Minor Pieces

It’s now time to return to George Edward Wainwright.

Here he is again. You might recall that, in my previous article, we left him in 1901, an  English international player, previously a member of Twickenham Chess Club, but now living and playing chess in Guildford.

The chess world would change a lot over the next decade, beginning to look a lot more like the world we know today, with a mixture of club and county matches and tournaments. It was, in the spirit of the times, becoming more competitive. George Edward Wainwright was in his element.

At the end of May 1901 he was in Folkestone for the 3rd Kent County Chess Association Tournament, although his result there was rather indifferent. His opponents included Edward Guthlac Sergeant, Joseph Henry Blake and the endgame expert Creassey Edward Cecil Tattersall, the winner of his section. The other section was won by Henry Ernest Atkins, ahead of Lucien Serraillier, father of the novellist Ian Serriallier (The Silver Sword).

His short draw against Tattersall featured an opening that would become the height of fashion a century later. He mishandled it, but on move 15 his opponent missed the win. 119 years later, English IM Jack Rudd reached the same position and made no mistake.

You can past the pgn here if you’d like to play through the games online.

[Event “Folkestone”]
[Date “1901.05.??”]
[White “Tattersall, Creassey Edward Cec”]
[Black “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Be6 10. Ng5 Bc4 11. Rd1+ Ke8 12. b3 Ba6 13. e6 fxe6 14. Nxe6 Bd6 15. Bb2 Kf7 16. Nxc7 Bxc7 17. Rd7+ Ke6 18. Rxc7 Kd6 19. Rf7 Ke6 1/2-1/2

In May 1902 Wainwright took part in the 4th Kent tournament, held in Tunbridge Wells: an all-play-all for 10 players won by the Dutch organist Rudolf Loman, ahead of the likes of Reginald Pryce Michell and (later Sir) George Alan Thomas. Perhaps his most interesting opponent here was the mountaineer Edward Douglas Fawcett.

Against Isle of Wight solicitor Francis Joyce he essayed the relatively new and unexplored Albin Counter-Gambit.

[Event “1st Class Open Tunbridge Wells”]
[Date “1902.05.??”]
[White “Joyce, Francis Albert”]
[Black “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Result “0-1”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 d4 4. Bd2 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bc5 6. a3 a5 7. Bf4 Bg4 8. Nbd2 f6 9. Ne4 Be7 10. exf6 Nxf6 11. Qc2 O-O 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Bd2 Qe7 14. h3 Bh5 15. g4 Bg6 16. Qd1 d3 17. e3 Bxb2 18. Bg2 Bxa1 19. Qxa1 Be4 20. Qd1 Qf7 0-1

His score of 5½/9 gave him a share of 3rd prize, but he was slightly less successful in the Southern Counties Chess Union Tournament in Norwich, where 4½/11 left him well behind Michell, impressive with 10½/11.

We can see the chess administration we know now coming into shape in this period: county organisations affiliated to regional organisations, who were in turn affiliated to the British Chess Federation. It hasn’t changed very much in the last 120 years: some of us have been saying for years that we need a 21st century rather than a 19th century chess administration in this country.

The 1903 SCCU tournament necessitated a trip to Plymouth (the SCCU covered a much wider area than it does today) where he scored a big success. His score of 7/8 gave him first place ahead of George Edward Horton Bellingham, Wilfred Charles Palmer and Michell.

In October 1903 Wainwright resigned his post as President of Guildford Chess Club, as he had left the area. As we’ll see, he moved to Surbiton, just the other side of Kingston from his previous address in Teddington. Perhaps his job had taken him back from Guildford to Kingston, or perhaps he wanted to be nearer London for both work and chess purposes. Surbiton Station, on the main line into Waterloo, provided – and still provides – regular fast services into the capital. It looks very different now than it would have done in Wainwright’s time: the magnificent Art Deco building dates from 1937 and is considered one of the masterpieces of Scottish railway architect James Robb Scott.

He was soon in action against his former club, who were then, and, to the best of my knowledge, are still on friendly terms. Nearly 120 years later, they’re regular opponents in the Surrey Trophy.

Wainwright drew on top board against William Timbrell Pierce, a problemist and endgame study composer who also gives his name to a variation of the Vienna Gambit. Surbiton came out on top, even though retired architect Henry Jones Lanchester failed to turn up. He certainly wouldn’t have been looking after his baby granddaughter Elsa, who would later become a famous film star – and the wife of Charles Laughton: Henry disowned his daughter Edith (Elsa’s mother) and sent her to a lunatic asylum because of her relationship with a working class Irishman named Shamus.

One of the most important events in London chess for many years up to World War 2 was the City of London Championship, which regularly attracted many of the capital’s finest players. Games took place on weekday evenings, so, now living in Surbiton, he’d be able to get home quickly and easily. He took part for the first time in the 1903-04 season, finishing in midfield behind the largely forgotten William Ward, with Michell in second place.

1904 was a momentous year for British Chess: the first British Championship took place. It’s still, to this day, more or less recognisable. The venue chosen was Hastings: perhaps Wainwright was disappointed not to have been one of the 12 players selected for the championship itself, won by the Anglo-American master William Ewart Napier after a play-off with Atkins. There were three equal First Class sections, and he found himself in Section B, where he shared first place with Charles Hugh Sherrard. Other sections included the British Ladies Championship and sections for Second and Third Class players.

At Southport in 1905 he was promoted to the Championship itself where he scored a very respectable 6/11, finishing in 6th place.

Here’s his exciting victory over the tragic and short-lived Hector Shoosmith, the son of a Temperance Lecturer from Brighton.

[Event “British CF-02 Championship Southport”]
[Date “1905.08.21”]
[Round “7”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Shoosmith, Hector William”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. Qe2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. e5 Nd5 9. Rd1 Nb6 10. Bb3 d5 11. c3 Bg4 12. cxd4 Qd7 13. Nc3 Rae8 14. h3 Be6 15. Ng5 Bf5 16. a4 Na5 17. Ba2 h6 18. Nf3 Bb4 19. Bd2 Nc6 20. Bb3 a5 21. Be3 f6 22. Bf4 fxe5 23. Nxe5 Bxc3 24. bxc3 Qe6 25. Bh2 Nxe5 26. dxe5 Qg6 27. Kh1 c6 28. Rd4 Kh8 29. f3 Qe6 30. g4 Bh7 31. f4 c5 32. Rd2 Qc6 33. Kg1 c4 34. Bd1 Be4 35. Qe3 Nd7 36. Bc2 Nc5 37. Bxe4 Nxe4 38. Rb2 Nxc3 39. Qxc3 Qc5+ 40. Rf2 d4 41. Qd2 d3 42. Rc1 Rc8 43. Rc3 Qb4 44. f5 Qxa4 45. e6 Qc6 46. Be5 Kh7 47. Rc1 Qc5 48. Bc3 b6 49. Re1 Qe7 50. Re3 Rc5 51. Ref3 Rb5 52. Kg2 Qb7 53. Qe3 Qd5 54. e7 Re8 55. Bxg7 Kxg7 56. f6+ Kf7 57. Qxh6 Qg5 58. Qh7+ Ke6 59. f7 Rxe7 60. f8=N+ 1-0

In 1906 the British Championship took place in Shrewsbury. Atkins and Michell took the first two places, with Wainwright’s 7/11 giving him a share of third place with Francis Lee, Palmer and Shoosmith. The BCM remarked: The play of … Palmer, Shoosmith, and Wainwright has been specially marked by light and shade. Each lost games through blunders and weak moves, but they have all shared in providing some of the brightest and most interesting chess of the tournament. A comment which could, I suppose, sum up Wainwright’s chess career. His oldest son, George Jnr, took part in one of the Third Class sections but without distinction.

His game against the veteran Blackburne, by now a shadow of his former self, was marked by a finish which would have been worthy of his opponent.

[Event “British CF-03 Championship Shrewsbury”]
[Date “1906.08.06”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward Sr”]
[Black “Blackburne, Joseph Henry”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. Bxc4 b5 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. O-O Bb7 9. a3 Bd6 10. Qc2 Qe7 11. b4 e5 12. Bb2 e4 13. Nd2 O-O 14. Rae1 Rfe8 15. f3 exf3 16. Bxf3 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Nb6 18. Rf2 Qe6 19. Rg2 Bf8 20. Nce4 Nxe4 21. fxe4 f6 22. Rf1 Kh8 23. Rf5 Nc4 24. d5 Qb6 25. Nxc4 bxc4 26. Qf2 Rxe4 27. Rxf6 Qxe3 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. Bxg7+ Kg8 30. Be5+ 1-0

As Autumn arrived it was time for the City of London Club Championship, and it was this tournament that provided George Edward Wainwright with perhaps his greatest success. He ran out a clear winner with 14/17, 2½ points ahead of the runner-up, Shoosmith, with many of London’s leading amateurs trailing in his wake. As well as holding the Gastineau Cup for a year, he received the princely sum of £10 and the championship medal.

The news even reached the chess players of Hartlepool, who were informed that he holds a very important official position, and that, according to a leading Chess Master, he is a sporting Chess player of the best type.

George Edward Wainwright had now, in his mid forties, reached the climax of his chess career. Rod Edwards, in his 1907 rating list, gives him a rating of 2407, placing him 71st in the world. Although 100 points or more behind Atkins and Burn, he was one of the strongest of a group of talented English amateurs rated between about 2300 and 2400, all of whom are of interest for both their lives and their games.

Wainwright didn’t have far to travel for the 1907 British Championship in London, where his 6½/11 was enough for a tie for second place with Blackburne, Michell and EG Sergeant behind Atkins. Another outstanding result: press reports remarked on his vivacious and enterprising style.

Here’s how he dispatched Blake.

[Event “British CF-04 Championship London”]
[Date “1907.08.13”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Blake, Joseph Henry”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. Be2 Nf6 5. O-O Bd6 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. a3 O-O 8. b4 Bd6 9. c4 b6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Bb2 Bb7 12. Nc3 a6 13. Kh1 Nbd7 14. Qd4 Re8 15. Rad1 Rc8 16. Qh4 Nf8 17. Nd4 Ng6 18. Qh3 Bb8 19. f4 Qe7 20. Nf5 Qe6 21. Bf3 Rc4 22. Ne2 b5 23. Ned4 Qb6 24. Nxg7 Rxe3 25. Ngf5 Bxf4 26. Nxe3 Bxe3 27. Nf5 Bg5 28. Rde1 Kf8 29. Be2 Rf4 30. Bd3 Bc8 31. Rxf4 Nxf4 32. Qg3 Nxd3 33. Bd4 Qc6 34. Qxg5 Bxf5 35. Qh6+ Kg8 36. Bxf6 Nf2+ 37. Kg1 1-0

In the 1907-08 City of London Championship he couldn’t quite repeat his success of the previous year, finishing a close third behind Thomas Francis Lawrence (you’ll certainly meet him in a future Minor Piece) and William Ward. He didn’t play in the 1908 British Championship, but continued to compete regularly in club and county matches for both Surrey (qualified by residence) and Yorkshire (qualified by birth). He had also returned to playing in the Anglo-American cable matches.

He didn’t play at the British Championships at Tunbridge Wells in 1908, but he was back again at Scarborough the following year, finishing in midfield

He will be somewhere in this rather splendid group photograph.

In this game he again demonstrated his attacking skills, sacrificing a knight to defeat Liverpool’s Harry Holmes, an aural and ophthalmic surgeon.

[Event “British CF-06 Championship Scarborough”]
[Date “1909.08.19”]
[Round “10”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Holmes, Harry”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d5 7. Qe2 Be7 8. e5 Nd7 9. O-O Nc5 10. f4 Nxd3 11. cxd3 Bc5+ 12. Be3 d4 13. Bc1 O-O 14. Nd2 Re8 15. Ne4 Bf8 16. Bd2 Be6 17. f5 Bd5 18. Bg5 Qd7 19. Nf6+ gxf6 20. Bxf6 h6 21. Qg4+ Kh7 22. Rae1 Bxa2 23. e6 Bxe6 24. fxe6 fxe6 25. Qe4+ Kg8 26. Qg6+ Bg7 27. Re4 Rf8 28. Rg4 Rf7 29. Qxh6 Raf8 30. Rf3 Rxf6 31. Rxf6 Rxf6 32. Qxf6 e5 33. Qg6 c5 34. Rg3 Qe7 35. h4 c4 36. h5 cxd3 37. Qxd3 Kh8 38. Qe4 c5 39. Rg6 a5 40. Rc6 Kg8 41. h6 Bf8 42. Qg6+ Kh8 43. Rc8 c4 44. Re8 1-0

In March 1910 he represented the City of London Chess Club against a visiting team from the Dutch Chess Federation, drawing his game on board 3 against Abraham Speijer, The Dutch team fielded the brothers Arnold and Dirk van Foreest on boards 1 and 7. Arnold is the great great grandfather of GMs Jorden and Lucas van Foreest and their sister Machteld.

The 1910 British Championships took place in Oxford, where he again performed well, sharing 4th place on 6½/11, and beating both Blackburne and the up and coming Fred Dewhirst Yates, who tied for second place behind Atkins.

Here’s how Wainwright beat his fellow Yorkshireman.  I guess they were half way towards a comedy sketch!

[Event “British CF-07 Championship Oxford”]
[Date “1910.08.19”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Yates, Fred Dewhirst”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. c4 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Qc2 b6 7. b3 Bb7 8. Bb2 Nbd7 9. Be2 Rc8 10. O-O Ne4 11. Ne5 Nxc3 12. Qxc3 Nf6 13. Bf3 c5 14. dxc5 bxc5 15. Rfd1 Qc7 16. Rd2 Rfd8 17. Rad1 d4 18. exd4 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 cxd4 20. Rxd4 Bd6 21. Qe2 Nd5 22. cxd5 Bxe5 23. Rc4 Bxh2+ 24. Kh1 Qb8 25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. g3 Bxg3 27. Rg1 Qd6 28. Rxg3 Qxd5+ 29. Kh2 g6 30. Rd3 Qf5 31. Qd2 e5 32. Kg2 Kg7 33. Qe3 Re8 34. Rd5 f6 35. Qxa7+ Kh6 36. Qe3+ Kg7 37. Qd2 Re7 38. Ba3 Rc7 39. Bc5 Qg4+ 40. Kf1 Qh3+ 41. Ke1 g5 42. Be3 h5 43. b4 Qf5 44. Qd3 Qg4 45. b5 e4 46. Qd1 Qe6 47. b6 Rb7 48. Qd4 Kg6 49. Rd6 Qf5 50. Qd5 Qxd5 51. Rxd5 h4 52. Kf1 f5 53. Kg2 f4 54. Bd4 g4 55. Rd6+ Kf5 56. Rd8 h3+ 57. Kh2 Rh7 58. Rf8+ Kg5 59. Rg8+ Kf5 60. Rg7 1-0

Wainwright wasn’t quite so successful in the 1910-11 edition of the City of London Club Championship, but, now approaching his half century, a slight decline was only to be expected.

Meanwhile, on 2 April 1911 it was time for the census enumerator to call. Let’s see who was at home.

There he was, at 1 St Andrew’s Square, Surbiton, very convenient for the station and trains to London. Very nice it looks, too. George Edward Wainwright and his family seemed to be doing very well for themselves.

He’s described, rather modestly, as a Principal Clerk working for the Local Government Board. His wife is also at home, as are their two middle children. Philip is a business pupil for a photographic requisites supply company, while Constance has no occupation listed. They also have a visitor, 19-year-old Julie Ross from Glasgow, as well as a cook and a housemaid.

George Jnr was following in his father’s footsteps in more ways than one. He had moved to his father’s home town of Ilkley, where he was also working for the Local Government Board, as a district auditor. 16-year-old David, though, had chosen a different career path: he was a naval cadet undergoing officer training in Dartmouth.

Here, having followed George Edward Wainwright through his forties, the busiest decade of his chess career, is a good place to pause.

Come back soon for the third episode of the chess career of the man who, although not a member for long, was by far the strongest player in the first Twickenham Chess Club. Our friends at Surbiton can also claim him as one of their finest players.

Ackowledgements:

ancestry.co.uk

findmypast.co.uk

EDOChess – GE Wainwright

Yorkshire Chess History: GE Wainwright

Britbase