Williamson Shield 1913

If the first competition for the Shield had been slow to get off the ground, the local chess administrators were clearly keen to establish the competition on an annual basis. Even before the 1912 competition had been completed, the News-Letter was reporting that at a meeting of the secretaries of the Belfast clubs in the Central Hall, Rosemary Street on the 2nd November:

[N]ew conditions were drawn up for the tourney for the Williamson Challenge Shield, which carries with it the title of chess champion of Belfast. The chief alterations from last year's rules are -
(1) Each club may select two representatives (instead of one) to compete;
(2) each competitor plays two games (instead of one) with every other; and
(3) a lead of half a point is sufficient to win, whereas last year a whole point was necessary. The championship competitors must take part in the inter-club matches, the games in those to count in the championship.

The revised rules and conditions of play appeared in full in the News-Letter chess column on the 14th November 1912. They were:-

1. The trophy shall be styled "The Williamson Challenge Shield" and shall be competed for annually between each 1st October and the following 1st May.
2. The competition shall be carried on under the direction of a committee consisting of a representative of each club in Belfast.
3. Each club may select a representative, who must be a club member and resident in Belfast, and who shall play in club matches, such games to count also as games for the championship. But the inability of a competitor to play in any match shall not debar or relieve him from playing in the championship contest.
4. Each competitor shall play two games with every other competitor.
5. If two or more competitors have equal scores they shall play a deciding match under rules to be arranged by the committee.
6. Competitors shall make their own arrangements before the games commence as to the procedure to be adopted in case an adjournment becomes necessary.
7. The winner of each game shall report the result to the honorary secretary of Strandtown Chess Club.
8. The winner shall be entitled to call himself the chess champion of Belfast for the year. He shall hold the shield from 1st May, and have his name inscribed upon it as holder for that year.
9. Each club sending a representative shall annually pay half-a-crown towards the cost of inscribing the winner's name upon the shield.

The competition ran smoothly on this occasion, with all games played within the 1^st May deadline. The winner once again was Harold Thomas, though the game below shows him succumbing to an unusual opening.

A large gathering of Belfast chess players assembled in Strandtown schoolroom on the 15th inst., the occasion being the formal announcement of the result of the recent city championship tournament and presentation of the Williamson Shield to the winner, Mr. Harold Thomas. Dr. R.W. Leslie, as senior member of the club, presided, and extended a hearty welcome to the visitors.

He explained for the benefit of those who were not members of the club that the shield he was about to hand over to Mr. Thomas had been presented by Mr. H.B. Williamson in 1904, on his departure for New Zealand, with the object of encouraging chess in Belfast, and he (the chairman) was pleased to be the medium of handing it over to Mr. Thomas.

It was not the first time Mr. Thomas had won it, as he already held the championship for last year. He would have been even more pleased if it had been a member of Strandtown Club to whom he was handing he was handing the trophy, but on looking over the chess players of Belfast he knew of no man who deserved it better than Mr. Thomas, of the Belfast Club.

The chairman then, amidst applause, handed the Shield to Mr. Thomas, who thanked those present for the very cordial manner in which his name had been received. Chess, he thought, was very much on the up-grade in Belfast, and in his opinion that was due to two causes. One was the action of the Strandtown Club - the result, of course, of Mr. Williamson's generous gift - in promoting that competition, and the other was the energetic and enthusiastic local Press, which by publishing and annotating local games increased the interest amongst Belfast players.

Havera
New Zealand
4 Sept 1913

Mr Thomas
City Chess Club
Belfast

Dear Sir

From a recent number of "The Chess Amateur" to hand accept my congratulations on your success as Champion of Belfast. This is the first intimation I have seen since presenting The Shield for that purpose to The Strandtown Club some years ago, naturally I was interested in result but heard nothing about it. Might I ask you to be good enough and let me know the winners since first Competition. Apologising for the trouble and with best wishes for your future victories.

I am

Yours very truly

H.B. Williamson

No doubt Harold Thomas was delighted to receive the congratulations, but perhaps less pleased that he would need the skills of a diplomat to explain that there had only been two competitions for the Shield!