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1883: Edmund Thorold visit to Hull

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Edmund Thorold’s Visit to Hull Church Institute Club, Saturday, 08/09/1883

Edmund Thorold made a number of visits to Hull after he’d moved from Sheffield to Bath.

The Leeds Mercury Weekly Supplement of 29/09/1883 carried the following game, “Played at the Hull Church Institute, September 8th, between Mr. E. Thorold and Mr. G. W. Farrow, Mr. Thorold playing nine games at the same time.”

Simultaneous Display by Edmund Thorold, over 9 boards, Hull Church Institute, 08/09/1883

White: Thorold, Edmund (Bath), Black: Farrow, George Wright

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. h3 h6 10. Nc3 Nge7 11. Re1 O-O 12. d5 Na5 13. Bd3 f6 14. Nh4 Qe8 15. g4 g5 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. gxf5 Bd4 18. Bd2 Bxc3 19. Bxc3 b6 20. Kh2 Nb7 21. Rc1 Nc5 22. Bb1 Kh7 23. Rg1 Qf7 24. Rg3 Rg8 25. Qe2 Rae8 26. Qf3 Rg7 27. Rcg1 Reg8 28. Qe2 Re8 29. Qd1 Ng8 30. Qc1 Nxe4 31. f4 a6 32. fxg5 Nxg5 33. Qd2 Qh5 34. Bd3 Nf3+ 35. Rxf3 Qxf3 36. Rg6 Re3 37. Bf1 Rxc3 38. Bg2 Qe3 and white resigns, 0-1

In time, the British Chess Magazine reported on the same event, stating that Thorold had “played a number of simultaneous games with the members, winning a large majority.” Reading between the lines it seems Thorold may have taken on his opponents in more than one session, with nine or so players in each session. The BCM continued, “Many games were unavoidably left unfinished, Mr. Thorold’s time being limited. Four games were scored against him by Messrs. Farrow (2), Hildyard (), and Downs (1).”

Of the three winners the easiest to identify is George Wright Farrow. Downs is clearly the “J. Downs” or “J. J. Downs” who is frequently mentioned as a Hull player, and is perhaps the James Downs, engineer, of Rose, Downs and Thompson, but could instead be John Downs, stationer. The identity of “Hildyard” is less evident. The best guess, which is all it is, is Joseph Hildyard, insurance agent, and rent and dept collector. An outside bet might be John George B.T. Hildyard, DA, JP, of Cherry Burton Hall, near Beverley.

The BCM later gave the other game won by Farrow, citing it as “One of nine simultaneous games played by Mr. Thorold at the Hull Church Institute on Saturday, September 8th, 1883.” This was perhaps a different “sitting”; otherwise Farrow was also playing simultaneously!

Simultaneous Display by Edmund Thorold, over 9 boards, Hull Church Institute, 08/09/1883

White: Thorold, Edmund (Bath), Black: Farrow, George Wright (Hull)

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ng5 h6 6. Nxf7 Kxf7 7. d4 d5 8. Bxf4 dxe4 9. Bc4+ Kg7 10. Nc3 Bb4 11. Be5+ Nf6 12. O-O Be7 13. Nxe4 Rf8 14. Qe2 Nc6 15. Rad1 Bd7 16. Ng3 Qe8 17. h5 Nxe5 18. Qxe5 Bd6 19. Nf5+ Bxf5 20. Qxf5 Qe4 21. Qxe4 Nxe4 22. Bd5 Ng3 23. Rfe1 Rf5 24. Bxb7 Raf8 25. Bf3 gxf3 white resigns, 0-1

Edmund Thorold made a number of visits to Hull, such as this one, virtually annually for a while, it seems. This might seem odd for a person resident in Bath, but the probable reason was that he was visiting his sister Eliza and brother William, who lived in Bridlington and Scarborough respectively. He was probably calling at Hull, en route, possibly with an overnight stay, and had to catch the train to Bridlington, which would explain “time being limited.”

Created

05/08/2013

Last Updated

05/08/2013