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TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
London A Tournament

Herman Steiner9/11(+8 -1 =2)[games]
Ossip Bernstein8/11(+6 -1 =4)[games]
Savielly Tartakower7.5/11(+7 -3 =1)[games]
Karel Opocensky7/11(+5 -2 =4)[games]
Harry Golombek6/11(+5 -4 =2)[games]
Arturo Pomar5.5/11(+5 -5 =1)[games]
Lodewijk Prins5.5/11(+5 -5 =1)[games]
Paul List4.5/11(+3 -5 =3)[games]
Reginald Broadbent4.5/11(+4 -6 =1)[games]
William Albert Fairhurst4/11(+3 -6 =2)[games]
Joseph Stone2.5/11(+2 -8 =1)[games]
Otto Friedman2/11(+2 -9 =0)[games]

Chessgames.com Chess Event Description
London A (1946)

In January 1946, less than a week after Hastings (1945/46), the newspaper Sunday Chronicle sponsored a Victory Tournament in Farringdon-street Memorial Hall, London, with Walter Hatton-Ward as director. The idea was to celebrate the end of the war, with attendance of masters from all over the world. Things were lined up for the biggest of events, but eventually it became clear that the Russians (incl. Mikhail Botvinnik) would not turn up. World Champion Alexander Alekhine was invited, but Max Euwe and the Dutch Chess Federation, and Denker and the USCF, protested because of Alekhine's alleged Nazi sympathies. In November 1945, Hatton-Ward wrote to Alekhine and cancelled the invitation.

The players were divided into two supposedly equally strong groups, A and B. The A-group consisted of Steiner, California champion (1945) and US Open winner (1942), Bernstein, who had "quit" chess in 1907, Tartakower, nearly 60 years old and recent Hastings winner, Opocensky, the Czechoslovak champion, Prins, winner of Dutch tournaments before the war, List, UK immigrant (from Russia) and also almost 60, Pomar, child prodigy from Spain and a pupil of Alekhine, Fairhurst, British (1937) and Scottish champion, Broadbent, UK Northern Counties champion, Golombek, soon to become British champion, and Stone of Britain and Friedmann of Czechoslovakia. On Saturday 26th, Steiner won the A Group, and garnered one of the two silver cups given by (James) Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsely. (1) The second cup went to London-B (1946) winner Max Euwe.

The participation of 14-year-old Pomar attracted public attention, especially when he was pitted against older players. The following picture, which is from London 1946 (but not this tournament), shows him playing against Bernstein: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

London, England, 14-26 January 1946

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 1 Steiner * 0 1 ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 9 2 Bernstein 1 * 1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 0 1 1 1 8 3 Tartakower 0 0 * 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 7½ 4 Opocensky ½ ½ 0 * 1 ½ 1 1 1 0 ½ 1 7 5 Golombek 0 ½ ½ 0 * 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 6 =6 Prins 0 0 0 ½ 1 * 0 1 1 1 1 0 5½ =6 Pomar 0 ½ 0 0 0 1 * 1 1 1 1 0 5½ =8 List ½ ½ 0 0 1 0 0 * 0 ½ 1 1 4½ =8 Broadbent 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 * ½ 1 1 4½ 10 Fairhurst 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ½ ½ * 1 1 4 11 Stone 0 0 1 ½ 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 1 2½ 12 Friedmann 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 * 2

According to The Sunday Post, January 27, 1946, the game between Broadbent and Fairhurst had been completed on Friday 25th and a draw had been agreed upon. Fairhurst, while travelling to Glasgow overnight, re-studied the position with his pocket set and saw that he could have forced a win. He telephoned Broadbent from Scotland on Saturday and Broadbent agreed the game was a win. This was accepted by the organizers.

Tournament book: Book of the "Sunday Chronicle" Chess Tournament, by Walter Hatton-Ward. Chess SC, Sutton Coldfield 1946. 106 pp.

(1) Wikipedia article: Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley

Original collection: Game Collection: London A 1946 by User: Tabanus.

 page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 66  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. A Pomar vs Tartakower 0-1501946London AD59 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower
2. Golombek vs P List  0-1601946London AE06 Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3
3. J Stone vs W Fairhurst  0-1221946London AD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
4. K Opocensky vs H Steiner  ½-½371946London AE01 Catalan, Closed
5. R Broadbent vs L Prins  0-1541946London AC61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense
6. O Bernstein vs O Friedman  1-0481946London AB73 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical
7. J Stone vs K Opocensky  ½-½611946London AA90 Dutch
8. H Steiner vs A Pomar 1-0331946London AD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
9. P List vs R Broadbent  0-1411946London AA46 Queen's Pawn Game
10. O Friedman vs Golombek  0-1361946London AA16 English
11. W Fairhurst vs L Prins  0-1531946London AE60 King's Indian Defense
12. Tartakower vs O Bernstein  0-1461946London AD02 Queen's Pawn Game
13. A Pomar vs J Stone  1-0391946London AE17 Queen's Indian
14. W Fairhurst vs K Opocensky  1-0741946London AE12 Queen's Indian
15. R Broadbent vs O Friedman 1-0301946London AB73 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical
16. O Bernstein vs H Steiner 1-0781946London AD02 Queen's Pawn Game
17. L Prins vs P List  1-0561946London AC05 French, Tarrasch
18. Golombek vs Tartakower  ½-½251946London AD57 Queen's Gambit Declined, Lasker Defense
19. O Friedman vs L Prins  1-0361946London AD90 Grunfeld
20. P List vs W Fairhurst ½-½611946London AD42 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch, 7.Bd3
21. K Opocensky vs A Pomar  1-0441946London AD30 Queen's Gambit Declined
22. Tartakower vs R Broadbent 1-0301946London AB20 Sicilian
23. J Stone vs O Bernstein  0-1691946London AD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
24. H Steiner vs Golombek  1-0471946London AB74 Sicilian, Dragon, Classical
25. R Broadbent vs H Steiner  0-1431946London AC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
 page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 66  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-17-20  Nosnibor: I don't understand the bio. when it says Bernstein quit chess in 1907.He continued playing in international events up to St Petersburg 1914 only stopping because of WW1.Further I am a bit mystified about the Fairhurst game which was agreed drawn but the organisers accepted he had a win but the drawn result stands in the table.

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