Post by brianjdenman on May 18, 2013 12:22:55 GMT
The silver shield became the property of the Hastings CC in 1920. It was presented to the winners of Hastings v Tunbridge Wells matches and the first of these encounters took place at Tunbridge Wells on 9.3.1907. According to the Hastings CC minutes the two clubs shared the costs for the shield. The home side was expected to provide 50 players for the matches, while the away team was to supply a complement of 40 players. If either target was not met, all games under the required total were forfeited by the team which did not reach the target. The winner of a match in one season was expected play away in the following season.
In 1907 the Tunbridge Wells CC had at least 70 members, though it would probably have struggled to put out 50 players in a team on a particular day. Also the players on its lower boards would have been unlikely to have been able to compete with the might of Hastings, which was used to putting out large teams. It was perhaps for this reason that Hastings opponents were sometimes referred to as Tunbridge Wells and District. The Tunbridge Wells CC was allowed to draft in players from nearby clubs and even on occasions guest players were allowed to act as its representatives. In the 1907 match the American cable player, Clarence Howell, was the board one for Tunbridge Wells, while in 1912 an even stronger American, Frank Marshall, occupied first place in the team. It is doubtful if the Hastings CC minded the influx of players too much, as the club had great strength in depth at this time and relished a challenge. Hastings had been playing Tunbridge Wells from the end of the nineteenth century, but these were of course small matches and not on the scale of the silver shield contests.
The contests for the shield were interrupted by World War 1 and resumed as part of the Victory Congress at Hastings in 1919. On this latter occasion only 33 boards were played, but this was very understandable after the havoc that the German war had wrought. In 1920 41 boards were contested in the match and Hastings' victory meant that they had won on the last four occasions. Under the conditions stipulated for these contests they were then entitled to claim the shield as their own property. According to the Hastings and St Leonards Observer of 22.10.1921 H E Dobell, the president of the Hastings CC, offered to present another shield for further 50 board matches, though it seems that the large-scale matches were never resumed. There were of course to be several later matches between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells, but these were on a small scale and it is doubtful if these were played for a special shield.
Here is a game from the first ever silver shield match:
Waterman,JC - Howell,CS [C61]
Hastings v Tunbridge Wells Silver Shield match board 1, 09.03.1907
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.d3 Ne7 6.Qe2 c6 7.Bc4 g6 8.0-0 Bg7 9.c3 0-0 10.cxd4 Bxd4 11.Bh6 Bg7 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nc3 b5 14.Bb3 b4 15.Nd1 d5 16.Ne3 a5 17.Qc2 f5 18.Qc5 f4 19.Qd4+ Rf6 20.e5 Rf8 21.e6+ Kg8 22.Ng4 Nf5 23.Qe5 h5 24.Nh6+ Kh7 25.Nf7 Qe7 26.Qxf4 Bxe6 27.Ng5+ Kg8 28.Rfe1 Ng7 29.Qe3 Rae8 30.d4 Qf6 31.Nf3 Nf5 32.Qd3 Nd6 33.Rac1 Nc4 34.Bc2 Bf5 35.Qf1 Nxb2 36.Bxf5 gxf5 37.Rxe8 Rxe8 38.Ne5 Re6 Adjudicated a draw. Source: Hastings and St Leonards Weekly Mail and Times of 30.3.1907. The game was played at Tunbridge Wells. 1/2-1/2
Brian Denman 18.5.2013
In 1907 the Tunbridge Wells CC had at least 70 members, though it would probably have struggled to put out 50 players in a team on a particular day. Also the players on its lower boards would have been unlikely to have been able to compete with the might of Hastings, which was used to putting out large teams. It was perhaps for this reason that Hastings opponents were sometimes referred to as Tunbridge Wells and District. The Tunbridge Wells CC was allowed to draft in players from nearby clubs and even on occasions guest players were allowed to act as its representatives. In the 1907 match the American cable player, Clarence Howell, was the board one for Tunbridge Wells, while in 1912 an even stronger American, Frank Marshall, occupied first place in the team. It is doubtful if the Hastings CC minded the influx of players too much, as the club had great strength in depth at this time and relished a challenge. Hastings had been playing Tunbridge Wells from the end of the nineteenth century, but these were of course small matches and not on the scale of the silver shield contests.
The contests for the shield were interrupted by World War 1 and resumed as part of the Victory Congress at Hastings in 1919. On this latter occasion only 33 boards were played, but this was very understandable after the havoc that the German war had wrought. In 1920 41 boards were contested in the match and Hastings' victory meant that they had won on the last four occasions. Under the conditions stipulated for these contests they were then entitled to claim the shield as their own property. According to the Hastings and St Leonards Observer of 22.10.1921 H E Dobell, the president of the Hastings CC, offered to present another shield for further 50 board matches, though it seems that the large-scale matches were never resumed. There were of course to be several later matches between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells, but these were on a small scale and it is doubtful if these were played for a special shield.
Here is a game from the first ever silver shield match:
Waterman,JC - Howell,CS [C61]
Hastings v Tunbridge Wells Silver Shield match board 1, 09.03.1907
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.d3 Ne7 6.Qe2 c6 7.Bc4 g6 8.0-0 Bg7 9.c3 0-0 10.cxd4 Bxd4 11.Bh6 Bg7 12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nc3 b5 14.Bb3 b4 15.Nd1 d5 16.Ne3 a5 17.Qc2 f5 18.Qc5 f4 19.Qd4+ Rf6 20.e5 Rf8 21.e6+ Kg8 22.Ng4 Nf5 23.Qe5 h5 24.Nh6+ Kh7 25.Nf7 Qe7 26.Qxf4 Bxe6 27.Ng5+ Kg8 28.Rfe1 Ng7 29.Qe3 Rae8 30.d4 Qf6 31.Nf3 Nf5 32.Qd3 Nd6 33.Rac1 Nc4 34.Bc2 Bf5 35.Qf1 Nxb2 36.Bxf5 gxf5 37.Rxe8 Rxe8 38.Ne5 Re6 Adjudicated a draw. Source: Hastings and St Leonards Weekly Mail and Times of 30.3.1907. The game was played at Tunbridge Wells. 1/2-1/2
Brian Denman 18.5.2013