	&;	½	1	0	1	4
7	Dr. Francis Henry Charles Marriott	Cambridge	1	0	0	½	½	½	&;	½	½	½	4
8	Mrs Edith Mary Ann Michell	Kingston-upon-T	1	1	0	0	½	0	½	&;	½	½	4
9	Alfred Herman Reeve	Great Missenden	0	0	½	0	½	1	½	½	&;	½	3½
10	Harold H Watts	Southport	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	&;	2½

1946/47 Hastings Major B

1946/47 Hastings Major B		Nat'y/Resid	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Peter Fairbairn Copping	London	&;	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	7
2	H Gerritse	Netherlands	1	&;	½	½	½	0	1	1	1	1	6½
3	G S Wallis	Hastings	1	½	&;	1	1	1	0	1	½	0	6
4	Miss Fenny Heemkerk	Netherlands	0	½	0	&;	1	1	0	1	½	1	5
5	P S Dyer	Cambridge	0	½	0	0	&;	1	½	1	½	1	4½
6	G Slade-Lawrence	Blackpool	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1	0	1	1	4
7	Paul M Foster1	Hastings	0	0	1	1	½	0	&;	0	0	1	3½
8	Hugh Windsor Fieschi Heneage	Brighton	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	½	1	3½
9	Francis Harry Senneck	Farnham	0	0	½	½	½	0	1	½	&;	½	3½
10	Harold John Francis Spink Stephenson	Hastings	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	½	&;	1½

¹ 25-year-old Paul Foster's twin brother Patrick played in the Second Class section, while their 29-year-old brother Peter played in the Third Class section. (Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 4 January 1947, page 9)

Fenny Heemskerk - Hastings 1946/47 - photo from The Sphere, 11 January 1947

1946/47 Hastings Major C

1946/47 Hastings Major C		Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Alan Phillips	Stockport	&;	1	0	1	0	½	1	1	1	5½
2	Willington Lucette Wakefield	Coventry	0	&;	0	1	½	½	1	1	1	5
3	Alfred Dempster Whyte	Hastings	1	1	&;	0	0	1	½	½	1	5
4	Ronald Frank Boxall	Erith	0	0	1	&;	½	½	½	1	1	4½
5	John Christopher Hickey	Tipperary	1	½	1	½	&;	0	½	½	½	4½
6	Alfred Dudley Barlow	London	½	½	0	½	1	&;	0	½	½	3½
7	M J Jacobson	Netherlands	0	0	½	½	½	1	&;	0	½	3
8	Miss Mary Henniker-Heaton	London	0	0	½	0	½	½	1	&;	0	2½
9	T M Warburton	Epsom	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	1	&;	2½

Other sections (only a handful of names given in BCM - the rest pieced together from newspaper reports):

First Class A: (1) J Walker (Ewell) 7½/9; (2) Francis Avery Sisley (Chelmsford) 7; (3-4) T H van Eijndhoven (NLD), R Speirs (Northolt) 6½; (5) Major A Everard Woods (Northern Ireland - learnt to play chess whilst a POW of the Japanese in Malaya) 5; (6) Bernard Landon Wilkinson (Bolton) 4; (7) James Walter Frederick Greenleaf (Newport, Mon) 3½; (8) Thomas Eagle Lovell Chataway 3; (9-10) Mrs Melita Ida Elizabeth Seyd (London), Postma 1.

First Class B: (1) Newman Clissold (Liverpool) 7½; (2) Clement John Stapley¹ (Ashford, Kent) 6½; (3-5) Rev. Henry Middleton Blackett (Nottingham), George Arthur Peck (Esher), C H Taylor (Wells, Som.) 6; (6) A Torn (The Hague) 5; (7) James A Riccomini (Maidstone) 3; (8) Samuel Frederick Dalladay 2; (9-10) Albert Charles Holliday (Rochester), Walter Norman Emeny 1.

¹ Clement John Stapley born 1894, died 1984 - one of my first regular opponents when playing skittles chess at High Wycombe Chess Club in the late 1960s. Always 'Mr Stapley' to everyone in the club - I had no idea what his forenames were until discovering them online decades later - JS

First Class C: (1) Patrick Humphrey Sullivan (Dartford) 6½; (2) C H Hoffman 6; (3-4) W Henderson (Hastings), R L Nunn (Tring) 5½; (5) Kenneth J Bloodworth (London) 4½; (6-7) W H Jones (Hastings), G Wilson (Dudley) 4; (8-10) Miss Kate Harris Passmore (Exeter), R A Barrand (Maidstone), Walters 3.

Second Class (11 players): (1) Patrick M Foster (Hastings) 8½; (2-4) (Sidney) Roy Hossell, J/T Watts, Ernest Ephraim Weedon (Cowes) 7½; (5) Mrs van der Bergh (Netherlands) 6½; (6) Behrndt 5; (7) Mrs Helen Muriel Cobbold 4½; (8) Roper 4; (9) Mrs Lewis 3; (10) Miss Mannington 1. (Despite announcing 11 players, the report in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 11 January 1947, names only ten)

Third Class (12 players): (1) Gerald Bertram Blight 8½; (2-3) Peter V D Foster (Hastings), (Dr) J E Payne (London) 8; (4) Berry 7½; (5-6) Mead, Selway 7; (7) Griffiths 6; (8) Peter Bernard Ginner 5½; (9) M Phillips 3½; (10) Baker 3; (11) Howgrave 1½; (12) Appleton ½.

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"The prizes were distributed by the Deputy-Mayor, Councillor Mrs. A. W. Farnfield, M.B.E., J.P. Excellent speeches were made by Mrs. Farnfield, C. H. O’D. Alexander, A. R. B. Thomas, who was genuinely and pleasantly witty, A. Rider, and by two of our Dutch friends, H. van Steenis and E. Spanjaard, who rendered the friendliest feelings in excellent English.

In proposing a vote of thanks to the Hastings Chess Club, the Editor of the "British Chess Magazine" [Julius du Mont] said—

"... No corporate body has for so long done so much, not only for British, but also for world chess. Hastings discovered Pillsbury, and now, after seven years of trouble and tribulations, Hastings has re-discovered Alexander.

"On watching the play in all the various sections of this tournament, I was struck by the high standard reached by many of the players. This is in keeping with the trend of chess generally. Look at the games in the Premier Section; examples of the best modern style were produced day by day. Note their fighting qualities and the very small proportion of draws, compared with tournaments thirty to forty years ago. It is most remarkable.

"There must be some special appeal about Hastings and their lovable inhabitants. Otherwise why should distinguished players come from distant lands to play for small prizes?

"Having achieved so much, the question now is how to achieve more. The answer is, I think, in offering prizes on the scale prevalent in other countries. This is a matter depending solely on the individual chess enthusiast. Everyone who derives much of his pleasure in life from the game, should give financial support yearly to organisations such as the Hastings Chess Club or the B.C.F. to the fullest extent of their means and without waiting to be asked. No doubt the majority of those present are already doing their utmost year by year. They can do more. They can bring in all their friends, make it a snowball. Mr. Churchill said, give us the tools and we will finish the job. They might well say, give us the money and we shall do likewise.

"British chess will then rise like Phoenix from the ashes and revive past glories.

"I must not omit to express my admiration for the splendid organization due to the selfless efforts of Messrs. A. Rider and Victor Rush, with the able assistance of Miss Lankey.”

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File Updated

Date	Notes
(some years ago)	Games previously uploaded as part of a collection of Hastings games
12 November 2020	Loaded as an individual file, with 12 games from subsidiary sections, crosstables, etc.
13 November 2020	Brian Denman has contributed two more games from subsidiary sections: R.Newman - H. Cole, Premier Reserves A, and A.Holliday - W.Emeny, First Class B. Thanks, Brian.
13 November 2020	Sean Coffey sent me a longer version of the game Znosko-Borovsky-O'Hanlon, Premier Reserves, Rd 5, than the one which I sourced from the Hastings & St Leonards Observer. Many thanks, Sean.
9 March 2022	Added some photos from The Sphere, 11 January 1947.
28 May 2022	Added the game R H Blomfield 0-1 W Ritson Morry (Premier C) which I had previously misfiled in the 1947/48 Hastings file. Apologies for the mix-up.
12 July 2022	Two games added: (1) H.Cole 0-1 E.Znosko-Borovsky (Premier Reserves a); (2) F.Heemskerk 1-0 H.Heneage (Major B). My thanks to Gerard Killoran who contributed them via the English Chess Forum.
4 December 2022	The score of Tartakower-G.Wood, rd 3, is unchanged but I have added a note about White's 30th move. Some secondary/contemporary sources give 30 Qf4 but BritBase and CB Mega Database both give 30 Qh4. The tournament book, written by Kmoch and Prins and published by Chess, Sutton Coldfield, in 1947 gave Qh4 while a UK regional newspaper a few days after the game was played gave Qf4. The moves appear to be of approximately equal strength. As far as I can ascertain the game score did not appear in BCM, The Times or CHESS magazine.
7 February 2023	Added one game: R.Newman 0-1 H.van Steenis (Premier Reserves A). My thanks to Ulrich Tamm.
22 August 2024	Correction applied to Golombek-Raizman (10 Re1 & 12 Rc1 played as given in the Kmoch/Prins tournament book).
27 August 2024	I ran a comparison of the scores here with here with those on ChessBase's Mega Database 2022 and chessgamesdotcom - a few minor emendations made.