| Amsterdam (1889) |
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Amsterdam, Netherlands (26 August-1 September 1889)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Score Place/Prize
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1 Burn • ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1st 400ƒ
2 Lasker ½ • ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 6 2nd 225ƒ
3 Mason ½ ½ • ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 5½ 3rd 125ƒ
4 Van Vliet 0 1 ½ • ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 5 4th 75ƒ
5 Gunsberg 0 0 ½ ½ • ½ ½ 1 1 4 5th 50ƒ
6 Bauer 0 0 ½ 0 ½ • 1 ½ 1 3½
7 Loman 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 • 1 1 3
8 van Foreest 0 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 • + 2
9 Leather 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - • 0
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Unplayed games: + for a win, = for a draw, - for a loss.
Venue: Cafe Red Lion.
Introduction
Preliminary arrangements appeared in the British Chess Magazine, August 1889, p. 318. Of course, they also appeared in the German tournament book cited below. "An International Chess Congress will be held at the Cafe Red Lion, Vygendam, Amsterdam, beginning on August 25th. There will be three classes, the first to consist only of acknowledged foreign masters, and some of the strongest Dutch players. Hours of play, 12 to 4 pm., and 6-30 to 10-30, each competitor to play one game with every other and two games each day, except on three evenings of the week, when unfinished games will be played out. If the entries do not exceed seven, it will be a two-round tourney. Time limit, 18 moves per hour. The committee will decide in which class each competitor will play." Johann Hermann Bauer,
Amos Burn,
Arnold van Foreest,
Isidor Gunsberg,
Emanuel Lasker,
Robinson Kay Leather,
Rudolf Loman,
James Mason, and
Louis van Vliet impressed the Committee sufficiently to gain admittance to the top group. Of these, Burn, Gunsberg, and Mason were already veteran Masters. Bauer and Lasker were less experienced internationally, having qualified as Masters by winning Hauptturniers at the German National Congress. Lasker, indeed, had done so only a month earlier. Van Foreest was the current Dutch champion. Loman and van Vliet were native Dutch players, though they resided in London at the time. Finally, there's Mr. Leather, a professor at Liverpool University. There is a report that Joseph Blackburne had entered and was expected to play, so Leather might have been promoted from a lower section to produce an even number of players. When Blackburne never showed up, Leather was allowed to remain in the Master section though he proved to be outclassed. Lasker started well, winning his famous double-bishop sacrifice game against Bauer in Round 1 and sprinting to 3-0. A loss to Van Vliet in Round 4 dropped him into a three-way tie for first with Gunsberg and Mason, while Burn (who had scored a draw and a bye in the first two rounds) kept chugging along, making up ground. Lasker got his bye in Round 7, and Burn took the lead with his fifth straight win. The Englishman made it six straight in Round 8, clinching at least a tie for first as Lasker drew. The younger man had a chance to catch up in the last round when he had White against Burn, but settled for second place with a quick draw. Fuller details can be found in the original tournament collection. Missing Game
Mason and Bauer did not submit a score from their second round game. Sources
British Chess Magazine, August 1889, p. 318.
Der Internationale Schachkongress zu Amsterdam im August 1889 / bearbeitet von Jur. Das. Dirk van Foreest und Cand.-Jur. Joan Diderik Tresling. Utrecht: J. E. Beijers, 1891.
Yenowine's News, September 29, 1889.
Credit
Original collection: Game Collection: Amsterdam 1889, by User: Phony Benoni.
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| page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 34 |
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| Dec-13-13 | | shallowred: I asked Santa for the Amos Burn biography by Richard Forster. |
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Jun-30-14
 | | Stonehenge: From the bio:
<so Leather might have been promoted from a lower section to produce an even number of players.> I don't think he was in a lower section:
http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=d... |
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Aug-05-14
 | | FSR: Burn, baby, Burn! Disco inferno! |
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| May-19-16 | | zanzibar: In case one is wondering, like me, about
<Yellowine's News> reference:Phony Benoni chessforum (kibitz #11710) Apparently it didn't get fixed yet. |
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May-19-16
 | | Phony Benoni: <zanzibar> I did fix the collection page, which is what was referred to. Didn't think to get the tournament t page as well. |
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| May-19-16 | | zanzibar: All's well that ends well. |
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Jun-18-17
 | | MissScarlett: <There is a report that Joseph Henry Blackburne had entered and was expected to play, so Leather might have been promoted from a lower section to produce an even number of players.> I doubt he was promoted, because Leather's name was being linked - alongside Blackburne, Mason, Gunsberg, Lee - with the event from as early as the first week in August. Mention is also made of another prospective player, Hall of Bradford, who's so obscure I've never heard of him. Why Leather (or Hall) would be admitted to an event that specified 'acknowledged foreign masters' remains a mystery. Maybe his 'friendship' with Burn did play a part. I think I've found the reason why Blackburne withdrew: <The international tournament at Amsterdam terminated on Sunday, 1st September, with the following result:-First prize, £33 or £35 6s. 8d., Mr. Amos Burn, score 7 games; [...] The 6s. 8d. attached to the first prize rather puzzled people, until they learnt that originally the prize was to have been even money; but the committee, understanding that a certain litigious person was likely to play in the tourney, resolved to retain 13s. 4d. in hand to meet possible legal expenses. I congratulate the Dutch upon the success of their pleasant little tournament, but the winner of the first prize therein is certainly not as yet entitled to be called the champion of the world. That title was won at Breslau, and now belongs to Dr. Tarrasch. I observe that this tourney was opened on a Sunday and closed on a Sunday. Now, whether chess is a suitable recreation for Sunday may be a moot point; but decidedly professional chess - chess that requires men to labour and work hard all the day long - ought not to be sanctioned or permitted on Sundays. I am no puritan, but I don't hesitate to say that permitting, and, still worse, requiring men to devote Sunday to match-playing is immoral and indecent. MARS.> (Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, September 7th 1889, p.822) Mars, of course, is Reverend George Alcock MacDonnell, so we'll forgive him his prejudice, especially because it's Sunday. Blackburne, as we know, was also reportedly unhappy with playing on a Sunday: Breslau (1889), even though the start date of the event (August 25th) had been advertised well in advance. This suggests Sunday play was still a rarity, and Blackburne may not even have considered it when entering. As it happens, the beginning of the masters' event was delayed and two rounds were played on Monday, but the final round was on the Sunday. |
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Jun-18-17
 | | keypusher: <MissScarlett> Thanks for that very interesting post...I was most struck by Mars' comment that <the winner of the first prize therein is certainly not as yet entitled to be called the champion of the world. That title was won at Breslau, and now belongs to Dr. Tarrasch.> I know there was some back and forth about who was the world champion in those days; it would be nice if that could be discussed in the Breslau introduction. Breslau (1889) |
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| Jun-18-17 | | Nosnibor: With regard to Blackburne not playing it would appear that he was unwell and he had played at Breslau shortly before where he had suffered his worst performance since London 1862.He had arranged to meet Gunsberg at Liverpool St. Station and thence onto the boat ferry at Harwich. Gunsberg was going as a reporter only.However Blackburne never showed up and it was Gunsberg that took his place and not Leather. |
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Jun-18-17
| | MissScarlett: <I know there was some back and forth about who was the world champion in those days; > I merely took it as being an ironical dig at Burn, or his supporters, but I'm as oblivious to British chess politics back then as I an now. It's almost as if I inhabit a higher realm. |
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