Jun-24-11
 | | Phony Benoni: A typical last-round game to clinch first place for Euwe. But was it played? <The Chess Review> reports (September 1939, p. 173): <"Dr. Max Euwe won the British Chess Federation Tournament at Bournemouth, England, clinching first place in the last round without risking a solitary move! Scheduled to play his townsman, S. Landau, of Amsterdam, in the final round--a loss would have enabled both Flohr and Klein to share first place--a draw was agreed without even the formality or a gesture of conflict."> Hmmm. There don't seem to have been any US players in the tournament, so this could be based on an inaccurate or misinterpreted second-hand report. But if the game was a fake, it was quite possibly the most accurate game ever composed. In fact, when the 32-man tablebase comes out, it may turn out to be THE Perfect Game. That will make all the work worthwhile. |
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May-09-20
 | | mifralu: THE CONGRESS AT BOURNEMOUTH
For the second time the annual meeting of the British Chess Federation has been disturbed by war and rumour of war. The Chester Congress of 1914 opened after August 4, and was carried through to a finish. But the damage had been done in the reduction of entries, and all the classes from the championship downwards had to be hastily reorganised. Last Thursday it was announced that the meeting for presentation of prizes and farewells on the following evening at 8.30 would be abandoned, and prizewinners were instructed to interview Mr. Stevenson, the controller of play, directly their position had been definitely determined and receive their due cheque. Dr. Speyer (Maestricht) and F. A. Damen (Rotterdam) left for Holland Thursday and abandoned their last game or two. Speyer was well in the running for first prize in Major "A”, though he left with rather the worse of his tenth-round game with M. Znosko-Borovsky. < Late the same night Euwe and Landau left for Amsterdam. It was lucky that they were drawn in the last round next day, so they obtained permission to agree to a draw without playing. This gave Flohr a chance to tie for first prize with a win in the last round, but he could only draw with König after a promising start. ><Source "The Birmingham Post, 29 August 1939, p. 11"> |
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May-09-20
 | | Stonehenge: Some Dutch sources that have Landau - Euwe <drawn without playing>: Amersfoortsch Dagblad / De Eemlander 26-08-1939
De Telegraaf 26-08-1939
Nieuwsblad van Friesland : Hepkema's courant 28-08-1939 |
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May-09-20
| | Phony Benoni: One ore confirmation, from the "London Guardian", August 26, 1939, p. 5: <"A touch of unreality affected the proceedings this morning. for Euwe and Landau, who were to have met, had both left for Holland after obtaining permission to count their game as a draw."> So, if this game was not played at Bournemouth, where did it come from?
It was not from the match these two played for the championship of the Netherlands that year, since we have all 10 games of that match. The introduction on the tournament page mentions a tournament book by A. J. Gillam, which might have some information or at least a source for the game.. |
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Kibitzing
