The Time Traveller - Williamson Shield 1928

Williamson Shield 1928
by David McAlister

The 1928 renewal of the Williamson Shield had exactly the same entrants as the 1926 event - P. J. McMahon (winner that year and the following one), W. J. Allen (champion in 1923, 1924 and 1925), A. Orr and J. Watson. The tournament was run in its usual double-round all-play-all format and competition began in early April with McMahon getting off to a quick start by beating both Orr and Allen.

W. J. Allen - P. J. McMahon: Williamson Shield Belfast, 1928
[Notes by Allen in the Belfast News-Letter for 12th April 1928]

[The game was actually played in the League match between CIYMS and St. Paul's, but by agreement also counted towards the Williamson Shield - DMcA.]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Bd2
Capablanca recommended this as best, but there are possibilities in 6.exf6 hxg5 7.fxg7 Rg8 8.Qh5 etc.
6...Bxc3 7.bxc3 Ne4 8.Bd3
8.Qg4 as played by Sir George Thomas is probably better.
8...Nxd2 9.Qxd2 Nd7 10.Qe3 Qe7 11.Ne2 c5 12.Bb5 c4
Forcing White to exchange Bishop for Knight.
13.0-0 0-0 14.Bxd7 Bxd7 15.Nf4 Ba4 16.Rfc1 Rac8 17.Qg3 Rc7 18.Nh5
At this stage the club match was still undecided and White wanted to keep the draw in hand.
18...Qg5 19.Qxg5 hxg5 20.Rab1 Be8 21.Ng3 f6 22.Re1 f5 23.Rb2 f4 24.Nf1 g4 25.Reb1 b6 26.Rd1 g5 27.Rd2 Rh7 28.Rb1 Kg7 29.Re1 Rfh8 30.g3 Bg6 31.a3 Rf8
White rather expected 32.Ree2 fxg3 33.fxg3 Rf3 34.Re3 with a drawn game. At this point, however, the game was adjourned and was resumed four days later.
32.Rc1
Inadvertently removing the Rook from the e-file and giving Black his opportunity. There is no saving the game now.

Diagram after White's 32nd move

32...fxg3 33.fxg3 Rf3 34.Rf2 Rxc3 35.Rf6 Bf5 36.a4 Rh6 37.Rxh6 Kxh6 38.Kf2 Ra3 39.Ne3 Kg6 40.Rh1 Rxa4 and wins. 0-1

Allen beat Orr in their encounter played in the third week of April but a torpor then seems to have fallen over the tournament and no more games were played until June. The Belfast News-Letter was however able to report on the 28th June that three games had recently been played, all involving Watson - first he had beaten Orr in an attractive attacking game, but then lost to both McMahon and Allen

A. Orr - J. Watson: Williamson Shield Belfast 1928
[Notes from the Dublin Saturday Herald for the 25th August 1928]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 Bg4 8.Re1
Recommended by Tarrasch instead of the usual 8.c4
8...f5 9.Nbd2
But here 9.Nc3 is Tarrasch's recommendation, and it is better.
9...0-0 10.c4 c6 11.cxd5 cxd5 12.Qb3 Nxd2 13.Nxd2 Nc6
Black lets the pawn go rather than delay development.
14.Qxd5+ Kh8 15.Kh1
To avoid 15...Bxh2+ which would win the White Queen.
15...Nb4 16.Qb3 Qh4
A threat that compels White to advance the g-pawn and weaken his position.
17.g3 Qf6 18.a3 Nc6 19.d5? Nd4 20.Qa2
A bad move, putting the queen out of play. Why not 20.Qxb7 ?
20...Rae8 21.Re3 Rxe3 22.fxe3

Diagram after White's 22nd move

22...Bxg3
Bold play, leaving two pieces en prise and staking all on White's pieces being out of play.
23.Nf1
This merely hastens matters. 23.b4 to open the way for the return of the Queen, and if then 23...Qh6 24.Nf1 would probably have saved the game.
[In fact 23...Qh4 and if then 24.Nf1 Black plays 24...Bf2 and the threat of Bf3 mate is decisive - DMcA.]
23...Bf3+ 24.Kg1 Bxh2+ 25.Nxh2
If 25.Kxh2 Black can mate in practically the same way.
25...Qg5+ 26.Kf2 Qg2+ 27.Ke1 Nc2+ 28.Bxc2 Qe2# 0-1

The scores at the halfway stage were therefore: McMahon 3, Allen 2, Watson 1 and Orr 0.

McMahon and Allen then met for the second time in a game likely to decide the ultimate destination of the Shield for 1928. On move 3 in a momentary aberration Allen played a different move than the one he had intended. Although the finger slip was not of any significance it seemed to unnerve him and McMahon scored a comfortable win. McMahon now faced the tail-ender Orr only needing a half-point for the overall victory.

A. Orr - P. J. McMahon: Williamson Shield Belfast, 1928
[Notes by Allen in the Belfast News-Letter for the 26th July 1928]

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6
The adoption of the Two Knight's Defence by Black rather suggests that he has made himself master of the difficult variations which arise in it.
4.d4 exd4 5.e5
5.0-0 is the proper move here.
5...d5 6.Bb5
Perhaps 6.exf6 is as good as anything here. White shows more desire to recover the sacrificed pawn than is in accordance with the spirit of the opening.
6...Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Qh5
The state of white's development should have warned him against this move. He is really two moves behind, and placing the Queen where it is subject to immediate attack is making matters worse.
10...0-0 11.Nd2 Nxd2 12.Bxd2 Qc8
Threatening Bg4 as well as preventing the White Knight going to f5.
13.Bg5
White's determination to support the Queen instead of retreating it only adds to his difficulties.
13...Bxg5 14.Qxg5 c5 15.Nf3 Rb8 16.b3 Rb6 17.Nh4
17.Qd2 here seems necessary. The Knight at h4 becomes a further trouble to White.
17...Rh6 18.Qf4
18.Rfd1 was a better way of anticipating the advance of Black's f-pawn.
18...f6 19.Nf3
Why not 19.exf6 at once? The text move is fatal, as the sacrifice of the exchange follows naturally.
19...fxe5 20.Qxe5

Diagram after White's 20th move

20...Rxf3! 21.gxf3
The alternative was 21.Qxd5+ Rf7 22.Qxc5 getting two pawns for the piece, but Black's attack would probably succeed in the long run.
21...Bh3 22.Qxd5+
[There appears to be a saving resource here for White in 22.Kh1 Bg2+ 23.Kxg2 Qh3+ 24.Kg1 Rg6+ 25.Qg3 - DMcA.]
22...Kh8 23.Kh1 Bg2+! 24.Kg1 Rg6 25.Qe4 Bxf3+ 26.Qxg6 hxg6 27.Rfc1 Qh3 0-1

McMahon had notched up five straight wins and had secured his third Williamson Shield title in a row.