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Editor: Dr Tim Harding
  Dr. Tim Harding   J. H. Blackburne     Paul Morphy   Correspondence Chess history book   Captain W. D. Evans

Blackburne early games with Atkins and Yates found

Chiefly as a result of the ongoing digitisation of newspapers by the British Newspaper Archive, some more Blackburne games have been found since the reprint of the book went to press.

See also our "More about Blackburne" page which includes corrections to the text of the book and information about another family member.

My book, on page 294, mentions Blackburne's visit to Leicester in 1890, where he played a 29-board simul on 19 March (+17 -6 =6) and an 8-board blindfold simul the following day (+4 -1 =3). On both days one of his opponents was the future multiple British champion H. E. Atkins, then only 17 years old who defeated the master on both occasions.

No game scores were available at the time I researched the book, but, as Jason Radley informed me today, the following game from the blindfold simul has now turned up. So this was actually Blackburne's second game with Henry Atkins; the first appears not to have been preserved. An A. F. Atkins also played in the first simul.

[Event "Leicester blindfold simul"]
[Site "Victoria Coffee House"]
[Date "1890.03.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"]
[Black "Atkins, Henry Ernest"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C45"]
[Source "Leicester Daily Mercury, 22 March 1890"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "1890.03.20"]
[EventType "simul"]
[EventRounds "8"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bb5 O-O 8.
O-O d6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bxc5 cxb5 11. Be3 Qg6 12. f3 f5 13. Nd2 f4 14. Bf2 Bh3
15. Bg3 fxg3 16. gxh3 Qh5 17. hxg3 Qxh3 18. Qe1 Rf6 19. Qf2 Rg6 20. g4 h5 21.
Qh2 hxg4 22. Qxh3 gxh3+ 23. Kh1 Rg2 24. Rad1 Ng6 {"At this stage of the game play was discontinued and after inspecting the position Mr. Blackburne resigned."} 0-1

Gerard Killoran sent us the following game which he recently found in a local Yorkshire newspaper. It will be included in any future edition of our book.

The game was played in a simultaneous display at Leeds Chess Club in 1907, when it was the only game the master lost. The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that Blackburne won 11 and drew 8. The game is significant because it pre-dates all the other known games he played with the future British Champion, F. D. Yates.

[Event "Leeds simul"]
[Site "Leeds Chess Club"]
[Date "1907.10.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Blackburne, Joseph Henry"]
[Black "Yates, Fred Dewhirst"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C31"]
[Annotator "Batley Reporter and Guardian, 8 Nov. 1907"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1907.10.28"]
[EventType "simul"]
[EventRounds "20"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Be2 exf4 5. exd5 Bxf3 6. Bxf3 Qh4+ 7. Kf1 Bd6
8. d4 g5 9. c4 c5 10. dxc6 Nxc6 11. Nc3 Nf6 12. Bxc6+ bxc6 13. Qf3 O-O 14. Bd2
Rab8 15. b3 Rfe8 16. g3 Qh6 17. gxf4 g4 18. Rg1 Kh8 19. Qg3 Nh5 20. Qxg4 Rg8
21. Qf3 Bxf4 22. Bxf4 Nxf4 23. Ne2 Nxe2 24. Qxe2 Qh3+ 25. Rg2 Rg5 26. Qf2 Rf5 0-1

All the other games on this page are numbered because they would have been included in the book had they been found in time. The first two are from a small tournament at the City of London Chess Club, which Blackburne played to "warm up" for the Berlin 1897 congress.

He won the event in London with a 5-2 score after losing in the first round. One of Blackburne's games from this tournament (against Thomas Physick) has still not been found and, because it is was drawn, it is quite possible that it was never published.

Page 366, Game 822, Blackburne - H. L. Jacobs

City of London Chess Club summer tournament (2), July 1897

Falkbeer Counter-Gambit (C31)

From the Illustrated London News of 31 July 1897.

1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 Nf3 dxe4 4 Nxe5 Bd6 5 Bc4 Nh6 6 d4 Qh4+ 7 g3 Qh3 8 Bf1 Qe6 9 Nc3 Bb4 10 Qe2 Qd5 11 a3 Ba5 12 b4 Qxd4 13 Bb2 Bb6 14 Rd1 Qe3 15 Qxe3 Bxe3 16 Nd5 Bb6 17 Nc4 0–0 18 Ncxb6 axb6 19 Nxc7 Ra7 20 Nd5 Bg4 21 Be2 b5 22 Nc3 b6 23 Nxb5 Re7 24 Rd5 f6 25 h3 Be6 26 Rd6 Bf7 27 g4 Nd7 28 0–0 Rc8 29 Nd4 Nf8? 30 g5 Ne6 31 gxh6 Nxd4 32 Bxd4 Rxc2 33 Bb5 Bh5 34 Rd8+ Kf7 35 Ba4 Re2 36 f5 Ra7 37 Bb3+ Ke7 38 hxg7 1–0

The latest tournament game to be discovered was sent to us by Alan Smith of Manchester.

Page 366, Game 824, J.W. Poole - Blackburne

City of London Chess Club summer tournament (5), July 1897

Two Knights Defence (C55)

From the Dublin Evening Herald of 31 July 1897.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 Nc3 Be7 5 d3 0–0 6 Be3 d6 7 Qd2 a6 8 h3 Ne8 9 a3 Be6 10 Bxe6 fxe6 11 0–0 d5 12 Bg5 Nd4! 13 Bxe7 Nxf3+ 14 gxf3 Qxe7 15 Kg2 Qf7 16 Qe2 d4 17 Nb1 Nf6 18 Rh1 Nh5 19 Qd1 Nf4+ 20 Kh2 Qh5 21 Qf1 Rf6 22 Rg1 Rh6 23 Rg3 Rf8 24 Nd2 Rff6 25 Rb1 Rfg6 26 Rxg6 Rxg6 27 Ra1 Rh6 0–1

In my book, some doubt was expressed about whether the tournament table in Gino Di Felice's book Chess Results was correct because we had not found independent confirmation of one result. Later, in the Westminster Budget of 5 November 1897 we found the following: "The previous first-class tournament just concluded was won by Mr. Blackburne, owing to the defeat of Mr. Evans, who was leading all through, by Mr. Poole." So it is true that Poole finished on 5/7.

The search continues for games from the poorly-reported early British Championships of the Twentieth Century. Blackburne played in all but one of these between 1904 and 1914; he missed 1912. The last was played in Chester shortly after the outbreak of World War One. Colours for some of the missing games may have been the opposite of what is stated in the book. The following game scores recently turned up:

Page 430, Game 970, Blackburne-H. L. Jacobs

British Championship, Hastings (3), 24 August 1904

Dutch Defence (A10)

1 c4 f5 2 g3 Nf6 3 Bg2 e6 4 Nh3 Nc6 5 Nc3 Be7 6 d4 0–0 7 0–0 Rb8 8 d5 Ne5 9 Qd4 d6 10 Qxa7 Bd7 11 b3 exd5 12 Nxd5 Nxd5 13 Bxd5+ Kh8 14 Qe3 Ng4 15 Qd2 Bf6 16 Bb2 Qe8 17 Bg2 Bxb2 18 Qxb2 Qh519 Qd2 Rbe8 20 Qg5 Qxg5 21 Nxg5 h6 22 Nh3 Rxe2 23 Nf4 Rfe8 24 Nxe2 Rxe2 25 Bf3 Re8 26 Bxg4 fxg4 27 Rfe1 This is as far as the game went in most sources. The Field says "Resigns"; B.C.M. October 1904 page 406 says "and White won." In the book, I said the game must have continued and quoted the Manchester Guardian, 27 August, saying: "Blackburne won the exchange against Jacobs, and though the latter fought tenaciously and advanced his pawns in a daring manner in the end game Blackburne succeeded in winning." We are grateful to John Saunders who has found the continuation in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 27 August 1904: 27...Rd8 28 a4 h5 29 b4 g5 30 b5 Kg7 31 a5 h4 32 a6 bxa6 33 Rxa6 Kf6 34 Ra7 d5 35 Rxc7 d4 36 Rc5 Be6 37 Rc6 Re8 38 Rexe6+ "R takes B" 38...Rxe6 39 Rxe6+ Kxe6 40 Kf1 "and wins" 1–0.

Page 431, Game 971, C.E.C. Tattersall-Blackburne

British Championship, Hastings (4), 25 August 1904

Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defence (C61)

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nd4 4 Nxd4 exd4 5 c3 Qg5 6 Bf1 Bc5 7 d3 Qe7 8 Nd2 f5 9 Be2 Nf6 10 0–0 fxe4 11 Nxe4 Nxe4 12 dxe4 dxc3 13 bxc3 d6 14 Bc4 Be6 15 Bg5 Qf7 16 Bxe6 Qxe6 17 Qh5+ Qf7 18 Qxf7+ Kxf7 19 Rfe1 Rae8 20 Kf1 Re6 21 f3 Rhe8 22 Rab1 b6 23 Red1 h6 24 Bc1 Rf6 25 Ke2 g5 26 h3 Rg6 27 c4 Rge6 28 Rd5 Rg6 29 Be3 Bxe3 30 Kxe3 Re5 31 Rb3 Kf6 32 Ra3 a5 33 Rb3 Ke6 Drawn.

Source: The Standard, 26 Aug. 1904.

 

Page 478. Game 1122. Blackburne – Fred Brown

British Championship, Oxford (10), 25 August 1910

Van ’t Kruijs Opening-> English Opening (A00 -> A20)

1. e3 e5 2. c4 d5?! 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qa5 5. Bc4 Bd6 6. Nf3 Nh6? 7. a3 c6 8. Ne4 Qc7 9. b4 0–0 10. Bb2 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Kh8 13. Qh5 f6 14. g4! Nd7 15. Rg1 Ng8 16. Bd3 g6 17. Qh4 Kg7 18. Qg3 Rae8 19 Qg2 Nb6 20. Rc1 Qd7 21. Bb1 a6 22. h4 Nd5? 23. h5 g5 24. Nxd6 Qxd6 25. Qe4 f5 26. gxf5 Ngf6 27. Rxg5+ Kh6 28. Qh4 Rg8 29. Rg3 Rxg3 30. fxg3 Rg8 31. e4 Rg5 32. exd5 Qxd5 33. Rc5 Qg2 34. Bxe5 Nxh5 35. Bf4 Qg1+ 36. Ke2 Qf1+ 37. Kxf1 1–0

Page 480, Game 1124, Edmund E. Macdonald-Blackburne

British Championship, Glasgow, 14 August 1911

Dutch Defence (A80)

1 d4 f5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 b6 5 c4 Bb7 6 Nc3 Be7 7 a3 0–0 8 0–0 Ne4 9 Bxe4 fxe4 10 Nd2 d5 11 Ne2 Bd6 12 Ng3 Rf6 13 cxd5 exd5 14 f4 Nd7 15 b4 Qe7 16 Qb3 Kh8 17 Bb2 Raf8 18 Rf2 Rh6 19 Ndf1 Qe6 20 h3 Nf6 21 b5 Bc8 22 a4 Ne8 23 Rc1 Qf7 24 Ba3 Bxa3 25 Qxa3 g5 26 Qc3 Rf6 27 Ne2 Rg8 28 Nfg3 g4 29 h4 Rh6 30 h5 Rg7 31 f5 Rf6 32 Rcf1 Nd6 33 Nf4 Nxf5 34 Nxf5 Bxf5 35 g3 Qd7 36 Qb3 Be6 37 Ng6+ Rfxg6 38 hxg6 Rxg6 39 Qb4 Qd6 40 Rf8+ Kg7 41 Qxd6 cxd6 42 Ra8 h5 43 Rxa7+ Kh6 44 a5 Kg5 45 axb6 Rg8 46 b7 Rb8 47 Rc1 '...and White won after about 20 more moves.' 1–0

Source: Globe, 14 Oct. 1911.

Page 493, Game 1160, R. H. V. Smith-Blackburne

British Championship, Chester, 11 August 1914

Queen's Pawn Game (A48)

1 d4 Nf6 2 e3 d6 3 Nf3 g6 4 b3 Bg7 5 Bb2 0–0 6 Be2 Ne4 7 Nbd2 Nxd2 8 Qxd2 Nd7 9 h4 Nf6 10 h5 Ne4 11 Qc1 c6 12 Bd3 d5 13 c3 Bf5 14 Qc2 Nd6 15 hxg6 hxg6 16 Ne5 Qc8 17 0–0–0 Ne4 18 g4 Bxg4 19 f3 Bxe5 20 dxe5 Bxf3 21 Qh2 Bh5 22 Rdg1 Qf5 23 Be2 Kg7 24 Bxh5 Rh8 25 Qe2 e6 26 Bf3 Rxh1 27 Bxh1 Nc5 28 Rd1 Rh8 29 Ba3 Nd7 30 c4 Rh4 31 Bb2 Nb6 32 Rf1 Rh2 33 Bg2 Qg5 34 Rf2 dxc4 35 Qf3 Qe7 36 Kb1 cxb3 37 axb3 Nd5 38 e4 Nb6 39 Ka2 Nd7 40 Rd2 c5 41 Qf4 Rh8 42 Bf1 a6 43 Rd6 Nb8 44 Qf2 Rc8 45 Ba3 Qc7 46 Bc4 Nd7 47 Bb2 Re8 48 Qd2 Nf8 49 Bc3 b5 50 Ba5 Qb7 51 Bf1 c4 52 bxc4 Rc8 53 Qd4 bxc4 54 Bxc4 Rb8 55 Bb6 Qe7 56 Bd8 Qb7 57 Rb6 Qd7 58 Qxd7 Nxd7 59 Rxb8 Nxb8 60 Bc7 Nc6 Drawn.

Source: Saturday Westminster Gazette, 19 Sept. 1914.

Here is Blackburne's last published game, so far found, from his final visit to Scotland. He gave one simultaneous display later, at the Imperial Club in London, but no games from it have as yet been found.

Blackburne & J. Borthwick v. W. Gibson & J. A. McKee

Consultation game, Glasgow Chess Club, 22 Oct. 1921

Scotch Game (C45)

Notes by Carrick Wardhaugh in the Glasgow Herald, 29 Oct. 1921.

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 A simpler defence than 4...Bc5. 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 Nc3 Bb4 7 Qd4 Qe7 8 f3 d5 9 Bg5 0–0 Steinitz gives here 9...c5 10 Bb5+ Kf8 11 Qd3 dxe4 12 fxe4 Qxe4+ 13 Qxe4 Nxe4 14 Bc6 Nxc3 15 Bxa8 Ne4+ 16 c3. 10 0–0–0 c5 11 Bxf6 11 Nxd5? would lose a piece. 11...gxf6 Quite safe, since White has no time for a King's side attack. 12 Qd3 12 Qxd5 would be risky. 12...Bxc3 13 Qxc3 d4 14 Qa3 Qe5 15 Bc4 Be6 16 Bxe6 fxe6 17 g3 Rab8 18 f4 Qd6 18...Qxe4 would tend to relieve White. 19 c3 Qb6 20 c4 Qc6 21 Rhe1 Rb4 22 b3 a5 23 Kc2 a4 24 Rb1 Ra8 25 Qb2 Rab8 The last half-dozen moves have considerably strengthened Black's position, but there is no demonstrable win. 26 Kd3 axb3 27 axb3 f5 The Black Allies thought this gave better prospects than winning the White Q and P for their two Rooks. 28 Qa2 Qb7 29 Qc2 Kf7 30 Kd2 fxe4 31 Qxe4 Qxe4 32 Rxe4 Rxb3 33 Rxb3 Rxb3 34 Re5 Rb2+ Drawn.

***

The first issue of the German chess history magazine Caissa (2016/1) included an article by distinguished grandmaster Robert Hübner about the first match between Blackburne and Steinitz, including a claim to have found a missing game in a long-lost manuscript.

Unfortunately Hübner had not seen my book when he wrote his article and has not divulged full details about how this MS came into his possession. He later wrote further articles based upon it.

Until Hübner (or the manuscript's owner) makes the source available for verification by third persons we are somewhat sceptical about admitting it to the Blackburne canon. The game score may be found in Tim's forthcoming Steinitz book.

 

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