The 1924 tournament continued the success of the one held there two years previously with the best English players of the day except F.D. Yates who was playing in the famous tournament in New York, plus two foreign masters, the young Euwe from Holland and the French-Russian master Znosko-Borovsky.
The event featured a simul by Znosko-Borovsky who scored +20 =6 -2, a lightning tournament that was won by Chris Sullivan and a quick p tournament that was won by Cyril Duffiled. In addition, there was an Open event that was won by Richard Lean plus three class tournaments consisting of two sections each.
In the main event, going into the last round Euwe and Thomas were tied and Euwe took first when he defeated Edmund Specer while Thomas drew with Znosko-Borovsky.
Today's game is a fine example of attacking play by Percivale Bolland (1888 - March 31, 1950, 61 years old). He was born in Worcestershire, the 7th of 8 children, of clergyman William Ernest Bolland (1848-1919) from New Plymouth, New Zealand; his mother was from India.
In 1911, Bolland was a bank clerk and in 1916 he married an American
woman who had moved to England in 1892; her name was Cicily Maud Butt;
she passed away in 1961. The same year he was married found him fighting in WWI as a second lieutenant
in the UK Army's Welsh Regiment. In 1917 he was promoted to captain and he was wounded the following year.
Cyril Cuffield 1894-1968) was a local player from nearby Bristol.
Percivale Bolland–Cyril Duffield1–0C56Weston-Super-MareWeston-super-Mare ENG19.04.1924Stockfish 15
Max Lange Attack 1.e4 e5 2.c4 f6 3.d4 This is the rarely seen Urusov
Gambit in which white gets a great attacking position where it's easy for black
to go wrong. The gambit was popular among attacking players for nearly 150
years. Adopted by greats like Schlechter, Tartakower, Caro and Mieses, the
opening claimed victims among the best defenders of the late 19th and early
20th centuries, including Steinitz and Lasker. By 1924 there was enough
interest in the line that a thematic tournament was organized in New York
featuring Marshall, Torre, and Santasiere. More recently, correspondence
players have explored the opening's many forcing lines and Yakov Estrin (World
Correspondence Champion from 1975 to 1980) published several monographs that
carried the analysis into the middlegame. Estrin's analysis revealed, however,
a possible equalizing method for Black (with Panov's 4....d5) and suggested
that some of the deepest lines might end in equality with best play. I have
used it 14 times in correspondence tournaments and scored +5 -0 =9. As black
I have faced it 6 times scoring +1 -2 =3. Black has a number of ways of
responding. exd4 4.f3 4.e5 This immediate thrust is less promising as
after d5 5.xd4 dxc4 6.xd8+ xd8 7.exf6 gxf6 His shattered K-side Ps
notwithstanding, black is a solid P up. 4...c5 I have met this move only
once and because 5.O-O allows black to transpose into the Max Lange Attack
with 5...Nc6 white may try to force matters with the immediate 5.e5 even
though in actual practice it has not worked out well. 5.0-0 5.e5 d5 6.exf6 dxc4 7.e2+ e6 8.fxg7 g8 is about even. 5...c6 5...d6 Now 6.c3 is
Seirawan's choice in Winning Chess Openings. In a correspondence game back
in 2018 I continued 6.c3 dxc3 7.e5 cxb2 8.xb2 dxe5 9.xd8+ xd8 10.xe5 e8 11.d1+ d7 12.d2 xf2+ 13.xf2 xe5 14.xe5 g4+ 15.g1 xe5
A crazy position. White has a R vs a N+3Ps, but the position is equal and
eventually drawn. 6.e5 The opening has transposed into the Max Lange
Attack. d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.e1+ e6 9.g5 9.fxg7 is rarely seen, but it
appears to be satisfactory. g8 10.g5 e7 11.xe7 xe7 12.xd4 d8 13.c3 with equal chances. 9...d5 10.c3 f5 11.ce4 All this has
been seen before, but the position requires precise play by black. f8
This very fine move is Stockfish's first choice even though white is slightly
better after it. 11...gxf6 black must not play this. 12.g4 g6 13.xe6 fxe6 14.xc5 The position favors white. 11...0-0-0 12.xe6 fxe6 13.g4 e5 14.fxg7 hg8 15.h6 d3 16.c3 d6 16...e7 17.f3 d5 18.f4 18.f7 de8 19.e3 e5 20.f4 g6 21.f7 e5 22.f4 g6 23.f7 e5 24.f4 g6
1/2-1/2 (24) Marshall,F-Capablanca,J New York 1910 18...e5 19.d2 d6 20.e4 d7 This complicated position is equal, but in Marshall,F-Capablanca,J
New York 1910 white went on to win. 17.f4 d5 18.f3 e7 19.g5 f5 20.g3 White is better. Marshall,F-Tarrasch,S Hamburg 1910 12.xf7
There's not much difference between this and 12.Nxe6 12.xe6 fxe6 13.g5 0-0-0 14.fxg7 xg7 15.xd8 xd8 A messy position that offers about equal
chances. 12...xf7 Obviously not 12...Bxf7 13.Nd6+ winning the Q 13.g5+ g8 14.xe6 14.fxg7 xg7 15.xe6 e8 is even. 14...xf6 15.e2 e8 15...d3 would have fizzled out to equality, but it was black's safest line. 16.cxd3 e8 17.g5 cxd3 18.xd3 e5 19.d5 xe6 20.xe5 xd5 21.xd5 d6 16.xc4 Threatening mate with Ng5+. f7 17.f4 White has the initiative,
but black has adequate defensive resources. g6 This prevents 18.f5 and so
now black really does threaten to win with ...Nd8 17...d8 18.f5 h6 19.f4 c6 20.e4 white has a decisive advantage. 18.g4 Renewing the threat of
f5. a5 18...d8 19.f5 gxf5 20.gxf5 h6 This position is, despite
appearances, only very slightly in white's favor. But, it's not a position
that black would enjoy defending. 19.d5 White still wants to play f5. b4 What a pity! After this black is lost. 19...c6 20.xa5 20.e5 c4 21.e4 d6 22.e2 h5 With his N centralized and defending his
position, with this move black has actually manage to launch a promising
counterattack. 20...xe6 and black is out of the woods and even has a bit
of a counterattack himself. 21.d2 h5 with equal chances. 20.e2 c6 21.e4 The problem with black's 19th move is now evident...two of his
pieces are offside. White now moves in for the kill. c4 22.f5 Finally! c5 ...d3+ is the strong threat. 23.d3 b6 24.g5 xe2 24...d7 saves the Q but does not avoid the slaughter. 25.xe8+ xe8 26.xc4+ 25.xf7 xc2 26.fxg6 h5 27.xh8 e5 28.f5 White has a mate in 9. d3+ 29.h1 e2 30.h6 xh2+ 31.xh2 xg4+ 32.g2 Black Resigned. A nice attacking
game by Bolland. 32.xg4 is a move quicker. hxg4 33.e1 e3 34.xe3 g3+ 35.xg3 xh8 36.e8# 32.g2 xh6 33.c8+ g7 34.f1 f5 35.xf5 c5 36.xc5 h6 37.f8+ g5 38.f4# 1–0
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