I see many biographies of Mr. Pollock state that he won the Irish Championship in Dublin in 1885. It is a possibility as a brief biography on this Canadian chess history site states he was "born in England of Irish descent." Wikipedia give Gino Di Felice, "Chess Results, 1747-1900", McFarland & Company, 2004, p. 97 as one source for his having won the Irish Championship.
However, to cloud the waters the most contemporary work I can find: "Pollock Memories: A collection of Chess Games, Problems Etc." by Frideswide F. Rowland, Dublin, 1899. Gives the following obscure statement:
"In 1885 he also played in the Master Tournament of the Irish Chess Association, coming out first, with 9 points, thereby winning the Irish championship. Mr. Porterfield Rynd (of Dublin) was second, with 8½. In the Handicap, however, Mr. Pollock only tied for second and third places, Mr. Rynd being first."
That is as clear as mud, to me anyway. I have no problems in accepted Mr. Pollock as an Irish Champion - he was most definitely of master strength. I just present the intriguing question.Well if anyone doubts his credentails just have a look at the following game:
Notes by Wilhelm Steinitz from the tournament book.
I know David McAlister will put me right, but I couldn't resist posting the game.
1 comment:
I remember corresponding with the late, great chess historian Ken Whyld about this. His view was "that not much weight can be given to her [Mrs Rowland's] assertion that WHKP was Irish Champion" but he did also make the point that: "It is not uncommon for a 'foreigner' to win a national championship, and it might not be safe to discount him on those grounds, unless the conditions of the event state otherwise."
The story is complicated by the fact that the conditions of the 1885 event [unlike the following year's Congress in Belfast which adopted a residence requirement that excluded Pollock] did not mention if and how players might win the title of Irish champion.
Post a Comment