1 Bird Blackburne Evans declined 64 moves Drawn
2 Lee Mason Petroff 75 " Mason
3 Bird Lee Queens Pawn counter 47 " Drawn
4 Blackburne Mason Vienna 44 " Blackburne
5 Lee Blackburne Kt KB3 PQ4 48 " Blackburne
6 Mason Bird KP and QP 62 " Mason
7 Blackburne Bird Ruy Lopez Kt Q5 47 " Bird
8 Mason Lee KP and QP 18 " Drawn
9 Lee Bird PQ4 37 " Bird
10 Mason Blackburne Ruy Lopez 28 " Draw
11 Blackburne Lee Ruy Lopez 43 " Blackburne
12 Bird Mason Two Knights Def 38 " Mason
13 Lee Mason Kt KB3 PKB4 35 " Mason
14 Bird Blackburne KP1 KPB2 42 " Draw
15 Bird Lee KP one 73 " Draw
16 Blackburne Mason Giuoco Piano 30 " Draw
17 Mason Bird Sicilian 27 " Bird
18 Lee Blackburne Four Kts 20 " Draw
No.1 is the best and most instructive; No.17 was the most
lively and entertaining. Of the eight draws, two are legitimate,
the other six being unworthy the name of games.
That Lee when out of the running, directed a care and energy
against Bird which he did not against Blackburne and Mason will
be readily observable by a comparison of the games, especially
No. 9, 15, and 18; in the last he indeed made no attempt to win
at all, and a draw is the utmost he seems ever to have hoped for
in the other.
In the final score Bird, Blackburne and Mason were even in
their play, but Bird only scored 2 out of 3 with Lee, whilst the
others gained 2 1/2 out of 3 against him, this difference of half
a game placed Bird third only.
The two last games, the 17th and 18th, were finished about the
same time; thus, when Bird had won from Mason (doing his best in a
game which in no way effected his position) Blackburne and Lee
agreed to draw, which was a disappointment to the spectators, and
of course, to Bird, who was entitled to, and would have liked to
have seen the game played out.
These games present a very striking contrast. We particularly
commend the last, and the other draw to the consideration of all
who would wish to see chess continued as a noble and worthy
game. Bird by consenting to a draw with Mason could at once
have given him the first prize.
No.17.
Game played in the Masters' Tournament, 23rd September,
1892, between Messrs. James Mason and H. E. Bird:
White Black
MASON H. E. BIRD
1 P to K4 P to QB4
2 Kt to KB3 Kt to QB3
3 P to Q4 P takes P
4 Kt takes P P to Q3
5 Kt to QB3 B to Q2
6 Kt takes Kt B takes Kt
7 B to Q3 P to K3
8 Castles P to KKt3
9 P to B4 P to KR4
10 P to B5 Kt P takes P
11 P takes P Q to Kt3 ch
12 K to R square Castles
13 P takes P P takes P
14 Q to K2 P to K4
15 B to K4 Kt to K2
16 B to Kt5 P to Q4
17 B takes Kt B takes B
18 B to B5 ch K to Kt square
19 P to QKt3 P to K5
20 Kt to R4 Q to B2
21 P to B4 Q to K4
22 P takes P B to Q3
23 P to Kt3 B takes P
24 QR to B square P to K6 ch
25 K to Kt square QR to KKt square
26 R to B3 B takes R
27 Q takes B R to KB square
Resigns.
No.18.
Game played in the Masters' Tournament, 23rd September,
1892, between Messrs. F. J. Lee and J. H. Blackburne:
A Contrast.
White Black
LEE BLACKBURNE
1 P to K4 P to K4
2 Kt to QB3 Kt to KB3
3 Kt to B3 Kt to B3
4 P to QR3 B to K2
5 P to Q4 P to Q3
6 B to K2 Castles
7 Castles B to Kt5
8 P to Q5 Kt to Kt square
9 P to R3 B to R4
10 Kt to KR2 B to Kt3
11 B to Q3 QKt to Q2
12 B to K3 Kt to B4
13 P to B3 Kt takes B
14 P takes Kt Kt to Q2
15 P to KKt4 P to QR3
16 Kt to K2 B to Kt4
17 B to B2 B to R5
18 B to K3 B to Kt4
19 B to B2 B to R5
20 B to K3 B to Kt4
Drawn.
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GAMES AT THE BELFAST CHESS CONGRESS
IN THE QUADRANGULAR COMPETITION
BETWEEN
J. H. Blackburne, H. E. Bird, F. J. Lee, and J. Mason,
Sept. 12th to Sept. 23rd, 1892.
Of the eighteen games competed for by the above, eight are
worthy to be placed in a first class collection. They are--No. 1,
"Evans Gambit Declined," (Bird v. Blackburne) which is thought
in some respects the best, as illustrating the styles and resources
of the two players, besides containing many instructive phases.
No. 4, "A Vienna Opening," between Blackburne and Mason, was
a game of considerable enterprise and interest, though the latter
missed an ingenious and promising opportunity, which would
have given him a considerable advantage, sufficient for so careful
and reliable a player (who seldom misses chances) to have won.
No. 7, a Kt to Q5 defence to the Ruy Lopez) a form not approved
by the authorities, condemned once more by Mr. Hoffer, in the
Field, but passed without comment by Mr. Mason in the B. C. M.)
was a popular game with the spectators and was won by Bird,
defending against Blackburne, who also succeeded in No. 17 on
the last day against Mason with a Sicilian in a short and
decisive game, pleasing and amusing to the lookers on who liked
to see a lively and decisive game. No. 9, "A Queen's Pawn
opening" produced fine combinations and critical positions and
a brilliant finish (Bird scoring from Lee). No. 11, "A Two
Knight's Defence" terminated in a clever and meritorious victory
for Mason as second player over Bird.
The above six games were the most entertaining of the series,
viz.--l, 4, 7, 9, 11 & 17.
No. 5 Lee and Blackburne, Kt to KB3, and No. 12, Blackburne
and Lee, a Ruy Lopez were steady, but rather dull, but furnished
excellent specimens of Blackburne's skill and masterly conduct
of end games.
Next to the foregoing eight games in order of interest were
No. 3, Bird and Lee. Counter Queen's Pawn opening and No.
13, Bird and Blackburne KP one, these, though both drawn, were
steady, well-played and instructive games. In No. 2, Lee and
Mason, a Petroff, the former should have drawn, but lost on his
75th move. In No. 6, Mason was at a decided disadvantage with
Bird who committed an ingenious suicide in a game he could
have drawn.
In No. 13, a Kt to KB3 opening, P KB4 reply. Lee had much
the better game with a Pawn more against Mason, but made a
palpable blunder at his 34th move and resigned.
No. 8, a tame draw in 18 moves, Mason and Lee 10, Mason and
Blackburne, 28 moves, not much better 16, Blackburne and Mason
30 moves, of no interest, and No. 18, the last game 20 moves
between Lee and Blackburne, from which something was expected,
but which baffles polite description, and cannot be dignified by
the name of, or as a game, completes the list. This was a Four
Knights game, 15 Blackburne and Mason a Giuoco Piano 30 moves
was a lamentable specimen of wood shifting.
The following game presented some very instructive positions
towards the close:
Game played in the Masters' Tournament, 16th September, 1892,
between Messrs. H. E. Bird and F. J. Lee.
White Black
LEE BIRD
1 P to Q4 P to Q4
2 Kt to KB3 P to K3
3 P to B4 Kt to KB3
4 P to K3 QKt to Q2
5 B to Q3 B to K2
6 Kt to B3 Castles
7 Castles R to K square
8 P to QKt3 P to B3
9 B to Kt2 B to Q3
10 Q to B2 P takes P
11 P takes P B to Kt square
12 Kt to K2 Q to R4
13 P to B5 P to K4
14 B to B3 Q to Q square
15 Kt to Kt3 P takes P
16 B takes P Kt to K4
17 B takes Kt B takes B
18 Kt takes B R takes Kt
19 KR to Q square Q to K2
20 QR to B square B to Kt5
21 P to B3 B to K3
22 R to K square P to KKt3
23 P to B4 R to Q4
24 P to K4 R to Q5
25 P to B5 QR to Q square!
26 P to K5! Kt to Kt5
27 P takes B R takes B
28 P takes P ch Q takes P
29 Kt to K4 Q to KB5
30 Q to QB4 ch K to Kt2
31 P to KKt3 Q to R3
32 R to B2 R to Q8. Good
33 Q to K2 R takes R ch
34 Q takes R Q to K6 ch
35 K to B square Q to KB6 ch
36 R to KB2 Q to R8 ch
37 K to K2 Q takes K8 ch
Resigns.
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THE NORTH OF IRELAND (Belfast & Holywood) CHESS CONGRESS
MASTERS QUADRANGULAR OOMPETITION.
H. E. Bird, J. H. Blackburne, F. Lee, and J. Mason.