English Problem Tournament, 1854?

R:
set of 8 problems (2 pr. for the best three problems)

Entrance-fee: 1 guinea.
 
J:
? (“amateurs distinguished for their skill and impartiality”)
 
C:
1854?
 
A:
1 pr.
W. Grimshaw
2 pr.
S. Angas
 
S:
Illustrated London News
 
Chess Player’s Chronicle, new series
v. 2, p. 322–323 (Oct., 1854): information about tournament, and awards.
v. 2, p. 361–364 (Dec., 1854): Mr. Grimshaw’s prize problems. (8 problems)
v. 3, p. [38–40] (Jan., 1855): Some of Mr. Angas’s prize problems. (6 problems).
v. 3, p. 71 (Feb., 1855): problem 7 by Mr. Angas.
 
N:
This tournament appears to have been issued as a direct consequence of the failure of the 1852 tournament. From available sources it appears to have been an internal affair between some of the competitors of that tournament. It is not known how many the participants were or how examination and judging of problems were handled.

No closing date is stated, or can be guessed with any reasonable degree of confidence. The identities of competing composers are normally the last thing to become known, but here appear to be known already when the first problem is published. As the first problems to be published officially usually are prize-winning problems, while in this case an identified prize-winning problem is not published until August, it is difficult to guess at when closing date may have been, based on what information was published, and when.

A report from the tourney first appears in Illustrated London News.

“[ Subsequent to the C.P.C. 1852 tournament, ] a few of our own leading Problem-makers, determined not to be altogether disappointed of the object proposed, got up a little sweepstakes among themselves; the conditions being that each should subscribe a guinea, and send in eight problems. The inventor of the three best to be entitled to a set of costly ivory chess-men; and of the three next best, to a handsome chess-board. After a long and patient examination of the competing diagrams, the judges have decided unanimously, that Mr. Walter Grimshaw, of York, is entitled to the first, and Mr. Silas Angas of Newcastle-on-Tyne, the second prize.”
Although the prize-winners are identified, the best three problems for which the prizes were to be awarded are not identified beyond one problem from each of the competitors (see source references above).

The date of the report in Illustrated London News suggests that the judges had presented their awards by 1854-08-20 at the latest.

The later reporting by Chess Player’s Chronicle corresponds with that given by Staunton on most points, and does not add anything new. The only point of difference is that it does not identify any individual prize-winning problems while Illustrated London News explicitly identifies two prize-winning problems.

A point of unclarity concerns Angas problem 7. Problems 1–6, published in the January issue, 1855, are explicitly identified as “some of those for which that gentleman obtained the second prize in the competition for the Tournament Problems.” Problem 7, published in the following issue, is not identified as a tournament problem at all. However, as it is among the problems printed in Illustrated London News, and there even identified as a prize-winning problem, it should almost certainly be included as a tourney problem.

It is also unclear what problems were considered to be the three best of each set. Illustrated London News only identifies one by each contributor, while Chess Player’s Chronicle indicates that all published problems (eight by Grimshaw and six/seven by Angas) were prize-winning problems.

And finally, it is not known if the required eighth problem by S. Angas was faulty, and for that reason not included, or if it was an editorial decision to not print a possibly less-interesting problem. (Illustrated London News published all of Grimshaw’s problem, but only four of Angas’s problems.)

Note: The identity of the arranger is unknown. If Chess Player’s Chronicle had been closely involved, the report would probably have appeared in that magazine first, and most probably with the winning three problems printed on immediately following pages, instead of as now, two months after the result was printed.

Awards

This section reprints the problems in the same order found in Chess Player’s Chronicle, and with the same numbers.

1 Prize: W. Grimshaw

1

#4

2 (prize)

#4

3

#4

4

#4

5

#4

6

#3

7

#3

8

#3

2 Prize: S. Angas

1

#4

2

#4

3

#4

[*] = Faulty: Multiple key moves

4

#4

5

#4

6

#5

7 (prize)

#6