British Championship: First round losers who won the title

[JustinHorton]

Penrose, in 1958 (thanks to Richard James for this).
Sultan Khan, in 1929.

There must be others?

[Phil Makepeace]

I'm assuming Penrose and Sultan Khan won their second round matches. Hodgson started with ½/2 in 2000, after bizarrely - but apparently correctly - being paired against Speelman.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I wouldn't expect too many. In recent years I can only think of two winners who dropped as much as a draw in the first round (Hodgson in 2000 and Adams in 1989).

There are possibly quite a few second round losers though (Short in 1984, Hodgson 2000, Rowson 2005 are just the ones to spring to mind. Howell had his closest shave there last year too).

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I wouldn't expect too many. In recent years I can only think of two winners who dropped as much as a draw in the first round (Hodgson in 2000 and Adams in 1989).

There are possibly quite a few second round losers though (Short in 1984, Hodgson 2000, Rowson 2005 are just the ones to spring to mind. Howell had his closest shave there last year too).

Sort of in the same vein, which British Championship winners have lost the most games or made the most draws, or just been slow starters in general? Bit of an open-ended, question, I know. If someone can point me to a site with details, I could try and work it out myself.

[IM Jack Rudd]

There are at least two instances in recent history of British Championships won by someone who drew six games: Joe Gallagher in 2001 and Stuart Conquest in 2008.

Jacob Aagaard lost twice on the way to winning the title in 2007. His percentage score with white that year might be a record - 2½/5 for a mere 50%. (He scored 6/6 with black.)

[Leonard Barden]

[quote="Christopher Kreuzer"] Sort of in the same vein, which British Championship winners have been slow starters?[quote]

Reginald J Broadbent in 1950 began with 2.5/5, then won his last six.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Sort of in the same vein, which British Championship winners have been slow starters?

Reginald J Broadbent in 1950 began with 2.5/5, then won his last six.

That's very impressive (winning the last six, not starting with 2.5/5). Adams started with 5/5 this year, didn't he? Has anyone won 7 or 8 games in a row at the British?

[John Saunders]

Mestel started with 9/9 in 1976. He then drew and lost.

[David Sedgwick]

There's also the case of the unlucky Frank Parr.

Alexander had a mega-score one year (1956?) but was only just ahead of Frank Parr, I think.

Quite correct, I believe. Parr won 8 games in succession that year, a record which stood until Mestel's 9 in succession twenty years later. However, Parr's total of 9 points was not enough, as Alexander scored 9½.

[Leonard Barden]

There's also the case of the unlucky Frank Parr.

Alexander had a mega-score one year (1956?) but was only just ahead of Frank Parr, I think.

Quite correct, I believe. Parr won 8 games in succession that year, a record which stood until Mestel's 9 in succession twenty years later. However, Parr's total of 9 points was not enough, as Alexander scored 9½.

Frank Parr was even unluckier than the bare scores suggest. At the start of the final round he and Alexander both had 8.5/10. For some unclear reason Alexander with Black offered Michael Franklin an early draw, which was declined. Meanwhile Parr completely outplayed me; I forget the details but think I was material and position down and even briefly considered resigning. But then the enormity of the occasion got to Frank and I remember noticing his physical symptoms of sweating, shaking his head, and generally looking agitated in contrast to his normally calm and phlegmatic demeanour. So he missed several wins and I escaped with half a point, while Alexander outplayed Franklin.

[John Saunders]

Frank Parr was even unluckier than the bare scores suggest. At the start of the final round he and Alexander both had 8.5/10. For some unclear reason Alexander with Black offered Michael Franklin an early draw, which was declined. Meanwhile Parr completely outplayed me; I forget the details but think I was material and position down and even briefly considered resigning. But then the enormity of the occasion got to Frank and I remember noticing his physical symptoms of sweating, shaking his head, and generally looking agitated in contrast to his normally calm and phlegmatic demeanour. So he missed several wins and I escaped with half a point, while Alexander outplayed Franklin.

Parr,F - Barden,L [A98]
BCF-ch Blackpool (11), 31.08.1956

1 d4 e6 2 c4 f5 3 g3 Nf6 4 Bg2 Be7 5 Nc3 0-0 6 Nf3 d6 7 Qc2 Qe8 8 0-0 Qh5 9 e4 fxe4 10 Nxe4 e5 11 dxe5 dxe5 12 Nxf6+ Bxf6 13 Be3 Nc6 14 Rfe1 a5 15 Nd2 Nd4 16 Bxd4 exd4 17 Ne4 Ra6 18 f4 Be7 19 Qd1 Qxd1 20 Raxd1 Rb6 21 Nf2 Bf6 22 Nd3 Kh8 23 Bd5 c5 24 Rd2 Bf5 25 Nxc5 d3 26 Na4 Rb4 27 b3 h5 28 Kg2 h4 29 Kf3 Rxa4 30 bxa4 Bc3 31 Red1 Bxd2 32 Rxd2 Re8 33 g4 Re2 34 Rd1 Bc8 35 Rxd3 Rxh2 36 f5 Rh3+ 37 Ke4 Rxd3 38 Kxd3 b6 39 Ke4 g6 40 f6 Bxg4 41 Kf4 Bf5 42 Kg5 Kh7 43 Kxh4 Kh6 44 Kg3 ½-½ (Source: Peter Parr / Frank Parr's scorebooks)

The plan of 42 Ke5, Kd6, f7 is the last of the missed wins Leonard refers to.

Franklin,M - Alexander,C [A48]
BCF-ch Blackpool (11), 31.08.1956

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Bf4 Bg7 4 e3 0-0 5 h3 d6 6 Nbd2 Qe8 7 Bh2 Nfd7 8 Bc4 Nc6 9 0-0 e5 10 dxe5 Ndxe5 11 Nxe5 Nxe5 12 Bb3 Be6 13 Nf3 Nxf3+ 14 Qxf3 Qb5 15 Rab1 Bxb3 16 cxb3 Rfd8 17 Rfd1 a5 18 Rd5 Qb4 (draw offer) 19 Qd1 a4 20 a3 Qxb3 21 Qxb3 axb3 22 Rb5 Rdb8! 23 Rxb3 b5 24 Rd1 Kf8 25 Bg3 Rb6 26 Rd5 Rab8 27 e4 Ke7 28 f3 b4 29 a4 Rc6 30 e5 dxe5 31 Re3 Ke6 32 Ra5 Rc1+ 33 Kh2 f6 34 f4 Bh6 35 Re2 Rd8 36 fxe5 f5 37 Ra6+ c6 38 Re1 Rc2 39 Rg1 Be3 40 Rf1 Rdd2 41 Kh1 g5 42 Bh2 f4 43 Bg1 Bxg1 44 Rxg1 f3 45 Rb6 Re2 0-1 (Source: BCM, Dec 1956, p332)

[Jonathan Rogers]

So the Classical Dutch has appeared in a crucial last round of the British after all, but not at the hand of Simon Williams!

They recommend 9...e5 nowadays, if you are still looking for improvements Leonard ...!