H E Atkins

Historical knowledge and information regarding our great game.
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Gerard Killoran » Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:37 am

From The Standard (London, England)
Date: Monday, Jan. 27, 1896

...and a second game, played in the correspondence match "Men of Kent v Kentish Men," Mr. H. E. Atkins, of Canterbury, the second prize winner in the Amateur Tournament at Hastings, being defeated in a highly interesting game by Mr. H. G. Sturton, of Lee (Kentish Men).


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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:35 pm

That is an amazing game, I would encourage anyone who hasn't yet to play through it.

It did occur to me that maybe 21...exd4 would have been safer than the game, but Atkins can't have foreseen the potency of his opponent's attack. Was there an improvement on 26...a5? And I wonder why 30...e4 rather than 30...gxf3? (I suppose the opening of the g-file is fatal for Black.) Do the silicon beasts applaud or denigrate these and the rest of the moves?

I was astounded by 37.Rxd4 - it takes a while to appreciate the power of the latent battery from the bishop on b2. Please tell me there isn't a stone-hearted computer move that defends everything? (As it is a correspondence game, maybe not.)

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John Saunders
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by John Saunders » Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:11 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:35 pm
Please tell me there isn't a stone-hearted computer move that defends everything? (As it is a correspondence game, maybe not.)
Good news, Chris - the final combination is sound. Indeed, the last three moves are all 'only moves' to win the game. I agree with you - a very nicely played game by Mr Sturton.

Which begs the question - who was Henry Graham Sturton? Steve Mann's indispensable Yorkshire Chess History site provides a full answer. Born 1843, died 1916, a bank clerk by profession. President of Lee Chess Club (Kent). The biographical details recorded there mention the fact that he had beaten HE Atkins in a correspondence game. But I have checked all the usual places (BritBase, Mega/Big Database, StarBase 4.56, chessgames.com, Chess Notes) and this appears to be the first ever game by Sturton published digitally. Well done, Gerard.

I've just discovered a photo of HG Sturton, in the JG White (Cleveland) collection - link https://cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org/digit ... 0/id/35443

I'm a bit behind with my BritBase work but this one will be added to the collection very soon.
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Neil Blackburn
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Neil Blackburn » Thu Jan 21, 2021 6:29 pm

Big thanks John and Gerard. Lovely, lovely stuff. For those who don't know, the secondary 'amateur' tournament at Hastings was won by Maroczy, who agreed a draw with Atkins in the better position if my rubbish memory serves me right. Thanks guys👍

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:54 am

It would have been tempting to spoil the combination by promoting the pawn on move 39. Thank, John for the analysis, and my thanks to Gerard as well.

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Gerard Killoran
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Gerard Killoran » Fri Jan 22, 2021 3:40 pm

The following game is not so exciting but the loser was from an interesting family.

Lucien Serraillier (1886–1919) died in the 'Spanish Flu' epidemic and was the son of political refugees from the Paris Commune. His father, Auguste Serraillier was a leading Communard who became a close ally and friend of Karl Marx. Lucien's son, Ian, was a children's author whose most famous book was 'The Silver Sword'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Serraillier


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Gerard Killoran
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Gerard Killoran » Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:18 pm

And another...


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Gerard Killoran
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Gerard Killoran » Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:59 pm

Last for now... (edited for correct result)

Last edited by Gerard Killoran on Sat Aug 07, 2021 6:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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John Saunders
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by John Saunders » Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:23 am

Gerard Killoran wrote:
Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:59 pm
Last for now...

Result should be 0-1. Thanks for these two games, Gerard. Duly added to the Atkins collection at BritBase which now totals 349 games.
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Paul Cooksey
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Paul Cooksey » Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:40 am

I'm not sure if I agree with the adjudication. Black certainly better, but I'm not convinced he was winning after e5.

The ra7, e6 trick stops black activating his king, and swapping b for a looks difficult to win too.

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John Saunders
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by John Saunders » Sat Aug 07, 2021 12:47 pm

Paul Cooksey wrote:
Sat Aug 07, 2021 9:40 am
I'm not sure if I agree with the adjudication. Black certainly better, but I'm not convinced he was winning after e5.

The ra7, e6 trick stops black activating his king, and swapping b for a looks difficult to win too.
I'm inclined to agree with you, Paul, and was minded to write something similar when I posted earlier. As someone who used to be an adjudicator, I'm sure I would have agonised over that one for many hours.

I wonder what the NCCU's procedure was for submitting adjudications of county matches. We should note that the game score was published in the Yorkshire Post two days after it was played, so it would be possible for a potential adjudicator to have seen it and thus be aware of the identities of the players, which is not ideal. Given the awe in which Atkins was held in those days, one can't help wondering whether an adjudicator might have inclined towards giving him the verdict simply because he was Atkins.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Sat Aug 07, 2021 3:34 pm

Another illustration, were it actually needed, of how adjudications were fundamentally unsatisfactory.
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Gerard Killoran
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by Gerard Killoran » Fri Sep 03, 2021 3:38 pm

A nice finish to a King hunt, but when was it played?




Lowestoft Journal - Saturday 02 August 1913 p.3.png
Lowestoft Journal - Saturday 02 August 1913 p.3.png (477.42 KiB) Viewed 865 times

John Townsend
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by John Townsend » Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:29 am

The Salvio Gambit (5.Ne5) was thoroughly disreputable at the time of Staunton's Handbook, but that seems to have escaped White's attention in 1913. I wonder if there is any hope of salvation (excuse the pun) in it.

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John Upham
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Re: H E Atkins

Post by John Upham » Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:34 am

Following on from JTs precedent do we know if William Booth essayed the Salvio Gambit?
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