Hampshire County Matches 1894 / 95 - Hampshire Chess History

With the formation of the Southern Chess Counties Union (SCCU) in 1892 the second season of this competition was held (see the first here) where Hampshire played county matches against Sussex and Surrey. In addition the annual friendly with Wiltshire returned after a one year absence (or I cannot locate the match if it was held).

Hampshire v Sussex 3 Nov 1894
Hampshire v Surrey 8 Feb 1985
Hampshire v Wiltshire 6 July 1985
Hampshire v Kent – scratch
Player Performance
Summary
Gallery
Acknowledgements and Sources

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 v Sussex 3 Nov 1894 – Landport

Hampshire were playing in the South East section of the SCCU Shannon Competition, where their opponents for the 1894/95 season were planned to be Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

The first match of the season was against Sussex, this was played in Landport which is in Portsmouth. In the early matches against Sussex, Hampshire seemed to have the stronger team, but the tables were starting to turn now with Sussex winning for the third year in a row. Even though this was played in Hampshire the Sussex team were comfortable 9½ – 6½ winners. Hampshire winners were Blake, Elwell, Crassweller, Deal and Balshaw. The two adjourned games mentioned in the report below went Hampshire’s way.

Sussex were the current holders of the Southern Counties Championship and this win put them in a good place to retain the title. Leaping ahead though it seems this was won by Surrey

The Portsmouth Evening News reported the match as below.

The first match the season which the players representing the Hampshire Association took part was held on Saturday afternoon at the Speedwell Hotel, Landport, when they met their old opponents from Sussex. The match was also the first of in a series in connection with the Southern Counties Championship for the coming year, Surrey being the present holder.

The proceedings commenced at half past two when sixteen from each Association contended for the honour of their respective counties. Very great interest was manifested during the match, the room being visited by large number of local chess-players, who watched the games as the fortune of the players ebbed and flowed’ with great attention.

The match, which was practically over by seven o’clock, was found to have again gone to the credit of Sussex, despite the fact that the home county brought very strong team to the front. The games of the two captains and Messrs. Deal and Field, which were unfinished, were left to be adjudicated upon by Mr. Hoffer. The two counties first met 1887, since which time eight matches have been played, the honours being equal
Portsmouth Evening News – 5 Nov 1894

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Sussex	Sussex Result
1	JH Blake	1	HW Butler	0
2	FJH Elwell	1	HF Cheshire	0
3	EL Raymond	½	W Mead	½
4	A Asher	0	JW Bridger	1
5	WC Kenny	0	FW Comber	1
6	HD Osborn	0	A Emery	1
7	T Crassweller	1	FW Womersley	0
8	E Clayton	0	W Bridger	1
9	JS Flower	0	J Chandler	1
10	G Deal	1	Field	0
11	Col White	½	JV Elsden	½
12	GI Gribble	0	Revd WH Cooper	1
13	PT Balshaw	1	Revd EA Adams	0
14	GR Sloper	0	HW Shoosmith	1
15	GH Barclay	½	Rev E I Crosse	½
16	WR Larminie	0	Shaw	1
	Total	6½	Total	9½

Hampshire v Surrey – 9 Feb 1895 – Basingstoke

Hampshire met Surrey in February 1895 and if the loss against Sussex was disappointing this match was a disaster, with Surrey winning by a crushing 12 points to 3. At the close of play the result was 11 to 2 with two games sent for adjudication. The Hampshire team was noticeably weaker than the match against Sussex, with a number of players who played in both on much higher boards in the Surrey match.

Before the match result we pick up the pre match details from the Croydon Observer, which includes travel information. One thing which is different to matches today is the later start, which can be seen as the team were leaving on the 3:10 pm Waterloo train.

We would again draw attention to the Surrey v. Hampshire match on Saturday next at Basingstoke when the question of which county shall represent the S.E. Division against Northamptonshire in NE. Division will be advanced another material step.

The Surrey team, or such members of it that come from London, will travel by the 3.10 p.m. from Waterloo and we trust there will be no absentees. The team opposed to us is very strongly led, the captain, JH Blake, being a host in himself, while Messrs Raymond, Ellwell and Crassweller form a very formidable following. However, Surrey men can fight hard down to the last, and we must hope for the best in spite of having to travel into the enemy’s country.
Croydon Observer – Friday 08 February 1895

It seems that playing in Basingstoke was not favourable for the Portsmouth players and only one played. In addition this was AW Wheatstone who was normally seen on the lower boards. Board two for Hampshire (PEJ Talbot) was a reserve and would would have been outmatched by his opponent. I have been unable to locate the results of the adjourned games and as the final result was given as 12 – 3, this could have been one win each or two draws, and for this reason will have to be left as unknown.

The report in the Hampshire Advertiser highlighted some of the issues for Hampshire.

On Saturday this match was played the Feathers Hotel, Basingstoke, and resulted in rather hollow victory for the Surrey men, who brought a strong team into the field. Hampshire, on the other hand, was represented almost entirely by Southampton and Andover players, Portsmouth sending only one instead their proper proportion of six or seven.

Neither side turned up in full numbers, Surrey being one man short Hampshire two, another point being thus lost to the home county’s side
Hampshire Advertiser – Wednesday 13 February 1895

Apart from the adjourned games which may have included a win, the sole Hampshire winner was WC Kenny, is what was one of Hampshire’s biggest losses. The previous two seasons the match had also been played in Basingstoke when Hampshire had held Surrey to an eight all draw and beaten them 9½ – 7½.

Why then did Hampshire lose so heavily? Probably the combined reasons of the missing Portsmouth players, the above strength Surrey team and just the fact that on the day the Surrey team outplayed the Hampshire team.

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Surrey	Surrey Result
1	JH Blake	a	A Howell	a
2	PEJ Talbot (res)	0	JH Taylor	1
3	FJH Elwell	0	LP Rees	1
4	WC Kenny	1	WL Varse	0
5	A Asher	½	WG Ingoldsby	½
6	H Clarke	0	HS Leonard	1
7	CT Ansbey	a	WP Plummer	a
8	GR Sloper	0	HW Peachey	1
9	GH Barclay	0	AW Lemon	1
10	H Seymour (abs)	0	J Sargent (abs)	0
11	AW Wheatstone	½	SB Baxter	½
12	J Fewings	0	HH Cole	1
13	M Eagen (abs)	0	HS Ward	1
14	S Leonard	0	HA Jacobs	1
15	WJ Taylor	0	EB Schevann	1
16	H Keane	0	APC Kirp	1
	Total	3	Total	12

Hampshire v Wiltshire – 6 July 1985 – Salisbury

The final match of the season was against Wiltshire, which as per the previous year was held in Salisbury. I originally thought Hampshire managed their only match win of the season, but on checking it seems that Wiltshire won the match 8 – ). Hampshire winners were Blake, Elwell, Burns, Chipperfield and Talbot who was playing on board sixteen rather than board two as he was against Surrey (when he was the reserve).

The Swindon Advertiser and North Wilts Chronicle reported the match as follows.

On Saturday, on the invitation of Mr Jackson (this year’s President the Wilts County Chess Association). Wilts and Hants. 15 a side, played in his gardens, St. Martin’s, Salisbury. Amongst the many visitors during the afternoon were Mr Hulse, M.P., and his wife. On the conclusion the match the Hants President (Mr Chipperfield) proposed a vote of thanks to Mr and Mrs Jackson for their hospitably. This was seconded Mr Welsh, and suitably responded to by the President. Play was very even throughout, and the close the score stood Wilts, seven ; Hants, six ; two games being unfinished, but afterwards adjudicated.
Swindon Advertiser and North Wilts Chronicle – Saturday 20 July 1895

Board	Hampshire	Hants Result	Wiltshire	Wiltshire Result
1	JH Blake	1	Colonel Law	0
2	FJH Elwell	1	Revd JF Welsh	0
3	CH Sherrard	½	HJ King	½
4	HD Osborn	½	CJ Woodrow	½
5	T Crassweller	0	A Schomberg	1
6	E Clayton	0	Dr Manning	1
7	TA Thompson	½	Revd RE Coles	½
8	GR Sloper	0	F Sutton	1
9	EC Clarke	0	Revd A Law	1
10	CT Anstey	0	WH Jackson	1
11	GW Taylor	½	T Patton	½
12	A Burns	1	HW Beaven	0
13	R Chipperfield	1	J Sargent	0
14	ER Nillett	0	Capt Martin	1
15	PEJ Talbot	1	O Gummer	0
	Total	7	Total	8

Hampshire v Kent – Scratch

The match against Kent only seems to have been played when the result would affect who would progress out of the Division. As Hampshire could not qualify for the final stages this season the match did not happen.

Hampshire Player Performance

Three matches were played in 1894/95. The results below are affected by the adjourned games e.g. Blake shows as 100% but one of his game was adjourned. Only three players played in all three matches Blake, Elwell and GR Sloper. Blake and Elwell both won two games with the result of the third Blake unknown and Elwell losing to LP Rees (future BCF Secretary).

There were no other results which stood out, compared to previous seasons.

Hants Player	Win Percentage	Points Scored	Games Played
JH Blake	100.0%	2	3
FJH Elwell	66.7%	2	3
A Burns	100.0%	1	1
G Deal	100.0%	1	1
PT Balshaw	100.0%	1	1
R Chipperfield	100.0%	1	1
PEJ Talbot	50.0%	1	2
T Crassweller	50.0%	1	2
WC Kenny	50.0%	1	2
AW Wheatstone	50.0%	0.5	1
CH Sherrard	50.0%	0.5	1
Col White	50.0%	0.5	1
EL Raymond	50.0%	0.5	1
GW Taylor	50.0%	0.5	1
TA Thompson	50.0%	0.5	1
A Asher	25.0%	0.5	2
GH Barclay	25.0%	0.5	2
HD Osborn	25.0%	0.5	2
GR Sloper	0.0%	0	3
E Clayton	0.0%	0	2
EC Clarke	0.0%	0	1
ER Nillett	0.0%	0	1
GI Gribble	0.0%	0	1
H Clarke	0.0%	0	1
H Keane	0.0%	0	1
J Fewings	0.0%	0	1
JS Flower	0.0%	0	1
S Leonard	0.0%	0	1
WJ Taylor	0.0%	0	1
WR Larminie	0.0%	0	1
CT Anstey	100.0%	0	2

Summary

It was a disappointing season for Hampshire with the one heavy defeat against Surrey standing out among the three results. Hampshire’s excellent start to their county career now seems to have hit a bit of a roadblock now that an official competition was in place. Other counties would start to dominate the SCCU and Hampshire would struggle to qualify from their tough division. With Surrey, Sussex and Kent as their division rivals these were now opponents who would enter the match as favourites.