AMarch 01 1908
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sunday, March 01, 1908
THE Pennsylvania State Chess Tournament, with sixteen entries, was finished on Saturday, February 22, and resulted in first prize, and State championship being won by S. T. Sharp, with a perfect score of four wins. The players that he met and defeated were the following: I. Ash, W. H. Hughes, W. K. Barclay, S. W. Bampton. The second, third and fourth prizes were captured by S. W. Bampton, W. A. Ruth and J. W. Young, with scores of three wins and one loss. The fifth prize was divided between L. A. Kind and W. P. Shipley, with scores of 2½ wins and 1½ losses each.
April 12 1908
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sunday, April 12, 1908
The following interesting game was played in the Franklin-Mercantile match between S. W. Bampton and W. A. Ruth. The game is of interest to the student on account of the unusual attack played by White against the French Defense. We cannot say that the line of play inaugurated has our endorsement as the best line of attack against the French, but it has the merit of changing the entire nature of the game from the ordinary French Defense, which has been most carefully analyzed and throws the player of the Black pieces upon his own resources.
(a) An old time method of attack against the French Defense, but long ago dismissed by the books as forfeiting to White all advantage of the first move.
(b) The White forces are developed on a totally original plan. White being content to allow the game to run into somewhat similar lines of the Queen's Fianchetto. From now on for the next 10 to 15 moves, the game may be said to be apparently equal, each player is thrown upon his own resources and a complicated position for the middle game ensues.
(c) Key move of White's pretty and winning combination. From this move on there appears to be no good defense for Black.
Samuel Warren Bampton (white) vs. William Allen Ruth (black)
French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation
