AOctober 10 1882
The Bury and Norwich Post, Bury, Suffolk, England, Tuesday, October 10, 1882
MR. J. H. BLACKBURNE AT BURY.
On Thursday and Friday last, by an arrangement between the Bury and West Suffolk Chess Club and the Bury St. Edmund's Athenaeum, the chess-players of Bury St. Edmund's and its neighborhood had an opportunity to witness the extraordinary skill of Mr. J. H. Blackburne, the famous chess-player, both in simultaneous contests over the board and in blindfold play. It is now more than five years since Mr. Blackburne last visited Bury (in June, 1877), and as he has since gained the very highest distinction as winner of the International Tournament at Berlin in 1881, it was thought that another display of his very remarkable powers would prove attractive, if not remunerative. Chess-players, however, are not a numerous body, and consequently on this occasion, as on the last, there was not a large attendance; but those who were present on Thursday or Friday evening were very warm in expressing their appreciation of Mr. Blackburne's marvelous grasp of the intricacies of the numerous positions with which he had to deal, especially in the contest sans voir.
The two contests took place in the Athenaum Lecture-hall, where suitable arrangements were made, in order that the public might have every opportunity to witness the play. On Thursday evening Mr. Blackburne encountered four-and-twenty opponents simultaneously over the board; he had, indeed, expressed his willingness to meet thirty, but it was found difficult to muster so large a number, and even as it was there was a very considerable “tail.” Mr. Blackburne having conceded the first move in half the games, the players were arranged indiscriminately at two long tables, and it was then determined by lot which table should have the attack and which the defence. The following consequently had the first move in their respective games: Major Harris, Mr. Godfrey Burrell, Mr. W. Dawson, Mr. H. F. Bacon, Mr. F. Ford, Mr. J. F. Paul, Mr. Freeman Wright, Mr. H. Bullock, Mr. G. Tompson, Mr. R. Goodall, Mr. H. Barker, and Herr Krill. In the games with the following players Mr. Blackburne had the first move: Mr. C. E. Sparke, Mr. E. C. Thomas, Mr. J. S. Greene, Mr. F. W. Clarke, Mr. A. Janney, Mr. H. Allen, Mr. J. J. Catton, Dr. Barry, Rev. G. A. Blair, Mr. A. Cook, Mr. H. Staff, and Mr. S. Harvey. Mr. Blackburne's openings were very varied in their character, and in seven cases he offered a gambit. At the other table only one gambit was given, and the openings were mostly irregular in character. Mr. Blackburne walked past the tables, making a move at each board and rarely stopping more than a second or two to consider the position; indeed, be seemed generally to be mentally prepared for all contingencies before he reached his opponents' boards. The first to succumb, after 15 or 16 moves, was Herr Krill. and the Rev. G. A. Blair and Mr. Harvey were the next to yield. At the 20th move Mr. Staff was mated, and Mr. Dawson soon afterwards resigned. Mr. Sparke was the next player defeated, and Mr. Burrell, Major Harris, Mr. Allen, and Mr. Bacon retired soon afterwards. Mates in two or three moves were then announced to Messrs. Janney and Cook, after whom Dr. Barry was also defeated. Mr. Clarke, Mr. Tompson, Mr. Ford, Mr. Goodall, Mr. Paul, Mr. Barker, Mr. Wright, Mr. Greene, and Mr. Bullock subsequently resigned, leaving only Mr. Thomas and Mr. Catton to continue the contest. At one time it appeared as though Mr. Thomas would win, but at length the position became such that Mr. Blackburne announced it to be a recognized draw, and this dictum was accepted by Mr. Thomas, who was warmly applauded on avoiding a defeat. Mr. Catton, the only remaining player, maintained his defence until a quarter to ten o'clock, when he resigned, and the contest was brought to an end after extending over three hours and a half, Mr. Blackburne winning twenty-three games, and drawing the twenty-fourth. We append below the games played by Mr. Thomas (who would probably have won if he had played with greater boldness) and by Mr. Catton.
On Friday the contest began at 3 p.m., Mr. Blackburne encountering eight of the strongest players of the Bury and West Suffolk Chess Club, without seeing any of the boards. The following was the team, the places being determined by lot, as before:—Board No. 1, Mr. J. J. Catton; No. 2, Mr. W. Dawson; No. 3. Mr. F. Robinson (Stowmarket); No. 4, Mr. Walton Burrell; No. 5, Mr. F. Ford; No. 6, Mr. E. C. Thomas; No. 7, Major Harris; No. 8, Mr. F. W. Clarke. During the first part of the contest Mr. Freeman Wright, of Needham Market, acted as teller for Mr. Blackburne, calling the moves made by his opponents and making his responses. At a later period of the evening, Mr. Wright being compelled to leave, this onerous duty was kindly undertaken by Capt. Williams. Mr. Blackburne, who was seated at a table near the platform, with his back to the players, had the first move in each of the eight games. At No. 1 the Two Knights' defence was played; at No. 2, the French defence; at No. 3, the Sicilian defence; at No. 4, the Allgaier gambit; at No. 5, the French defence; at No. 6, the Danish gambit; at No. 7, the Scotch gambit; at No. 8, an irregular defence. At five o'clock an adjournment of an hour took place, at the termination of which the games were resumed, Mr. Blackburne (who of course had no means of refreshing his memory) taking them up with as much confidence as if they had never been interrupted. Shortly after eight o'clock Mr. Thomas resigned; at 8.45 Mr. Blackburne offered a draw to Mr. Catton, who accepted it amid the applause of the company; at nine Mr. Blackburne announced a forced mate to Mr. Robinson; and ten minutes later Mr. Ford resigned, speedily followed by Mr. Burrell; Major Harris maintained his defence until half-past ten, when be resigned. In Mr. Clarke's game Mr. Blackburne made two or three oversights, one of which cost him a Bishop; these were the only mistakes be made during his prolonged feat, and even in this case a cigar so far restored his grasp of the situation that Mr. Clarke was only able to draw. Mr. Dawson, the only player left, was offered a draw at two points of a very complex game, but he preferred to play it out, and subsequently Mr. Blackburne was enabled to improve his position so much that at ten minutes past eleven Mr. Dawson resigned. Mr. Blackburne thus won six games and drew the other two, the result being precisely the same as in his match with the City of London Club a week or two back. It is due to Mr. Catton to say that Mr. Blackburne considered his game the best both on Thursday and on Friday. We therefore give these, together with the game drawn by Mr. Thomas, Mr. Dawson's game, and those played by Messrs. Robinson and Burrell, which were also spoken of by Mr. Blackburne in terms of commendation, although these two latter players were defeated. At the termination of the contest on Friday a cordial vote of thanks was given to Mr. Blackburne in appreciation of his extraordinary performance, and the services of Capt. Williams and Mr. Freeman Wright as tellers were also acknowledged. Mr. Blackburne, in responding, spoke in complimentary terms of the Bury Club, and said he thought that, considering the absence of its two best players, Mr. Craske and the Rev. L. W. Lewis, the members showed a manifest improvement in their play, as compared with the contest in 1877.
The following games will probably be acceptable to our chess-playing readers:—
Thursday, October 05, 1882
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. E. C. Thomas (black)
King's Gambit Accepted: Allgaier Gambit
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. J. J. Catton (black)
Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Blackburne Attack
Friday, October 06, 1882
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. J. J. Catton (black)
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Janowski Defense
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. F. Robinson (black)
Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Normal Variation
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. W. Burrell (black)
King's Gambit Accepted: King's Knight's Gambit
Joseph Henry Blackburne (white) vs. W. Dawson (black)
French Defense: Exchange Variation
