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Richardson Cup 1926
The first match of the final (a replay was required) was held in the rooms of the Glasgow CC on Saturday, March 27. At the close of play two games were unfinished, those on boards five and seven. After adjudication by F.D. Yates, the result was a tie.
Bd |
Glasgow |
Central |
||
1 |
W. Gibson | 0 |
1 |
J. Gilchrist |
2 |
J.A. McKee | ½ |
½ |
D.M. MacIsaac |
3 |
J. Birch | 1 |
0 |
C. Wardhaugh |
4 |
A. Murray | ½ |
½ |
J.R. Draper |
5 |
J. Marshall | 0 |
1 |
H.N.J. Walsworth |
6 |
Dr Forrester | 1 |
0 |
R.C. Borland |
7 |
J. McGrouther | ½ |
½ |
A. Smith |
3½ |
3½ |
|||
The replay was held in the rooms of the Central CC, the Regent Tea Rooms, 51 West Regent Street, Glasgow, on 2 October. The reason was explained in the Glasgow Herald chess column of the same day.
From the Glasgow Herald of 2 October 1926, p.4:
The fight for the 1925-26 Richardson Cup has been rather abnormal. There were an unusuial number of "scratchings," and an unusual number of matches which had to be settled by the adjudicator. This last feature resulted in a delay, augmented by the occurence of the general strike, which eventually resulted in the final being postponed till to-day."
Bd |
Glasgow |
Central |
||
1 |
W. Gibson | ½ |
½ |
J. Gilchrist |
2 |
J.A. McKee | 1 |
0 |
D.M. MacIsaac |
3 |
J. Birch | 0 |
1 |
C. Wardhaugh |
4 |
A. Murray | 1 |
0 |
J.R. Draper |
5 |
J.R. Longwill | ½ |
½ |
H.N.J. Walsworth |
6 |
J.M. Nichol | 1 |
0 |
A. Smith |
7 |
J. Young | ½ |
½ |
R.C. Borland |
4½ |
2½ |
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The Central CC fielded the same team, the only difference being that Smith and Borland swapped the sixth and seventh boards.
The Glasgow CC team was changed on the lower three boards. Dr Forrester and J. McGrouther were not able to play, and James Marshall had died on August 11, while competing in a lightning tournament held as part of the British Chess Federation Congress in Edinburgh.
Three of the games were finished before the usual tea interval. Murray defeated Draper in 15 moves, Gibson and Gilchrist played a careful Ruy Lopez to a draw, and McKee defeated MacIsaac from a position with equal material but which gave him greater mobility. MacIsaac created a weakness in his position allowing McKee to win two pawns. So, at the break, Glasgow had a comfortable two point lead.
Shortly after the interval Wardhaugh, who had held a pawn advantage for some time, reduced that lead by winning against Birch. On the bottom board, Young made a weak move which handed the advantage to his opponent, although he later obtained an attack. Properly conducted, this should have been decisive, but he mishandled it and could do no more than draw. Meanwhile, on board six, Nichol had worked up an overwhelming king's side attack and he compelled his opponent to resign on move 45.
As this gave Glasgow a 4-2 lead, thereby securing the match, Longwill and Walsworth, whose game had by this time been reduced to a minor piece and seven pawns each, agreed a draw.
Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland
Updated 21/11/2019