Hampshire County Chess Season 1929 / 30

Hampshire were playing in the Southern Counties Chess Union (SCCU) in the 1929/30 season. The format was that Hampshire played in section 3 of the Montague Jones (MJ) against a number of counties (just Dorset twice this season) and the winner of section 3 qualified for the KO stages. There was a semi-final and final which Hampshire won to win the Montague Jones. Following this they then qualified to play in the Championship (Shannon) final against one of the SCCU heavyweights, which was Surrey this year. The winner of the SCCU championship would then face the winner of the Northern Chess Counties Union in the English Counties Championship.

Details on the Montague Jones and Shannon competitions can be found on the SCCU website.

This was the sixth time that the Montague Jones had been played and the previous winners were:

1925 – Somerset
1926 – Somerset
1927 – Hertfordshire
1928 – Hampshire
1929 – Berkshire

For the record of Hampshire County matches and links to any articles I have written the table on the Hampshire County Chess Matches page will detail these. The Hampshire County Chess History page summaries the leagues Hampshire have played in and the successes Hampshire have achieved. Both of these are available from the menu at the top of the site as well.

Hampshire Player Performance
Documents / Newspapers
Acknowledgements and Sources

Dorset v Hampshire MJ Group 3 – 26 Oct 1929 – Bournemouth

A close match which ended in a tie, although there were a further four boards played which took the score to 10½ – 9½ to Hampshire. This was as a two-match series to determine who qualified for the knockout stages of the Montague Jones. From the Hampshire Advertiser it seems after the match things were not looking great for Hampshire as it was alluded to that Dorset would win following the adjudications.

This turned out not to be the case and the result over the top 16 boards was a drawn match. Therefore, when Hampshire played Dorset again in November 1929 whoever won this match would progress to the Knockout stage of the Montague Jones.

Dorset v Hants Oact 1929 Hampshire Advertiser — **Dorset v Hants Oct 1929 Hampshire Advertiser**

**Dorset v Hants Oct 1929 Hampshire Advertiser**

This was certainly a close match, with three wins each and ten draws in the games which counted towards the final score. As with the majority of the matches between Hampshire and Dorset at this time, the match was played in Bournemouth. I have added Dorset as the home county, but at this time Bournemouth was part of Hampshire. It was in 1974 when this changed to Dorset.

Board	Dorset	Dorset Result	Hampshire	Hants Result
1	DH Napper	0	JH Blake	1
2	EL Raymond	½	FJH Elwell	½
3	SW Wood	½	HA Way	½
4	WH Curtis	0	WJ Fry	1
5	AF Thomas	0	CT Bennett	1
6	GH Smith	½	Revd HF Hawkes	½
7	Capt PH di Marco	½	HL Streeter	½
8	FB Gibson	1	Dr GF Trubridge	0
9	HG Barnes	½	HL Gardiner	½
10	P Ward	½	FL Taylor	½
11	WL Long	½	WJ Kimber	½
12	WS Clarke	½	JW Webster	½
13	WT Wilkinson	1	E Clayton	0
14	Dr BE Sendermore	1	Revd E Wells	0
15	B Griffin	½	MF Sawyer	½
16	KJ Hawkins	½	Brig-Gen Muspratt	½
17	W Mitchener	½	Miss ML Harrison	½
18	G Barnby	½	HM Southon	½
19	HJ Fowler	½	AC White	½
20	A Curtis	1	ACE Hughes	0
		10½		9½

Dorset v Hampshire MJ Group 3 – 30 Nov 1929 – Bournemouth

The second match was played a month later, again in Bournemouth. This was also over 16 boards, but an extra four boards were also played. Hampshire won the match 9½ – 6½ (12 – 8 over 20 boards). One of the reasons for the additional four boards may have been to give an opportunity for junior players, as the report states that the Taunton School representatives did well. One of these would have been GP Britton on board 17 who was the 1931 Hampshire Individual Champion. This was the only match he played this season.

The Hampshire Advertiser article indicates that Hampshire had a stronger team than the previous match, which I would agree with, but it was still a very close contest. With this win Hampshire qualified to the knockout stages of the Montague Jones competition.

**Hants v Dorset Nov 1929 2 Hampshire Advertiser**

Board	Dorset	Dorset Result	Hampshire	Hants Result
1	DH Napper	0	JH Blake	1
2	EL Raymond	0	FJH Elwell	1
3	SW Wood	½	AB Coe	½
4	WH Curtis	1	WJ Fry	0
5	AF Thomas	½	CT Bennett	½
6	FB Gibson	0	HD Lloyd	1
7	GH Smith	0	Revd HF Hawkes	1
8	HG Barnes	1	FA Joyce	0
9	Capt PH di Marco	½	FS West	½
10	WL Long	1	Dr GF Trubridge	0
11	WT Wilkinson	0	HM Southon	1
12	Dr BE Sendermore	0	HL Streeter	1
13	Revd WS Clarke	0	Revd AR Witt	1
14	F McKechnie	½	WJ Kimber	½
15	B Ward	1	E Clayton	0
16	B Griffin	½	HL Gardiner	½
17	G Barnby	0	GP Britton	1
18	W Mitchener	1	JW Webster	0
19	Mrs E Bullows	½	ES Lansdowne	½
20	HJ Fowler	0	SL Russell	1
		8		12

Hertfordshire v Hampshire MJ SF – 8 Mar 1930 – London

By beating Dorset in the preliminary rounds Hampshire were paired against Hertfordshire in the semi-final. Hampshire had played Hertfordshire the previous three years drawing 8 – 8 in 1927 and beating them 11 – 5 in 1928 and 10½ – 5½ in 1929.

As reported in the Hampshire Advertiser Hampshire once again proved too strong and this time won 11 – 5. Only two of the Hampshire players lost in the match.

**Hants vs Herts 1929 1930 Hampshire Advertiser**

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Hertfordshire	Herts Result
1	JH Blake	1	GSA Wheatcroft	0
2	FJH Elwell	½	FW Flear	½
3	HA Way	0	FN Braund	1
4	WJ Fry	½	EG Twitchett	½
5	AB Coe	½	AG Fellows	½
6	Revd HF Hawkes	1	GPA Richards	0
7	FA Joyce	½	EF Fairchild	½
8	HL Streeter	1	GK Trotter	0
9	FS West	½	HF Kemp	½
10	Revd W Proctor	1	FH Burn	0
11	HM Southon	0	EH Bateman	1
12	AH Yerbury	½	EG Attenborough	½
13	Dr GF Trubridge	1	H Faeobson	0
14	AS Dance	1	RE Webb	0
15	RJ Kimber	1	R Packett	0
16	SL Russell	1	AH Knight	0
		11		5

Hampshire v Devon MJ Final – 5 Apr 1930 – Salisbury

The article on the Hertfordshire match mentioned that Hampshire would play either Somerset or Devon in the Montague Jones Final. Devon were successful in this match and moving away from Hampshire for a minute I think it is worth looking at the wonderful match report in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. The match ended in a tie, but the adjudications went Devon’s way. Also of note was L Vine playing for Somerset, who would later play more than 80 times for Hampshire.

I wonder if a rule change to current county matches to bring back the team break would be passed! Certainly, playing chess was a different experience in the early 1930’s.

Devon v Somerset – 1 Exeter and Plymouth Gazette

Returning to the Hampshire – Devon match, which was played in Salisbury and was the first time these counties had faced each other. This turned into a fairly comfortable win for Hampshire 10½ – 5½. The top board was interesting, with Hampshire veteran JH Blake playing Devon legend RM Bruce. This was the first of his 20 games he played against Hampshire, although these were played over 60 years (none between 1948 and 1973), and he would have been 86 in his last match in 1990. As well as playing Blake he played three Hampshire Champions, Frank Elwell, WJ Fry and Keith Gregory (1930’s, 1950 and 1980’s).

Hampshire winners were HD Lloyd, Revd HF Hawkes, A Ashby, FA Joyce, HL Streeter, JS West and AS Dance. With this win Hampshire won the Montague Jones Trophy and would therefore go on to play for the Southern Counties Championship against Surrey.

The Hampshire Advertiser published one of the games, a fine win by HL Streeter on board 10 playing the Grünfeld Defence. Click on any move to open the chess board.

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Devon	Devon Result
1	JH Blake	½	RM Bruce	½
2	FJH Elwell	0	F Pitt-Fox	1
3	HA Way	½	HV Mallison	½
4	WJ Fry	½	T Taylor	½
5	HD Lloyd	1	HJ Stretton	0
6	Revd HF Hawkes	1	RW Hornbrook	0
7	A Ashby	1	AH Hart	0
8	FA Joyce	1	AB Treloar	0
9	CT Bennett	½	Dr C Li Lander	½
10	HL Streeter	1	FW Andrew	0
11	Revd W Proctor	½	Revd A Seymour	½
12	JS West	1	HJ Taylor	0
13	HM Southon	0	AJ Roberts	1
14	Dr GF Trubridge	½	M Langdon	½
15	AS Dance	1	W Rickard	0
16	AH Yerbury	½	CH Paul	½
		10½		5½

Hampshire v Surrey Shannon Champ – 17 May 1930 – Southampton

Hampshire were against one of the Southern heavyweights. The structure of the championship at this time meant Hampshire would avoid some of the really strong counties, but if they qualified by winning the Montague Jones, they would meet one of them in the championship final. This was Surrey, who had defeated Middlesex.

The report below indicates that the score flattered Surrey but bear in mind this is from the Hampshire Advertiser, so there may be a bit of bias! That said, it is worth showing the article below, as the copy of the article may be harder to read.

As was generally expected, the Londoners proved too strong in this encounter at Taunton’s School, Southampton, last Saturday. The margin of victory, however, is rather flattering as the Rev W Proctor, JS West and AB Coe, for the Hants team, were the victims of their own errors, when possessed of strong winning chances. All three lost pieces through being over eager. The victors will now meet Lancashire in the final of the English Counties Championship.

Before the match Mr JH Blake, president and captain of the Hampshire Association, presented medals to the chess team of Taunton’s School, as winners of the Hampshire League Division II.
“East Anglian” – Hampshire Advertiser

**Hants vs Sussex 1929 1930 Hampshire Advertiser**

The final score was 10½ – 5½ to Surrey (the adjournment did not go WJ Fry’s way and was drawn) and Hampshire winners were HL Streeter, AS Dance and Dr GF Trubridge on the middle to bottom boards. Despite this loss, this was a successful season for Hampshire, winning the Montague Jones and only losing one, whilst winning three and drawing one match.

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Surrey	Surrey Result
1	JH Blake	½	HC Griffiths	½
2	FJH Elwell	0	RP Mitchell	1
3	HA Way	0	RCJ Walker	1
4	WJ Fry	½	FFL Alexander	½
5	HD Lloyd	½	J Butland	½
6	AB Coe	0	HG Felce	1
7	Revd HF Hawkes	0	G Tregaskis	1
8	A Ashby	0	L Alexande	1
9	FA Joyce	0	BHN Stronach	1
10	CT Bennett	½	H Evans	½
11	Revd W Proctor	0	GA Shoobridge	1
12	HL Streeter	1	FHO Jerram	0
13	JS West	0	P Howell	1
14	AS Dance	1	Dr F St John Steadman	0
15	Dr GF Trubridge	1	EGR Cordingley	0
16	HM Southon	½	CH Paul	½
		5½		10½

Hampshire Player Performance

As we saw HL Streeter won his game against Surrey, which capped off an excellent season. Playing all five games he only dropped the half a point against Dorset’s Capt. PH di Marco in the first match of the season. HL Streeter only played for Hampshire fourteen times, but he won seven, drew six and only lost once from his games. JH Blake also played in all five matches and was undefeated with three wins and two draws, all from his normal place on top board.

Andover’s AS Dance only played in three matches, but won all his games, which were also included playing the two stronger counties of Devon and Surrey. HD Lloyd and SL Russell were the other standout performances, with the former achieving two wins and a draw on boards five and six. The latter only played in two matches but won both games. SL Russell would go on to win the Hampshire Championship in 1935 but this was only his second year playing for Hampshire, although he would continue playing for Hampshire until 1972.

Hampshire Player	Win Percentage	Points Scored	Games Played
HL Streeter	90.0%	4.5	5
JH Blake	80.0%	4	5
Revd HF Hawkes	70.0%	3.5	5
AS Dance	100.0%	3	3
WJ Fry	50.0%	2.5	5
Dr GF Trubridge	50.0%	2.5	5
CT Bennett	62.5%	2.5	4
HD Lloyd	83.3%	2.5	3
HM Southon	40.0%	2	5
FJH Elwell	40.0%	2	5
JS West	50.0%	2	4
SL Russell	100.0%	2	2
FA Joyce	37.5%	1.5	4
Revd W Proctor	50.0%	1.5	3
HA Way	25.0%	1	4
AB Coe	33.3%	1	3
A Ashby	50.0%	1	2
WJ Kimber	50.0%	1	2
AH Yerbury	50.0%	1	2
HL Gardiner	50.0%	1	2
Revd AR Witt	100.0%	1	1
RJ Kimber	100.0%	1	1
GP Britton	100.0%	1	1
ACE Hughes	100.0%	1	1
JW Webster	25.0%	0.5	2
FL Taylor	50.0%	0.5	1
ES Lansdowne	50.0%	0.5	1
MF Sawyer	50.0%	0.5	1
Brig-Gen Muspratt	50.0%	0.5	1
AC White	50.0%	0.5	1
Miss ML Harrison	50.0%	0.5	1
E Clayton	0.0%	0	2
Revd E Wells	0.0%	0	1

Documents / Newspapers

Copies of pages from the F Taylor archives and various newspaper articles on the matches.

Although the quality of the picture is not great, the Hampshire Advertiser had a picture of the winning Montague Jones team. This also includes the Taunton School team which won Division two of the Hampshire League that season.