Hooton/Leamington, England (July-26 August 1874)
1 2 3 4 5 6 Wins
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Owen 1 0 1 0 1 1 4
Skipworth 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
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Format: First to four wins, draws not counting.
Time Control: 20 moves per hour.
Prize: Provincial Champion Cup
Stakes: 3 guineas (each)
Introduction
Provincial Challange Cup.—A second match has been commenced between the Revs. A. B. Skipworth and J. Owen for the possession of the above trophy, of which Mr. Owen is the present holder. The following is the latest score—Mr. Skipworth 2, Mr. Owen 2. (1)
Mr. Skipworth not being at all in form for serious play (as the games could testify), had a week's holiday in Wales, and then commenced another match, and the score now is—Owen, 2; Skipworth, 2; Drawn, 0. In one of the games, Mr. Owen lost through time, having made only 37 moves in two hours, the time limit being 20 moves to the hour, calculated at the two hours' end. Mr. Owen considering it hard lines that the Time Law should be acted upon, Mr. Skipworth proposed a compromise—that the game should be played out, that he (Mr. S.) would not score it unless he won it, and that if the game was lost by Mr. S. through a mistake (the position being such that only a mistake could lose it for him) it should not be scored against him. The game was played out, and Mr. Skipworth won. The match is adjourned until after the Counties' Meeting at Birmingham, and the remaining games will probably be played, ere very long, at Lincoln. (2)
Nothing daunted by this decisive defeat, Mr Skipworth challenged his opponent to another contest on the same terms, which is now in course of progress (having only been adjourned during the week of the meeting of the Counties Chess Association), and wherein the score stands at present 2 all, drawn 0. (3)
The Provincial Challenge Cup.—The match between the Revs. J. Owen and A. B. Skipworth for the possession of the Provincial Challenge Cup was resumed at Leamington on the 25th of last month, and brought to a conclusion on the following day, the final score being—Rev. J. Owen, 4; Rev. A. B. Skipworth, 2; Drawn, 0. (4)
Provincial Challenge Cup.—The match between the Rev. J. Owen and the Rev. A. B. Skipworth for the Provincial Challenge Cup, the commencement of which was reported in our issue of the 15th ult., has now been finished, and resulted in favour of Mr Owen, who came out victor with a score of 2 to 2, drawn 0. (5)
The Contests for the Provincial Champion Cup.—Since out last issue, the match between Mr. Owen and Mr. Skipworth has been played out, and Mr. Owen won, the score being Owen 4, Skipworth 2, Drawn 0. (6)
Notes
One of the two extant games of their prior match is dated as being played on July 20th. After that match Skipworth reportedly went to Wales for a "week's holiday" and then returned to Hooton to start this fourth match against Owen. They played four games before adjourning to attend the Counties' Chess Association congress in Birmingham which began the week of August 3rd. This fourth match must have begun no later than July 29th to allow for four daily games to have been played (as no play occurred on Sundays for these matches). It is unclear why the match was finished in Leamington, however, Owen may have been temporarily residing there while visiting family, as a listing in the Royal Leamington Spa Courier, 1874.08.22 (and 1874.08.29), p10, indicates "Owen Mrs & fam., Coleshill H." in it's Residents, Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry column (under the "11. Leam Terrace" section) and an "Owen 11 32" is listed under the Index to the Names of Residents and Visitors section.
Sources
(1) White Collection Scrapbook, London Figaro (column dated 1874.08.05), pdf-p50
(2) Chess Players' Chronicle, v4 n4, August 1874, p123
(3) London Field, 1874.08.15, p174
(4) Illustrated London News, 1874.09.05, p236
(5) London Field, 1874.09.05, p269
(6) Chess Players' Chronicle, v4 n5, October 1874, p154
Kibitzing
