John Henderson Reports on the British Championships in Scarborough

Round 3 Wednesday 1st August 2001

A GRAVE SITUATION

ALTHOUGH Scarborough is over eighty miles from the traditional Brontë Country in the Pennines in Yorkshire, it's the final resting place of easily the most famous person to die here (though I have heard that some of the entertainers haven't done too well during the summer season): novelist Anne Brontë, she of the lesser-known works Agnes Gray and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

At the tender age of 28 in 1849, Anne, the youngest of the Brontë brood, visited her favourite seaside town with the more famous Charlotte of Jane Eyre fame in tow. Desperately ill with consumption, she hoped the sea air would do her some good, but just days into the visit she died and her grave - still beautifully kept - can be seen in the churchyard of St Mary's, just below Scarborough's famous castle.

A sad story. But at least she does have an official grave that can be visited, unlike Cecil Valentine De Vere, the first official British Chess Champion, who died tragically young of the same illness (an occupational hazard in those days) just five days short of his 30^th birthday on February 9^th, 1875 in another English seaside resort. So talented, the great Steinitz dubbed him with the sobriquet “A Young Morphy” and, like Morphy, he could well have been best described as the pride and sorrow of British Chess.

However, De Vere’s all but short life became something of an enigma, or even a yet to be solved chess problem. Few documented facts are known about his private life, beyond, ironically, the circumstances of his death and funeral. Though even here, as our diligent press officer Bob Jones discovered just two years ago during the British Championships in Torquay, mysteries remain.

By a quirk of coincidence, not more than a mile from the playing hall in 1999, De Vere lay buried and long forgotten in an unmarked pauper's grave. Apart from being our press officer, Bob's day job involves dealing in antiquarian chess books, and printing chess books with an historical theme through his publishing company, Keverel Chess Books (http://www.keverelchess.co.uk).

He decided that there should be a book written on De Vere to finally try and unravel some of the mysteries that surrounds the first holder of the British title. Now you bring in an expert for a job like this, and Bob commissioned former top player and renowned historian, Owen Hindle (who coincidently had his best result of second equal in the British Championships in 1964 just a few miles up the coast at Whitby), to write the definitive book on De Vere.

However, despite much digging by the intrepid pair, many questions remain unsolved. The book is due out in just four weeks time, costing just £14.00, and copies can be obtained in advance from Bob Jones by contacting him, at bobjones@eclipse.co.uk. I’ve seen a sneak preview of the book, and it looks a riveting good read that asks more questions than it answers – a true chess mystery, and well worth the money.

So, what can I tell you of the first man to become British Champion?

He was born Cecil Valentine Brown (the first mystery), on 14^th February 1845, although no birth certificate has ever been identified. It is thought that he could actually have been a Scot (we claim rights to anybody who’s a winner!), with some references to his birthplace being Melrose – but again another mystery: no proof of where he was born. No one, contemporary or subsequent researcher, has ever ascertained the true identity of his father – the book hinting towards a minor scandal with an ennobled family.

At the age of around 13-14, he joined the all-powerful City of London Club, whose membership at the time comprised the greatest concentration of top players in the world that at the time must have given the impression of the centre of the chess universe. The roll call of their team list read more like a chess version of Who’s Who: Steinitz, Zuckertort, Bird, Blackburne, Boden, MacDonnell, Lowenthal etc. A pretty daunting line-up you will admit. And to think, he learned his craft amongst this illustrious lot.

It’s no surprise then that he became a dashing player, and in his prime, like many of the above, he became a regular at the home of chess, Simpson’s Divan. There, he soon attracted a large following with his swashbuckling style, his game always attract a crowd, whereupon he would play to the gallery; he was a true coffee house player.

In 1866, the newly formed British Chess Association launched their new Challenge Cup, the winner of which would become the first official British Champion. De Vere was by far the strongest player in the tournament and won in true style to become, at 21, the youngest holder of the title of British Champion for over a century (until a certain N.D. Short came on the scene – I wonder what ever happened to him?).

The following summer, he was the only British-born player invited to participate in an International Tournament in Paris, amongst such luminaries as Steinitz, Winawer, From, the great American problemist, Sam Loyd, amongst others. He played well, and although just missing out on the prizes, his play was much praised by the top commentators of the day.

Like many a good man that went before him (and after!), his downfall was a trip to Scotland. His next tournament was in Dundee in 1867, which was won by Gustav Neumann on 7.5/9, with Steinitz half a point behind in clear 2^nd; De Vere and MacDonnell tied for 3^rd place.

De Vere,C - Steinitz,W [C67]

Dundee, 1867

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 0–0 Nxe4 And to think they thought that the Berlin would be out of fashion by the turn of the thoroughly modern 20th century! 5 Re1 If you want to avoid the endgame contortions of the Kasparov-Kramnik variety, then this is a very good system if you're looking for the direct assault. Highly underrated if you ask me. 5 ..Nd6 6 Nxe5 Nxe5 6 ..Be7 7 Bd3 Nxe5 8 Rxe5 0–0 9 Nc3 Bf6 10 Re3 g6 11 b3 b5 12 Ba3 Rb8 13 Bxd6 cxd6 14 Nxb5 Bxa1 15 Qxa1 Re8 16 Nxd6 Rxe3 17 dxe3 Rb6 18 Qd4 Ba6 19 c4 Rc6 20 Be4 Qa5 21 g3 Rxd6 22 Qxd6 Qxa2 23 Qb8+ Kg7 24 Qxa7 Qa1+ 25 Kg2 Qf6 26 Qxd7 h5 1–0 Pilgaard,K-Hoiberg,N/Aarhus 1996/EXT 98. 7 Rxe5+ Be7 8 d4 f6 9 Re1 Nxb5 10 Qh5+ g6 11 Qxb5 c6 12 Qb3 d5 13 c4 Kf7 A typical Steinitzian solution – use the King; after all, it's an active piece!: 13 ..0–0 14 cxd5 cxd5 15 Nc3 and the d-pawn is doomed. 14 Nc3 dxc4 15 Qxc4+ Kg7 16 d5! cxd5 17 Nxd5 Bf8 18 Nxf6!!

Stunning. Simply stunning. 18 ..Qxf6 19 Bd2 b5 20 Qd5 b4 21 Rac1 Qf7 21 ..Bd7 22 Be3! 22 Qxa8 Be6 23 Qe4 Bxa2 24 Qe5+ Kg8 25 Rc7 Qd5 26 Qxd5+ Bxd5 27 Re8 1–0

Just when he seemed destined to go on to greater things in the game, and perhaps becoming the first World Champion, it was just after this tournament that De Vere’s life was turned upside down. He was soon on the slippery slope with his health taking a turn for the worse being diagnosed with TB; which in those days was a fatal affliction.

With his prowess at the board seriously affected by his illness, his career came to an abrupt halt after his last official tournament: the 4^th British Championships in 1872, held in the grandiose surroundings of the Concert Room at the Crystal Palace. He decided that if his life was to be short, it would at least be a merry one, and he took to the bottle and spent all his money on having a good time.

When eventually his money ran out and he was desperately ill, his friends paid for him to go to Torquay in the hope that the sea air and local climate would improve his health. But alas, the end was inevitable. After just a few weeks in Torquay, he died on 9th February 1875, a tubercular alcoholic.

And yet his death is clouded in an even bigger mystery. Being a penniless visitor, he was buried in a temporary, pauper's grave. Ten years after his death, some friends raised funds to pay for an appropriate headstone. The official documents at Torquay Cemetery record that planning permission for the headstone was applied for and granted. The wording to read:

TO
THE MEMORY OF
CECIL DE VERE
THE WELL-KNOWN CHESS MASTER
Born 1845: Died 1875.
THE STONE WAS ERECTED BY
CHESS PLAYERS OF
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
IN
ADMIRATION OF HIS GENIUS,
AND
SORROW AT HIS LOSS

And yet, there remains one last mystery: there’s no record to plot B2406 where his body is supposed to be lying; and no headstone to De Vere can be found in the cemetery.

With the imminent publication of Owen Hindle’s book, perhaps we can finally put this mystery to rest once and for all. Maybe next year, when the British Championships returns again to Torquay, we’ll have solved the enigma of Cecil Valentine De Vere - and perhaps we’ll even see the missing tombstone erected over his grave so that he can be rightfully worshipped.

Torquay is also the site of Tony Miles’ one and only British Championship victory in 1982. It may well be that we’ll have to wait to Torquay 2002 to see Miles win his second title if he gets himself into anymore grave situations like the position he had against John Shaw, who really should have well and truly buried the man who became Britain’s first GM.

Shaw,J (2478) - Miles,T (2565) [B07]

1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 c6 The Czech or Prybil Variation. Popularised by Czech's like Vlastimil Jansa and, of course, not forgetting Mr Prybil himself? 4 f4 Qa5 5 e5 Ne4 6 Qf3 As IM Andrew Martin explained in his commentary, this is a move that was literally thought up many years ago by English GM Stuart Conquest when he was a junior. Staying in Andy's house, Conquest had to prepare for someone who was quite fond of this system, and "dreamt" of the concept of Qf3. Waking up the next morning, he immediately told Andy of the idea, played it in the game and won. The system was later taken up and used as the mainline against the Prybil. 6 ..d5 7 Bd3 f5!?!

A strange move. I asked Miles the next day where he found this idea from (and I'm not making this up), and he replied, "It was just something I 'dug up' a few years ago." 8 exf6 8 Nge2 e6 (8 ..h5 9 0–0 e6 10 a3 Be7 11 Be3 Nd7 12 b4 Qc7 13 Na4 b5 14 Nc5 Nb6 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 Qg3 Kf8 17 d5 Nxd5 18 Nd4 Bxc5 19 bxc5 h4 20 Qh3 Rh6 21 Bd2 Qe7 22 Be3 Bd7 23 a4 b4 24 a5 Kg8 25 Rad1 Be8 0–1 Cardenas,F-Cruz,F/Peru 2000. ) 9 0–0 c5 10 dxc5 Bxc5+ 11 Be3 Nd2 12 Bb5+ Nc6 13 Bxc5 Nxf3+ 14 Rxf3 Bd7 15 a3 Nxe5 16 fxe5 Bxb5 17 b4 Qa6 18 Nd4 Bd7 19 Nce2 Rc8 0–1 Stearns,A-Altounian,L/San Francisco 2001. 8 ..exf6 9 Bd2! The idea of the gambit is rapid development: 9 Bxe4 dxe4 10 Qxe4+ Kd8! (10 ..Kf7 11 Nf3! Bf5? 12 Ne5+!) 11 Qd3 (11 Nf3 Bf5 12 Qe2 Bb4 13 Qd2 Re8+ 14 Kf2 Nd7 15 Re1 Rxe1 16 Nxe1 Nb6 with good prospects - white's position lacks coordination.) 11 ..Bf5 12 Qd1 Na6 and black has strong compensation for the pawn: bishop-pair, e-file for the rooks and the easier development of the pieces. 9 ..Nxd2 10 Kxd2 Qb6!?N A very provocative move. And one that shows Miles wants to play for the win as he seeks to complicate the position. Will it work or will it simply backfire? 10 ..Bd6 11 Re1+ Kd8 12 Nge2 Na6 13 Nc1 Qc7 14 g3 Nb4 15 a3 Nxd3 16 Nxd3 Bf5 17 Nc5 Bxc5 18 dxc5 Qd7 19 Kc1 Kc7 20 Qf2 Rae8 21 Rxe8 Rxe8 22 Re1 Rxe1+ 23 Qxe1 d4 24 Nd1 b6 25 Qb4 ½–½ Krizsany,L-Tolnai,T/Balatonbereny 1996/CBM 53 ext. 11 Qh5+ Kd8 12 Nf3! Qxb2 13 a3!

13 ..Qb6 Black does have a very interesting continuation: 13 ..Bd6!? 14 Ne5!? (14 g3 Qb6 15 Rhe1 is the game) 14 ..fxe5 15 Qg5+ Be7 16 Qxg7 Rf8 17 Rhb1 Qxa1 18 Rxa1 e4 19 Be2 Rxf4 20 Qxh7 Nd7 and it's not all that easy for white to make progress with the two kingside passed pawns. 14 Rhe1 Bd6 15 g3 Qc7 Miles has to stop Shaw's queen infiltrating the black defences with Qf7. 16 Re3! The threat of doubling rooks on the e-file - with the idea of Re8+ - is deadly. Again, Miles has to make another unusual move. 16 ..Qd7 17 Rae1 Kc7 The downright audacious 17 ..Bxa3 has to be doomed: 17 ..Bxa3?! 18 Nh4 Qh3 (18 ..Kc7 19 Bf5 Qd6 20 Bxc8 Kxc8 21 Ng6 Rd8 22 Ne7+ Kc7 23 Nexd5+! Kc8 24 Ne7+ Kc7 25 Nf5 winning.) 19 Nxd5! (19 Qf7 Qd7 20 Qh5 Qh3 21 Qf7 Qd7 22 Qh5=) 19 ..Bd7 (19 ..cxd5 20 Qxd5+ Qd7 21 Qa5+ b6 22 Qxa3 Nc6 23 Re6! with a big advantage.) 20 Nxf6! gxf6 (20 ..Bb4+ 21 c3 Bxc3+ 22 Kxc3 gxf6 23 Qf7 Kc7 24 Qg7 with a decisive advantage.) ; 17 ..Qg4 18 Qf7 Bd7 19 Bxh7 Kc7 20 Bg6 18 Nh4 b5

19 Bxb5 Looks effective, but does Shaw have better? Well, yes: Miles should have be dead and buried with 19 Ng6! hxg6 a)19 ..Rd8 20 Qxh7; b)19 ..Rg8 20 Ne7! Rd8 (b)20 ..Re8? 21 Nexd5+ cxd5 22 Nxb5+ Kb6 23 Rxe8) 21 Qxh7 Qg4 22 Nf5! easily winning.; c)19 ..hxg6 20 Qxh8 Bxa3 21 Bxg6 Bb4 22 Be8! Qg4; 20 Qxh8 Bxa3 21 Bxg6 Bb4 22 Be8 Qg4 23 h3 Qxh3 24 Qxg7+ and white's cruising. 19 ..Bxa3 19 ..cxb5? 20 Re7! Bxe7 21 Rxe7 Rd8 (21 ..Qxe7 22 Nxd5+ Kd8 23 Nxe7 Kxe7 24 Ng6+ hxg6 25 Qxh8 Be6 26 Qxg7+ Bf7 27 Qh8 and black's paralysed.) 22 Nxd5+ Kb7 23 Nf5! Nc6 24 Rxg7! winning. 20 Nxd5+ Qxd5 21 Qxd5 cxd5 22 Rxa3 Kd6 23 Rae3 White's just going to double rooks on the seventh to good effect. 23 ..Nc6 24 Bxc6 Kxc6 25 Re7 Rg8 26 Rf7 a5 27 Ree7 a4 28 Kc1 a3 29 Kb1 29 Ra7? Ba6! 30 Kb1 Rxa7 31 Rxa7 Kb6 32 Re7 Bc4= 29 ..Ba6 30 Rc7+ Kb6 31 Nf5 Rgb8 32 Ne3 Ka5+

33 Ka2 Ka4 34 Nxd5 Rb2+ 35 Ka1 Re8 36 Nc3+ Time-trouble, simple as that. Shaw missed his chance: 36 Rfe7! Reb8 37 Nc3+ Ka5 38 Rc5+ Kb4 39 Nd1! 36 ..Kb4 37 Nd5+ Ka4 38 Nc3+ And naturally again: 38 Rfe7! wins. Unfortunately Shaw had very little time left and opted for the safety of repeating the position. 38 ..Kb4 39 Nd5+ ½–½

Jovial GM Pete Wells is still looking for his first British title. The only player on 3/3 after this impressive victory of top English junior Craig Hanley, this could be his best chance to win the title.

Wells,P (2510) - Hanley,C (2278) [D17]

1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4 5 a4 Bf5 6 Ne5 Nbd7 7 Nxc4 Qc7 8 g3 e5 9 dxe5 Nxe5 10 Bf4 Nfd7 This is a line that was thoroughly tested during the Alekhine-Euwe World Championship matches of 1935 and 1937. Although black is solid, its thought that white holds the upper hand due to the better development. 11 Bg2 f6 12 0–0 Nc5 Coming more up to date, this is the Morozevich treatment - the exciting young Russian has had many entertaining games with this variation. 13 Ne3 Be6 13 ..Bg6!? 14 b4 Ne6 15 b5 Rd8 16 Qb3 Bf7 17 Bxe5 fxe5 14 b4 Rd8

15 Qb1! 15 Qc2 Na6 16 b5 Nb4 17 Qe4 Bc5 18 Rad1 0–0 19 Nc4 Rxd1 20 Rxd1 Bd5 21 Nxd5 cxd5 22 Rxd5 Nxd5 23 Qxd5+ Kh8 24 e3 Rd8 25 Bxe5 fxe5 26 Qe4 Rd1+ 27 Bf1 Be7 28 Kg2 Qd7 29 Na5 Qd5 30 Qxd5 Rxd5 31 Nxb7 Rd7 32 Na5 e4 33 Nb3 g6 34 a5 Bb4 35 Bc4 Kg7 36 b6 axb6 37 Bb5 ½–½ Anand,V-Morozevich,A/Wijk aan Zee NED 2000/The Week in Chess 273 . 15 ..Na6 15 ..Nb3!? 16 Ned5 cxd5 17 Qxb3 Qc4 18 Qxc4 Nxc4 19 Rfd1 (19 b5 g5! 20 Bc7 (White has problems getting activity after 20 Bc1 Bd6 21 Ra2 (21 Rd1 Be5!) 21 ..Bb4 22 Rc2 Nb6 23 Na2 Be7 24 Rc7 (24 a5 Nc4) 24 ..d4) 20 ..Rd7 21 b6 axb6 22 Nb5 Bc5 with a big advantage.) 19 ..Bxb4 20 Nxd5 Ba5 21 Rab1 Rd7 22 Rd4 Ne5 23 Rb5 Kf7 24 Bxe5 fxe5 25 Rd3 ½–½ Hillarp Persson,T-Hector,J/York ENG 1999. 16 b5 Nb4 17 bxc6 bxc6 18 Rc1! The big difference between Qb1 and Qc2 - white has the c-file for the rook and the b-file for the queen. 18 ..a5 18 ..g5!? 19 Bxe5 Qxe5 20 Na2! c5! (20 ..Nxa2? 21 Bxc6+! Kf7 (21 ..Ke7 22 Qb7+!) 22 Rxa2 Rb8 23 Qc2 Bxa2 24 Qxa2+ Kg7 25 Rd1 Be7 26 Rd7 threatening Rxe7+ and forking with Nf5+ 26 ..Kf8 (26 ..Rhe8 27 Rd5!) 27 Rxa7 with a big plus) 21 Nxb4 cxb4 22 Bc6+ Kf7 23 Be4 Bc5 with chances for both sides. 19 Nb5!

19 ..Qd7 20 Rd1 Qc8 21 Nd4 Bc5 22 Nxe6 22 Bxe5!? fxe5 23 Nxc6! Rxd1+ (23 ..Nxc6 24 Qb5 Bxe3 25 Bxc6+ Ke7 26 fxe3 with a big plus.) 24 Nxd1 Qc7 (24 ..Nxc6 25 Qb5!) 25 Nxb4 Bxb4 26 Be4 g6 27 Ne3 and white has enough for a winning advantage. 22 ..Rxd1+ 23 Qxd1 Qxe6 24 Rc1 Bb6 25 Nc2 Na2 26 Ra1 Nc3 The smoke has finally cleared with black looking as if he is going to survive. 27 Qd2 Qc4! 28 Bxe5 fxe5 29 Qd6 e4 The only move 29 ..Kf7 30 Qd7+ Kf6 31 Ne3 Bxe3 32 fxe3 Nxe2+ 33 Kh1 Nc1 34 Qd6+ Kf7 35 Rb1! wins instantly. 30 Qb8+ Bd8 31 Qe5+ Kf7 32 Ne3 Qd4 33 Qxd4 Nxe2+ 34 Kf1 Nxd4 35 Bxe4

35 ..Bf6? According to Wells, he was going to be hard pushed to win after the more accurate: 35 ..Re8! 36 Bd3 (36 f3 Nxf3 37 Bxf3 Rxe3 38 Bxc6 Bf6=; 36 Nf5 Nxf5 37 Bxf5 c5 38 Rc1 Be7 39 Rb1 g6=) 36 ..g6= 36 Rb1 Re8 37 Nc4 Just one inaccurate move with Bf6, and suddenly black's fighting a losing battle for survival. 37 ..Kg8 38 f3! The bishop dominates the board from e4 - why move it? 38 ..Ra8 39 Rb6 Bd8 40 Rb7 Rc8 41 Nd6 Ra8 42 Ne8! g6 43 Rd7 Bg5 44 h4 Rxe8 45 hxg5 Nf5 Black has too many endgame weaknesses. 46 Kf2 Rb8 47 Bxf5 gxf5 48 Ra7 Rb4 49 Rxa5 f4 50 gxf4 Rxf4 51 Ke3 Rf7 52 Rc5 Ra7 53 a5 Kf7 54 Kf4 Rb7 55 a6 Rb4+ 56 Ke5 1–0

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@cableinet.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.