Minor Pieces

This is the third post in my series about George Edward Wainwright, sometime member of Twickenham, Guildford and Surbiton Chess Clubs, and one of the strongest English amateurs of his day.

You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

We left George in Surbiton in 1911, happily married, with four children and an important job in local government.

That summer he travelled abroad to play chess for the first time. He was playing top board for a team of members and friends of Hastings Chess Club who embarked on a tour of France and Switzerland, scoring 4½/5. I guess he was a friend, rather than a member.

Here’s a game from their match against the Union Amicale des Amateurs de la Régence, where he encountered the Russian diplomat Vassily Soldatenkov. Click here and paste the pgn to play through any game in this article.

[Event “Paris vs. Hastings; Café de la Régence”]
[Date “1911.08.17”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Soldatenkov, Vassily”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 Be7 6. Qc2 O-O 7. Nf3 b6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Rd1 Bb7 10. Bd3 h6 11. Bf4 c5 12. h3 c4 13. Be2 a6 14. Ne5 b5 15. Bf3 b4 16. Ne2 Rc8 17. O-O Re8 18. Ng3 c3 19. b3 Nf8 20. Nf5 Ne6 21. Bxh6 Bf8 22. Bf4 Nxf4 23. exf4 g6 24. Ne3 Ne4 25. Bxe4 dxe4 26. f5 Qg5 27. fxg6 f6 28. N5g4 Qxg6 29. Nc4 Rc7 30. Rfe1 Rg7 31. Nce3 Bd6 32. Nf5 Rd7 33. f3 Bf4 34. fxe4 Bd2 35. Re2 Qxf5 36. Nh6+ Bxh6 37. exf5 Rxe2 38. Qxe2 Rc7 39. Qe8+ Bf8 40. Qd8 Re7 41. d5 c2 42. Rc1 Re2 43. Qxf6 Bc5+ 44. Kh2 Be3 45. Qg6+ Kf8 46. Qf6+ Kg8 47. Qd8+ Kf7 48. Qc7+ Kf6 49. Rxc2 Rxc2 50. Qxc2 Bxd5 51. Qd3 Bf4+ 52. g3 1-0

At this point he took a break from tournament chess, not playing in either the 1911 British Championship in Glasgow or the 1911-12 City of London Championship.

He wasn’t inactive, though: in November he took part in a simul at the City of London Club against the up and coming young Cuban Capablanca, where he managed to win his game.

In 1912 he didn’t have far to go for the British Championship, which took place just up the road from him in Richmond – the Castle Assembly Rooms to be precise, down by the river and opposite the Town Hall. Again, he didn’t take part, but was there as a visitor. (I’m considering a future series of Minor Pieces about some of the chessers who descended on Richmond that year.)

Wainwright was back in action in the 1912-13 City of London Championship, but without success. A large entry that year required three qualifying sections, with three qualifiers from each section making the final pool. He was well down the field in his section.

Throughout his life he remained loyal to his home county of Yorkshire: in those days there was no problem representing both Surrey and Yorkshire in county matches.

In this game from a Yorkshire – Middlesex match played in Leicester (a neutral venue) he beat one of his regular London opponents and a future Kingston resident.

[Event “Middlesex – Yorkshire”]
[Date “1913.10.11”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Michell, Reginald Pryce”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Nbd2 Nc5 11. Bc2 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. Re1 O-O 14. Nb3 Ne6 15. g4 Bg6 16. Nfd4 Ncxd4 17. Nxd4 Bg5 18. Nf5 Qd7 19. Kh2 Rad8 20. Bxg5 Nxg5 21. f4 Ne6 22. Qf3 Rfe8 23. Rad1 Nf8 24. Rd2 Bxf5 25. gxf5 c6 26. Rg1 Kh8 27. Qg3 g6 28. Qh4 Qe7 29. f6 Qc7 30. Qh6 Ne6 31. Rg5 1-0

Just two days  later he took part in another simul against Capablanca, forsaking his usual tactical style and, after his opponent’s ill-advised queen trade, winning in the manner of – Capablanca.

[Event “Simul: City of London Chess Club”]
[Date “1913.10.13”]
[White “Capablanca, Jose Raul”]
[Black “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Result “0-1”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. a4 Rb8 11. axb5 axb5 12. d4 cxd4 13. cxd4 Nc6 14. d5 Nb4 15. Bb3 O-O 16. Nc3 Na6 17. Bc2 b4 18. Ne2 Nd7 19. b3 Ndc5 20. Ng3 g6 21. Bh6 Re8 22. Qd2 Bf6 23. h4 Bg7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Ra2 Bg4 26. Qg5 Qxg5 27. hxg5 Bxf3 28. gxf3 Nc7 29. Rea1 Nb5 30. Ne2 Na3 31. Bd1 h6 32. gxh6+ Kxh6 33. Kf1 Kg5 34. Nc1 Rh8 35. Ke2 Nb5 36. Ke3 Nc3 37. Rd2 Rh3 {…} 0-1

The following year, he did better in the City of London Championship, this time qualifying for the finals by winning this game against a young Dutch master who had crossed the Channel hoping to make money by beating rich Englishmen.

[Event “City of London Chess Club Ch”]
[Date “1914.02.07”]
[White “Davidson, Jacques”]
[Black “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Result “0-1”]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. c3 g6 6. h3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Nbd2 Nd7 9. O-O f5 10. Bc4+ Kh8 11. Bg5 Qe8 12. Nh2 h6 13. exf5 hxg5 14. Ne4 gxf5 15. Nxg5 Nb6 16. Bb3 Qg6 17. f4 exf4 18. h4 Bd7 19. Rxf4 Be5 20. Rf3 Bxh2+ 21. Kxh2 Ne5 22. Rg3 Ng4+ 23. Kg1 d5 24. d4 Rae8 25. Qd3 Re4 26. Rf1 Rfe8 27. Nxe4 dxe4 28. Qe2 c6 29. Bf7 Qxf7 30. Rxg4 e3 31. Rf3 Qc4 0-1

By now it was 1914 and storm clouds were gathering over Europe. The London League kept going for one more season. Wainwright was representing the Lud Eagle club and won this game featuring a rather unusual sacrificial kingside attack in a match against West London. His opponent, William Henry Regan, was a stamp and coin dealer.

[Event “Lud Eagle v West London LL”]
[Date “1914.??.??”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Regan, William Henry”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 c5 2. d5 Nf6 3. Nf3 d6 4. Nc3 a6 5. g3 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Bf4 Nh5 9. Bd2 b5 10. Rb1 Bb7 11. e4 Nd7 12. Ng5 h6 13. Nh3 Ne5 14. Ne2 b4 15. f4 Nc4 16. b3 Na3 17. Rc1 Bb2 18. f5 Bxc1 19. Bxc1 g5 20. Nef4 Nf6 21. Nh5 Nb5 22. Nxf6+ exf6 23. Qh5 Kg7 24. Bxg5 Rh8 25. Bh4 Nd4 26. Nf4 Rg8 27. Ne6+ fxe6 28. Qg6+ Kf8 29. Qxh6+ Ke8 30. fxe6 Nxe6 31. dxe6 Qe7 32. Qh5+ 1-0

The City of London Championship managed to keep going for the duration, albeit with far fewer entries, giving George Edward Wainwright the opportunity to continue playing his favourite game.

He didn’t play in 1914-15 or 1915-16, but returned to the fray in 1916-17. Understandably rusty, he finished in last place behind Edward Guthlac Sergeant. The following year, fulfilling the prophecy from Matthew 20:16 (The last shall be first), later repeated by Bob Dylan (The loser now will be later to win) he shared first place with Philip Walsingham Sergeant (EG’s second cousin) and Edmund MacDonald, winning the play-off and so taking the title for the second time.

He was unsuccessful in defending his title in 1918-19, finishing in midfield behind the Latvian master Theodor Germann as chess started to wake up again following the end of hostilities.

In 1919 the British Chess Federation celebrated with a Victory Tournament in Hastings, where Capablanca won the top section ahead of Kostic. The Ladies’ Championship was included but the title of British Champion itself wasn’t awarded. While in the country, Capa gave a simul at the City of London Club, and, for a third time, lost against Wainwright.

Meanwhile, there were some important changes in Wainwright’s personal life. There was a major reconstruction of local government in 1919: the Local Government Board was abolished, its powers being transferred to the newly created Ministry of Health. It seems likely that at this point Wainwright, a wealthy gentleman whose children had now grown up, decided to retire. At some point in 1920 he and his wife moved to Alice’s home village of Box, Wiltshire. Box is situated in the beautiful Cotswolds, on the A4 between the city of Bath and the market town of Corsham.

The village’s previous claim to chess fame was as the birthplace of Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), who, when he wasn’t expunging Shakespeare’s rude words, was one of the strongest English players of his day.

The Wainwright family settled in a cottage called Netherby, near the centre of the village, now a Grade 2 listed building. Very charming it looks too.

The Reverend Vere Awdry and his family moved into Lorne House (now a Bed & Breakfast establishment), next to the railway station on the road to Corsham, also in 1920. They’d arrived in the village in 1917, and had lived at two previous addresses there. He and his young son Wilbert used to spend hours watching the steam trains pass by. Many years later, Wilbert, now the Reverend W Awdry, would be inspired by this memory to write the Thomas the Tank Engine books, much loved by generations of young children, including me. George and Vere, as prominent members of the village community, would surely have known each other, and George would have known young Wilbert as well.

By 1920 things were back to normal, and George Edward Wainwright, now retired, was one of those selected for the British Championship in Edinburgh: his first appearance for a decade. His address was given as London and Box in different newspapers, which suggests he’d just moved, or was in the process of moving.

Roland Henry Vaughan Scott was the slightly surprising winner, ahead of the hot favourite Sir George Alan Thomas. Wainwright scored a respectable 4½/11, not bad for a player in his late 50s.

In this game he launched a dangerous kingside attack in typical style, and his opponent wasn’t up to the defensive task. Scottish champion Francis Percival (Percy) Wenman, a former petty thief (of chess books) and later plagiarist, will be well worth a future Minor Piece.

[Event “British CF-13 Championship Edinburgh”]
[Date “1920.08.11”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Wainwright, George Edward”]
[Black “Wenman, Francis Percival”]
[Result “1-0”]

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. c4 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. O-O Bd6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. b3 b6 9. Bb2 Bb7 10. Qe2 Re8 11. Rad1 cxd4 12. exd4 Rc8 13. Bb1 Bb8 14. Ne5 Ne7 15. Rd3 Ng6 16. f4 Bc6 17. g4 Rf8 18. g5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Nd7 20. cxd5 exd5 21. Qh5 Re8 22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Rxd5 Rc5 24. Rd3 Qc7 25. Qg4 Ndxe5 26. fxe5 Nxe5 27. Qe4 g6 28. Re1 Nf3+ 29. Qxf3 Rxe1+ 30. Kf2 Rf5 31. Qxf5 gxf5 32. Kxe1 h6 33. Bf6 Qc1+ 34. Ke2 Qxb1 35. Rd8+ Kh7 36. Rh8+ Kg6 37. Rxh6# 1-0

It was now 1921 and time for the census enumerator to pay a visit to the Wainwright residence in Box. George and Alice were there, along with a visitor from Bradford, possibly a family friend, and a general servant.

You’ll find out what happened in the latter stages of his life and chess career next time.

Sources:

ancestry.co.uk

findmypast.co.uk

Wikipedia

Google Maps

edochess.ca

chessgames.com

Britbase

Thanks to Gerard Killoran for information about Wainwright’s simul games against Capablanca.