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.
[Event "Weston-Super-Mare"]
[Site "Weston-super-Mare ENG"]
[Date "1924.04.19"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Percivale Bolland"]
[Black "Cyril Duffield"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C56"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1924.04.19"]
{Max Lange Attack} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 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. Nf3 (4. e5 {This immediate thrust is less promising as
after} d5 5. Qxd4 dxc4 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. exf6 gxf6 {His shattered K-side Ps
notwithstanding, black is a solid P up.}) 4... Bc5 {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. O-O (5. e5 d5 6. exf6
dxc4 7. Qe2+ Be6 8. fxg7 Rg8 {is about even.}) 5... Nc6 (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. Bxb2 dxe5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Nxe5
Re8 11. Rd1+ Bd7 12. Nd2 Bxf2+ 13. Kxf2 Rxe5 14. Bxe5 Ng4+ 15. Kg1 Nxe5 {
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. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 (9. fxg7 {is rarely seen, but it
appears to be satisfactory.} Rg8 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Nxd4 Rd8 13. c3
{with equal chances.}) 9... Qd5 10. Nc3 {[%mdl 32]} Qf5 11. Nce4 {All this has
been seen before, but the position requires precise play by black.} Bf8 {
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 Qg6 13. Nxe6
fxe6 14. Nxc5 {The position favors white.}) (11... O-O-O 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. g4
Qe5 14. fxg7 Rhg8 15. Bh6 d3 16. c3 Bd6 (16... Be7 17. Qf3 Qd5 18. Qf4 (18. Qf7
Rde8 19. Re3 Ne5 20. Qf4 Ng6 21. Qf7 Ne5 22. Qf4 Ng6 23. Qf7 Ne5 24. Qf4 Ng6 {
1/2-1/2 (24) Marshall,F-Capablanca,J New York 1910}) 18... Ne5 19. Nd2 Bd6 20.
Re4 Rd7 {This complicated position is equal, but in Marshall,F-Capablanca,J
New York 1910 white went on to win.}) 17. f4 Qd5 18. Qf3 Be7 19. g5 Qf5 20. Ng3
{White is better. Marshall,F-Tarrasch,S Hamburg 1910}) 12. Nxf7 {[%mdl 512]
There's not much difference between this and 12.Nxe6} (12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Bg5
O-O-O 14. fxg7 Bxg7 15. Bxd8 Rxd8 {A messy position that offers about equal
chances.}) 12... Kxf7 {Obviously not 12...Bxf7 13.Nd6+ winning the Q} 13. Ng5+
Kg8 14. Nxe6 (14. fxg7 Bxg7 15. Nxe6 Re8 {is even.}) 14... Qxf6 15. Qe2 Re8 (
15... d3 {would have fizzled out to equality, but it was black's safest line.}
16. cxd3 Re8 17. Bg5 cxd3 18. Qxd3 Ne5 19. Qd5 Qxe6 20. Rxe5 Qxd5 21. Rxd5 Bd6)
16. Qxc4 {Threatening mate with Ng5+.} Qf7 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... Nd8 18. f5 h6 19. Bf4
c6 20. Re4 {white has a decisive advantage.}) 18. g4 {Renewing the threat of
f5.} Na5 (18... Nd8 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. Qd5 {White still wants to play f5.} Bb4
{[%mdl 8192] What a pity! After this black is lost.} (19... c6 20. Qxa5 (20.
Qe5 Nc4 21. Qe4 Nd6 22. Qe2 h5 {With his N centralized and defending his
position, with this move black has actually manage to launch a promising
counterattack.}) 20... Rxe6 {and black is out of the woods and even has a bit
of a counterattack himself.} 21. Bd2 h5 {with equal chances.}) 20. Re2 c6 21.
Qe4 {[%mdl 128] The problem with black's 19th move is now evident...two of his
pieces are offside. White now moves in for the kill.} Nc4 {[%mdl 8192]} 22. f5
{Finally!} Bc5 {...d3+ is the strong threat.} 23. Qd3 Bb6 24. Ng5 Rxe2 (24...
Qd7 {saves the Q but does not avoid the slaughter.} 25. Rxe8+ Qxe8 26. Qxc4+)
25. Nxf7 Rxc2 26. fxg6 h5 27. Nxh8 Ne5 28. Qf5 {White has a mate in 9.} d3+ 29.
Kh1 Re2 30. Bh6 Rxh2+ 31. Kxh2 Nxg4+ 32. Kg2 {Black Resigned. A nice attacking
game by Bolland.} (32. Qxg4 {is a move quicker.} hxg4 33. Re1 Be3 34. Rxe3 g3+
35. Kxg3 Kxh8 36. Re8#) (32. Kg2 Nxh6 33. Qc8+ Kg7 34. Rf1 Nf5 35. Qxf5 Bc5 36.
Qxc5 Kh6 37. Qf8+ Kg5 38. Qf4#) 1-0
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