The chess games of John Finan Barry

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John Finan Barry

Number of games in database: 46
Years covered: 1893 to 1915

Overall record: +11 -17 =13 (42.7%)*
* Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 5 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS

With the White pieces:

Ruy Lopez (10)
    C65 C84 C77 C63 C78
Petrov (6)
    C43 C42
Queen's Pawn Game (4)
    D00

With the Black pieces:

Queen's Gambit Declined (5)
    D31 D35

Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   J F Barry vs Pillsbury, 1899 1-0
   J F Barry vs T F Lawrence, 1897 1-0
   J F Barry vs T F Lawrence, 1904 1/2-1/2
   Lasker vs J F Barry, 1904 1/2-1/2
   Schlechter vs J F Barry, 1904 1/2-1/2
   J F Barry vs J Mieses, 1904 1/2-1/2
   J F Barry vs Teichmann, 1904 1-0
   J F Barry vs Showalter, 1904 1/2-1/2
   J F Barry vs E Delmar, 1904 1-0
   G Marco vs J F Barry, 1904 1/2-1/2

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Showalter - Barry US Championship (1896)
   Cambridge Springs (1904)

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JOHN FINAN BARRY
(born Dec-12-1873, died Apr-09-1940, 66 years old) United States of America

[what is this?]

John Finan Barry was a Boston lawyer and a very strong amateur. His best result was a narrow loss to Harry Nelson Pillsbury in a match in 1893 (+4, -5, =1). Barry played in twelve of the thirteen Anglo-American cable matches, missing the 1908 match because of a misdelivered invitation. He played on Boards 2-4 over the years, and scored +6 -3 =3, winning games against Henry Ernest Atkins, Joseph Henry Blackburne, and Horatio Caro, and drawing with James Mason.

Barry lost a US championship match to Jackson Whipps Showalter in 1896 (+2 -7 =4).

He also played at Cambridge Springs 1904, and finished toward the bottom, tying with Albert Hodges a half point behind William Ewart Napier and a half point ahead of Eugene Delmar.

Try our new games table.

page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 47

Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. K Walbrodt vs J F Barry	1-0	61	1893	Walbrodt Exhibition, Match Game	C66 Ruy Lopez
2. Lasker vs J F Barry	0-1	39	1893	Simul, 19b	C38 King's Gambit Accepted
3. Tinsley vs J F Barry	0-1	67	1896	1st Anglo-American Cable Match	D35 Queen's Gambit Declined
4. J F Barry vs Showalter	½-½	30	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C42 Petrov Defense
5. Showalter vs J F Barry	½-½	31	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	A84 Dutch
6. J F Barry vs Showalter	1-0	65	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C43 Petrov, Modern Attack
7. Showalter vs J F Barry	1-0	28	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C43 Petrov, Modern Attack
8. J F Barry vs Showalter	0-1	54	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C43 Petrov, Modern Attack
9. Showalter vs J F Barry	½-½	62	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D31 Queen's Gambit Declined
10. J F Barry vs Showalter	0-1	38	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C43 Petrov, Modern Attack
11. Showalter vs J F Barry	1-0	46	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D31 Queen's Gambit Declined
12. J F Barry vs Showalter	½-½	57	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D00 Queen's Pawn Game
13. Showalter vs J F Barry	1-0	91	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D31 Queen's Gambit Declined
14. J F Barry vs Showalter	1-0	51	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D00 Queen's Pawn Game
15. Showalter vs J F Barry	1-0	64	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	D31 Queen's Gambit Declined
16. J F Barry vs Showalter	0-1	37	1896	Showalter - Barry US Championship	C43 Petrov, Modern Attack
17. J F Barry vs T F Lawrence	1-0	34	1897	2nd Anglo-American Cable Match	D00 Queen's Pawn Game
18. J F Barry vs H Caro	1-0	42	1898	3rd Anglo-American Cable Match	D00 Queen's Pawn Game
19. T F Lawrence vs J F Barry	0-1	50	1899	4th Anglo-American Cable Match	C67 Ruy Lopez
20. J F Barry vs Pillsbury	1-0	44	1899	Exhibition Game	C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
21. J F Barry vs H E Atkins	1-0	33	1900	5th Anglo-American Cable Match	B40 Sicilian
22. J F Barry vs F J Lee	½-½	56	1901	6th Anglo-American Cable Match	B12 Caro-Kann Defense
23. J Mason vs J F Barry	½-½	55	1902	7th Anglo-American Cable Match	A25 English
24. J F Barry vs Lasker	0-1	25	1903	Exhibition game	C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
25. J F Barry vs Lasker	0-1	36	1903	Exhibition game	C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense


page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 47

REFINE SEARCH: White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Barry wins | Barry loses

Apr-04-05		offramp: Barry played a game against H E Atkins in the US-England Cable match of 1910 which Lasker praised and which a magazine called 'the Perfect Game.' On a newsgroup someone suggested that this is the game - but I can't believe it! [Event "tx London-New York"] [Site "?"] [Date "1910.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Atkins, H."] [Black "Barry, John F"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C14"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "1910.??.??"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nb5 Kd8 8. c3 f6 9. exf6 gxf6 10. Qd2 c6 11. Na3 Nf8 12. Nf3 Bd7 13. g3 Be8 14. Bg2 Nbd7 15. c4 dxc4 16. Nxc4 Nb6 17. Nxb6 axb6 18. O-O Ng6 19. Rfe1 Bd7 20. Qc3 Re8 21. Nd2 Qf8 22. a4 Ne7 23. h4 b5 24. Nb3 Nd5 25. Bxd5 exd5 26. Rxe8+ Bxe8 27. Nc5 Qf7 28. Re1 Kc7 29. Qe3 Bd7 30. Qf4+ 1-0

Apr-05-05		Calli: Edward Lasker published the game in "Chess Strategy". Perhaps thats the "Lasker" who praised it.

Apr-05-05		offramp: What is so special about the game? It looks like a normal game to me.

Apr-05-05		Calli: I don't know, Here are Ed lasker's comments: 7. Kt-Kt5 The intention is to strengthen the centre by P-QB3. Though it takes a number of moves to bring the Knight into play again, yet most of the tournament games in this variation have been won by White, mostly through a King's side attack on the lines set out in the notes to Game No. 22. Investigations by Alapin tend to show that this is due to the fact that Black in all cases devoted his attention to Queen's side operations (just as in Game No. 22) when he could have utilised White's backward development, by himself starting a counter attack on the King's side. He can then either aim at the White centre at once with P-KB3, or else play P-KB4 and prepare the advance of the KKtP by Kt-B3-Q1-B2. These various lines of play are still under discussion. Simple development is probably preferable to the move in the text, e.g. 7. B-Q3, Castles; 8. P-B4, P-QB4; 9. Kt-B3. 7. ... K-Q1 There can be no advantage in forfeiting the option of castling unless there be no other way of getting the King into safety and of bringing the Rooks into concerted action. It is obvious that otherwise the free development of pieces is hindered, and the King is in appreciable danger, for it is easier to open files in the centre than on the wings where the pawns have not advanced yet. Therefore Kt-Kt3 is the only move worth considering. 8. P-QB3 P-KB3 9. PxP With the Black King remaining in the centre, White has no further interest in the maintenance of his pawn at K5. On the contrary he will try to clear the centre. 9. ... PxP 10. Q-Q2 P-B3 11. Kt-QR3 Kt-B1 At this early stage it is clear that Black will have to contend with difficulties in trying to complete his development. The usual way (P-QB4) is barred on account of the dangers to Black's King with which a clearance in the centre is fraught. 12. Kt-B3 B-Q2 13. P-KKt3! As Black can force this advance at any time by playing R-KKt1, White decides to develop his KB at Kt2, thereby covering his KB3 and KR3. The weakness of the latter squares would not be of any great moment if White were to castle on the Queen's wing. But as P-QB4 is necessary in order to break up the centre, castling KR is the right course. 13. ... B-K1 14. B-Kt2 QKt-Q2 15. P-B4 PxP 16. KtxP Kt-QKt3 17. KtxKt PxKt 18. Castles KR Kt-Kt3 19. KR-K1 B-Q2 20. Q-B3 R-K1 21. Kt-Q2 Q-B1 22. P-QR4! White wishes to get rid of the pawn at Black's Kt3, in order to break in with his Knight at B5. Black has no means of preventing this, and soon succumbs to the overwhelming array of White forces. 22. ... Kt-K2 23. P-R5 P-QKt4 24. Kt-Kt3 Kt-Q4 25. BxKt KPxB 26. RxRch BxR 27. Kt-B5 Q-B2 28. R-K1 K-B2 29. Q-K3 B-Q2 30. Q-B4ch Resigns. If K-Q1, 31. KtxPch followed by Kt-Q6ch. If K-B1 White wins by 31. Q-Q6 and R-K7.

Apr-05-05		offramp: <Calli> Thank you for posting those comments. I see that it is a good game, now!

Mar-08-08		Pawn and Two: <Calli & offramp> Emanuel Lasker did praise the Atkins - Barry, 1910 Great Britain - American cable match game. In his notes for the NY Evening Post, Lasker stated: <"Mr. Atkins must be congratulated on this game, in which every move he made, starting from his eighth, is beyond criticism.">

Mar-08-08		MichAdams: Not to be confused with John Barry, the composer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERB-...

Nov-07-10		Phony Benoni: Here's the chess player: http://books.google.com/books?id=-6...

Feb-01-11		Benzol: It was saddening to hear that composer John Barry had just passed away. His film and television work was always very good.

Apr-17-12		Phony Benoni: Rather doubtful that this is the same person who played in Canada in the late 1870s. But I wouldn't put anything past Boston Legal.

Feb-23-13		rookhouse: Game analysis that Barry did in a game that he, Pillsbury, and Snow played in consultation against Steinitz in 1892 here: http://www.rookhouse.com/steinitz-v...

Jul-01-13		thomastonk: As a member of the American team in the forthcoming cable match he was introduced by the New York Daily Tribune of March 8, 1896 as follows: "John Finnaro (sic) Barry was born in Boston, December 12, 1873, and learned to play chess in 1890 in the school of Burille and Pillsbury. Although the youngest member of the American team, Barry has a thorough knowledge of the opnenings and the theory of the game, and is an intrepid fighter. He has been connected with the law courts of Boston for some years in a clerical capacity, and for a number of years has been the champion of the Boston Chess Club."

Jul-01-13		RookFile: This guy must have been 2400 strength, minimum, judging from games like this: J F Barry vs Pillsbury, 1899

Jun-09-14		ljfyffe: The John Barry of the first two games mentioned was from Montreal. When I was researching Zukertort for John S. Hilbert, came across a blindfold exhibition of 1884 in Montreal in which John Barry played.

Jun-10-14		ljfyffe: He was a member of the Managing Committee of the Canadian Chess Association.

Aug-02-14		ljfyffe: John Barry of Montreal finished third in the 1881 Canadian chess championship held in Ottawa, won by Shaw.

Sep-13-16		Domdaniel: The Barry Attack, a variation of the London System, has no connection with John Barry (or Milner-Barry, or Irish master C. Barry). It's rhyming slang: Barry comes from 'Barry White', which rhymes with sh---, with an evaluation of the line.

Sep-13-16		HeMateMe: If you defeat the Barry Attack, do you then blow him a raspberry?

Dec-12-16		TheFocus: Happy birthday, John Barry.

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