1902 (4th) Kent County Chess Association Congress, Tunbridge Wells, 19-24 May

1902 Kent CCA First Class Open

Draw numbers - for the First Class tournament, deduced by Ulrich Tamm to be the same as that used at the Hastings Congress in the 1930s and 1940s (Table 4a), in which the colours of the player drawn 10 would be wwbbwwbbb. The figures given for subsidiary events are taken from the order in which players were listed in crosstables in BCM, 1902, ppn 278-279, which may not have been draw numbers but simply the alphabetical order of competitors' surnames. Residence: a comprehensive list of (nearly) all congress competitors' residences was given in the Kent & Sussex Courier of 21 May 1902 and an arguably better one in the Sussex Express of 24 May 1902 - JS

1902 Kent CCA Congress First Class Open		Draw No	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Prize
1	Rudolph Johannes Loman	9	Redhill	&;	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	7	£10
2	Oscar Conrad Müller	3	Catford	0	&;	½	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	6	£5
3	Reginald Pryce Michell	8	Hammersmith	½	½	&;	1	0	1	0	½	1	1	5½
4	George Alan Thomas	6	Southsea	½	½	0	&;	½	1	1	0	1	1	5½
5	George Edward Wainwright, snr	7	Guildford	0	1	1	½	&;	0	1	0	1	1	5½
6	Georg Schories	4	Ryde, IOW	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	1	1	1	5
7	James Mortimer	1	Primrose Hill	½	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1	½	1	4
8	Lucien Serraillier	10	Balham Hill SW	0	0	½	1	1	0	0	&;	0	1	3½
9	(Edward) Douglas Fawcett	5	Totnes	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	1	&;	0	1½
10	Francis Albert Joyce	2	Isle of Wight	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1½

1902 Kent CCA Championship

1902 Kent CCA Congress Championship		Draw No*	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total	Prize
1	Charles Chapman	3	Sevenoaks	&;	1	1	1	1	1	0	5	Cup & £3
2	(Colonel) George Henry Tillard	7	Tunbridge Wells	0	&;	1	1	0	1	1	4	£1
3	William Barber Dixon	4	Leighton Buzzard	0	0	&;	1	½	1	1	3½
4	Russell France Bavington Jones	5	Dover	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	3
5	William Montagu Brooke	2	Pembury	0	1	½	0	&;	0	1	2½
6	Mrs Gertrude Alison Beatrice Anderson (née Field)	1	Upper Tooting	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	2
7	George Pepper	6	Chatham	1	0	0	0	0	0	&;	1

1902 Kent CCA Second Class Open

1902 Kent CCA Congress Second Class Open		Draw No*	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Thomas J Edwards	2	Bristol	&;	0	½	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	6½
2	Mrs Frances Dunn Herring (née Gwilliam)	4	Reading	1	&;	½	0	0	½	½	1	1	1	5½
3	William Patrick MacBean	5	Upper Holloway	½	½	&;	½	1	0	0	1	1	1	5½
4	Henry Ward	10	Croydon	0	1	½	&;	½	1	1	½	1	0	5½
5	Charles Frederick Corke	1	Sevenoaks	0	1	0	½	&;	0	1	½	1	1	5
6	Rev. (William) Hugh Falloon	3	Dover	0	½	1	0	1	&;	0	1	0	1	4½
7	(Sidney) Frank St J Steadman	9	Balham	0	½	1	0	0	1	&;	½	½	1	4½
8	Isaac Ebenezer Mannington	6	Hastings	1	0	0	½	½	0	½	&;	1	0	3½
9	(Major) Francis Hooper Rawlins	8	Bath	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	&;	1	2½
10	Empson Edward Middleton, snr	7	Southampton	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	&;	2

1902 Kent CCA Extra Section A

1902 Kent CCA Congress Extra A		Draw No*	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Alfred Lindsay Densham	3	Croydon	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	6½
2	G F Whiteman	7	Canterbury	½	&;	1	½	1	1	1	1	6
3	Cecil Shelley Kent	4	Brenchley	0	0	&;	1	1	1	0	1	4
4	Charles Henry May	5	Bromley	0	½	0	&;	1	1	1	0	3½
5	Christina Maria Chapman (née Edwards)	2	Marlborough	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	1	3
6	Frank Round Pickering	6	Forest Hill	0	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	2
7	Augustus Yeates	8	Bromley	0	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1	2
8	Francis James Candy	1	Tunbridge Wells	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	&;	1

1902 Kent CCA Extra Section B

1902 Kent CCA Congress Extra B		Draw No*	Residence	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Rev. William Ernest Evill	1	Canterbury	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	7
2	William Alexander Happell	2	Tunbridge Wells	0	&;	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	5½
3	Carl Joseph Hardebeck	3	Brenchley	0	½	&;	½	1	0	1	1	1	5
4	Mrs Ada Mary May (née Peirce)	5	Bromley	1	½	½	&;	½	0	1	0	½	4
5	Henry J Stone	7	Canterbury	0	½	0	½	&;	1	1	½	½	4
6	Rev. Dr. Lewis Elwyn Lewis	4	Ongar	0	0	1	1	0	&;	0	½	½	3
7	Mrs Elizabeth Oakley (née Herbage)	6	Herne Hill	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	½	1	2½
8	F Smith	8	Tunbridge Wells	0	0	0	1	½	½	½	&;	0	2½
9	George Valentine	9	Lee	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	1	&;	2½

1902 Kent CCA Ladies' Open Handicap

1902 Kent CCA Congress Ladies Open Handicap		Draw No*	Residence	Handicap	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Barbara Jane Falloon (née Lund)	3	Dover	A	&;	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	6
2	Miss Budd1	1	Earl's Court	C	0	&;	1	0	1	1	1	½	4½
3	Emma White (née Hunter)	7	Lee	B	0	0	&;	½	1	1	1	1	4½
4	Mrs Frances Susanne Durlacher	2	Maida Vale	C	0	1	½	&;	½	1	0	1	4
5	Louisa Anne Edie Lewis (née Elwyn)	4	Bromley	B	0	0	0	½	&;	1	1	1	3½
6	Mrs P Stevenson	6	Paddington	B	1	0	0	0	0	&;	1	1	3
7	Mrs Maria Catherine Robbins	5	New Bond St	A	0	0	0	1	0	0	&;	½	1½
8	Mrs Whitehead	8	Tunbridge Wells	A	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	&;	1

¹ I have not been able to establish Miss Budd's full identity as yet. Her residence is given variously in the press as Earl's Court, Hyde Park and London.

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Knock out Tournaments: First (1) H Butler (Tunbridge Wells); Second (1) F A Richardson (New Southgate).

Lightning Tournaments: Tuesday: (1) R P Michell; (2) G A Thomas. Friday: (1) C Chapman; (2) W M Brooke.

On Wednesday, May 22nd, the Hastings Club sent to Tunbridge Wells a large team of 52 players to meet West Kent. West Kent, by the way, remarks the Hastings Mail and Times, is an elastic term which includes towns in East Kent, Mid Kent, Surrey, and London generally. Hastings had an excellent team, and won a most enjoyable and exciting match by 27 games to 25. All the unfinished games were adjudicated by Mr. Pillsbury.

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Congress Schedule (according to The Field, 24/31 May 1902)

Mon 19 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 1 Mortimer - Joyce - Petroff - adj Loman 1-0 Muller - King's Gambit Declined Michell 1-0 Schories - Ruy Lopez Wainwright 1-0 Fawcett - Vienna Serraillier 1-0 Thomas - Scotch
Mon 19 May 1902 - evening	Tournaments, Rd 2 Muller 1-0 Mortimer - Giuoco Piano Serraillier 1-0 Joyce - Petroff Schories adj Loman - Sicilian Fawcett 0-1 Michell - QP Thomas adj Wainwright - Ruy Lopez
Tue 20 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 3 Mortimer 0-1 Schories - Giuoco Piano Wainwright 0-1 Serraillier - QP Joyce 0-1 Muller - King's Gambit Loman 1-0 Fawcett - Bishop's Gambit Michell adj Thomas - Vienna
Tue 20 May 1902 - from 3pm	Pillsbury Blindfold Simul (+10=1-1) Consultation game: Gunsberg + P Hart-Dyke v Blackburne + R F B Jones Tinsley Simul Consultation game: Gunsberg v P Hart-Dyke + A W Mongredien
Wed 21 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 4 Fawcett ½-½ Mortimer - English Schories 1-0 Joyce - Petroff Muller 1-0 Serraillier - Ruy Lopez Thomas adj Loman - Sicilian Wainwright 1-0 Michell - QP
Wed 21 May 1902 - pm	Tournaments, Rd 5 Joyce 1-0 Fawcett - QP Mortimer 0-1 Thomas - Giuoco Piano Muller adj Schories - Two Knights Def Loman 1-0 Wainwright - Ruy Lopez Serraillier adj Michell - QP West Kent vs Hastings Club Match Pillsbury Simul - 8 boards consulting on each board (+8=0-0)
Thu 22 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 6 Wainwright 1-0 Mortimer - QP Thomas 1-0 Joyce - Petroff Fawcett 0-1 Muller - QP Michell ½-½ Loman - Sicilian Serraillier 0-1 Schories - Ruy Lopez
Thu 22 May 1902 - pm	adjournments
Fri 23 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 7 Mortimer 1-0 Michell - Giuoco Piano Joyce 0-1 Wainwright - QP Muller ½-½ Thomas - Ruy Lopez Schories ½-½ Fawcett - Sicilian Loman 1-0 Serraillier - French
Fri 23 May 1902 - evening	Tournaments, Rd 8 Loman ½-½ Mortimer - Ruy Lopez Michell 1-0 Joyce - Petroff Wainwright 1-0 Muller - QP Thomas 1-0 Schories - QP [no mention of Fawcett v Serraillier]
Sat 24 May 1902 - morning	Tournaments, Rd 9 Mortimer 1-0 Serraillier - Giuoco Piano Muller ½-½ Michell - Ruy Lopez Joyce 0-1 Loman - QP Schories 1-0 Wainwright - Vienna Fawcett 0-1 Thomas - QP

 

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BCM, 1902, p277

THE KENT CHESS CONGRESS.

The fourth annual Congress of the Kent Chess Association was held this year at Tunbridge Wells, in the Pump Room, commencing on Whit-Monday [19 May 1902], and continuing till the following Saturday [24 May 1902]. The programme was a very varied one, and the highly successful manner in which each of the events went off reflects great credit on the organisers, and particularly on Mr. W. W. White, who conducted the tournaments, and on Mr. W. M. Brooke, who carried out the duties of hon. sec, and whose close attention to the preliminary arrangements resulted in the very handsome sum of over £100 being raised to defray the expenses of the Congress.

The local committee was as follows: Mr. A. E. [E Albert] White (president), Colonel [George Henry] Tillard, Messrs. H. Butler, T. S. Connan, R. H. Goldie, and G. R. Harris. The admirable arrangements made by these gentlemen and Mr. W. M. Brooke was the subject of general praise, and their ability seems to afford a very cogent reason for the success which has attended the Tunbridge Wells Chess Club in the four years of its existence—in two of which it has held the position of Champion Club of the County.

Mr. H. N. Pillsbury gave exhibitions of blindfold and simultaneous play against consulting opponents. He added to this by spending most of his time con amore showing highly interested groups of players little ideas about the theory of the openings and the raison d'etre of routine moves which were as valuable as the interesting way of imparting them, that Pillsbury adopted, was genial. His blindfold play against 12 opponents resulted in 10 wins, a draw (with Mr. E. D. Fawcett), and a loss (to Mr. F. A. Joyce, Newport, Isle of White [sic]).

There were very frequent exhibitions by Mr. Samuel Tinsley, who with nearly unbroken success kept on disposing of 20's every day. Messrs. Blackburne and Gunsberg were also present, and took part in consultation games.

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Biographical Details

William Montagu Brooke (1861 - 28 June 1939) - BCM, August 1939, p349: "We very much regret to report the death of the Kent County Chess player, W. M. Brooke, at Southborough, on the June 28th, at the age of 78. The late Mr. Brooke was very prominent in Kent county chess, played for Kent from 1902 onwards, and was Hon. Secretary of the association from 1906-1920. He was President of the Tunbridge Wells Chess Club on many occasions, and frequently won the club championship. An excellent correspondence player, his victims included such well-known players as H. Saunders and J. du Mont. He regularly took part in simultaneous exhibitions and had the following interesting record against great masters—won twice and lost once against Dr. E. Lasker; won once against Marshall, Duras, Kostich, and Gunsberg; lost once to Capablanca, Pillsbury, and Réti; and against Blackburne he won one, drew 8, and lost one." Chessgames.com

Christina Maria Chapman, née Edwards (14 December 1843, Wexford, Ireland - 13 October 1917, Walmer, Kent). Married John Furlong Chapman (1829-84) in 1866, Worksop.

Mrs Frances Susanne/Susanna(h) Durlacher (1853-1935) - unusually Durlacher was her maiden name and her husband Edward Newton Jones (an orthopaedist and dentist, married 1876) took her surname rather than the other way round.

Rev. Dr. Lewis Elwyn Lewis (1858 – 8 December 1938). Son of Louisa Anne Edie Lewis (1839-1915) (see below). Educ. Queen's College, Oxford, and King's College, London. From 1895 he was Rector of Fyfield, Ongar, where in 1898 the churchwarden brought a successful libel suit against him for sending anonymous postcards alleging immoral conduct between the churchwarden and a local woman. Rector of Finningley from 1905 to 1926.

Louisa Anne Edie Lewis, née Elwyn (1839 – 1915) - given in the BCM crosstable as Mrs Lewis and in the list of competitors published in the Kent & Sussex Courier of 21 May 1902 as Mrs. Lewis W. Lewis (Bromley). She was the widow of Rev. Lewis Woodward Lewis (5 December 1830 - 15 April 1900) who had been chairman of the SCCU and received a substantial obituary in BCM (1900, ppn 183-186). In the 1900 BCM obit Mrs Louisa Lewis was said to "come of an old chess family—her grandmother won a silver Queen in a contest held more than 100 years ago." Mother of Rev. Dr. Lewis Elwyn Lewis (1858 - 8 December 1938) of Ongar who took part in the 1902 Kent Extra B competition (see above).

William Walter White (c. July 1861 – 24 February 1925) - BCM, April 1952, ppn 157-160: "Mr. William Walter White died at a nursing home at Bexhill on February 24th. He had been in failing health the past twelve months, but the news of his death came as a great shock. He was never the same since being badly cut and shaken in a motor bus accident at Lee some three or four years ago.

"A man of outstanding ability as an organiser and leader, Mr. White took a prominent part in chess enterprise in the South from 1890 to 1920. He was the soul of Kent County Chess Association and his place in that body can never be filled.

"Starting as secretary of the Plumstead Chess Club in the early nineties, he was in 1898 elected hon. secretary and match captain for Kent, and he brought something quite new into these two appointments. His charming personality attracted players of all classes to himself and infused a spirit of loyalty and enthusiasm into the County's affairs which is still very strong and will last for years to come. The number of personal friends he made was wonderful, as was the affection and esteem in which he was held ; at one time "Try W.W.W." was the magic formula for any query or difficulty which arose.

"His speciality was large matches and the great popularity of these at the present time shows how accurately he foresaw the benefits of such contests.

"In 1896 he acted as director of play in the biggest match so far played—North v. South, 100 a-side at Cannon Street Hotel (North won 57½—42½). This was followed up by contests with Surrey of 50—80 players a-side in which Kent, at first badly beaten, gradually stood up closer to their formidable rivals and finally beat them.

"In 1899 Mr. White served on the Executive Committee of the London International tournament of that year; and in this year he commenced that series of Kent congresses which led the way for all other county associations.

"In 1901 he found the work too heavy and on relinquishing the secretaryship was elected chairman of the Association.

"He was present at Birmingham in 1904 at the meeting which founded the British Chess Federation. A vice-president till his death, no more staunch helper ever supported Mr. Rees in all the Federation's activities. He rarely missed a meeting and was sometimes called in to take the chair if the president, Sir John Thursby, had to leave early.

"He was a firm but tactful chairman and an excellent speaker, and meetings under his control were always carried through in an expeditious and businesslike manner.

"The following anecdote illustrates his grip on all questions connected with chess. At the Tunbridge Wells congress of 1902, the local committee left the drawing up of the pairing tables till the night before the congress started. But when they sat down to complete this important detail, none of them knew how to do it! Each congress visitor who came into the club was appealed to for assistance and various methods were suggested and tried. A strong player from Hastings volunteered the information that it was necessary to draw the face of a clock and the pairing could then be easily settled. This was tried, and for an hour or more about twenty of the committee and their friends wrestled with the problem without success. At this point W. W. White came in and enquired what was the matter. On the difficulty being explained, he called for ink and paper, sat down at a table, and in twenty minutes the whole of the pairing for five tournaments was determined and neatly written up! All this was done without any figures or clock faces and with no apparent effort at all.

"No gathering of chessplayers ever appealed for his assistance in vain. He was one of the first subscribers when an effort was made to found a chess cafe near the Strand.

"As president of Lee for ten years, he saw that club win both the Kent and Lewis cups on several occasions, and also make a fine show in the London Chess League.

"During the War when a series of Lightning tournaments was being held at the Gambit in aid of the Permanent Fund of the Federation he attended every one of them and generally gave one of the prizes.

"He was chosen for scorer-in-chief in the world's record match of 400 a-side at the Central Hall, Westminster, in 1923, and no living player could have been more suitable.

"In 1899 he presented to Kent Association the handsome silver trophy which is held each year by the winner of the individual championship (P. Hart-Dyke was first winner; H. Storr-Best is present holder; and C. Chapman has won it on five occasions).

"He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, to whom our deepest sympathy is extended. Mrs. [Emma] White [née Hunter, c. September 1863 – ?] is a strong lady player and acted for some years as match captain of the Ladies' Chess Club. She is a daughter of the late G. R. [George Robert] Hunter [8 April 1834 – 1916], a chess enthusiast, one of the founders of Kent Association.

"Mr. White was a type of the nineteenth century Englishman who made the name of his countrymen famous all the world over for integrity and enterprise. He always subordinated his own to the general good, although this on several occasions resulted in self-effacement only known to a few. His inspiring influence and sturdy friendship will remain a treasured memory to his colleagues, and to him the words of Hamlet can truly be applied:—

"He was a man, take him for all in all
We shall not look upon his like again."           [author] R.H.S.S. [Rufus Henry Streatfeild Stevenson]

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File Updated

Date	Notes
28 August 2025	First upload. 16 games from the First Class section, plus 23 from other sections and exhibition events, crosstables, reports, results and biographical information.
30 August 2025	Corrections to round numbers: the games Muller 1-0 Serraillier and Fawcett ½-½ Mortimer, originally shown here as played in round 5, were in fact played in round 4 (the date played is unchanged). My thanks to Ulrich Tamm for drawing my attention to this, and also for deducing the pairing system used.