Eighty-four years ago the time limit in the Woodhouse Cup and I. M. Brown Shield competitions was 24 moves in the first hour, then a total of 48 by expiry of the second hour. Scrapping the first time control did of course give rise to the more recent simple 48 moves in 2 hours, and then more recently 42 in 1hour an 45 minutes with a 15-minutes rapid-play finish; and now we have increments.

The following position arose after Black’s 18th move in the board-2 game of the Leeds II v Bradford II match in the I. M. Brown Shield played on 19/12/1936 between Francis Joseph Garrick (born 24/9/1903, Wigan; died 1974, Claro registration district) as White for Leeds, and W. Hewitt as Black for Bradford. White had 2 minutes left for 6 moves, and due to the time pressure opted to take perpetual check with 19. Qh5+ Kg7 20. Qf7+ and so on, and the game was drawn. (Match score Leeds II 5½-2½ Bradford II.)

One line which would have been good enough for White is 20. Ngxf7 (threatening 21. g5#) 20. … Rg8 (or 20. … Rxh7 21. Qxh7+ Kg5 22. f4#) 21. Nxg8+, and now 21. … Qxg8 22. g5+ or 21. … Nxg8 22. g5+, in either case winning the black queen. However, White did in fact have forced mate in 4 moves. Can you see it?

Click here to see how White can mate in 4.

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In the following position White had enough time to find the mate in 5 and play it out, but that is because it was played in “a friendly game at a Sheffield chess resort” when presumably they were not playing with clock.

Click here to see how the game ended.

And if you thought terrifying juniors were merely a modern phenomenon, then look at the following end to a game played in about 1892 between 14-year-old George Cope Beach (late the Rev. ditto, born 1878, Cheadle, Staffs.; died ) and his father, George Beach (born 1852, Oldbury, Worcs; died 21/04/1961, Duston, Northants).

Click here to see how the 14-year-old finished off his father.

The Rev. G. C. Beach was the father of T. J. (“John”) Beach who older readers may remember as the organiser of the amazingly large and highly successful Liverpool Junior Congress.

(Click here for biographical data on the Beach family.)