Time Handicap Tournaments 2024

Our first Handicap Tournament

The ‘Chess Tournament’ was the first major tournament held in Australia. The Melbourne Argus newspaper covered the proceedings, results, and even the scores and analyses of selected games, in no less than 36 of The Argus’ (daily) editions. It all happened over a period of more than 3 months, between 2nd April and 9thJuly 1866, one year after the revival of the Ballarat Chess Club in 1865 at the Ballaarat Mechanic’s Institute.

The selected report from the Argus newspaper describes the enthusiastic welcome Charles Fisher received from his peers, when he visited the tournament in Melbourne at the first round. Fisher was the honourable treasurer & secretary of the new Ballarat Chessclub, and also its first (1865) club-champion. Fisher subsequently became the president of the club in 1866. He was a very strong and successful player, culminating in becoming the unofficial champion of Australia, when he defeated the SA champion L.Goldsmith in a match in 1875. More about Fisher (not to be confused with Bobby Fischer!) in the very near future.

The Melbourne tournament was a handicap tournament with the players divided in four classes. Handicaps were applied of 1,2 pawns or a piece, depending on the ‘class’ of the opponents. Chess-clocks were not yet invented in those days, therefore no time-control existed. Games could go for days, sometimes for weeks even… Andrew Burns and L.Goldsmith belonged to the very top (class1) of Australia at the time. As was William Tullidge (class1), who was from Ballarat. A strong and very active player until his death in 1897. He lost his game with Burns, the ultimate winner of the tournament. Total price money was 52 pounds, to be divided amongst the players in proportion to the final standing. First price was 17 pounds. The game between Tullidge and Burns is added to show how the scoring took place in the early days. In English notation. Here we go:

The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria: 1848 – 1957) Monday 2 April 1866 - Page 5:

On Saturday the muster of the chess-players (owing, we presume, to the holidays) quite so large as heretofore; this, of course, was only what might have been expected. and in no way argues any flagging in the interest felt by the competitors in the tournament. The wonder is that, considering the number of counter attractions, the attendance once was so large of both players and spectators.

“During the afternoon Mr. Charles Fisher, the winner of the Ballarat tournament, paid the rooms a visit and played a game with one of our strongest amateurs. We hope before the matches are concluded to see some more of our Ballarat friends at the scene of friendly strife, and take this opportunity, in the name of the chess players of Melbourne, to assure them of a hearty welcome, and if we cannot give to take in good part a sound drubbing. Apropos to this last, I believe that in the event of the formation of a club here, the gage of battle has already been thrown down by Ballarat for a game by correspondence. This would be a most interesting match, and would in itself tend greatly to give stability to a club, as each individual member would feel his individual chess reputation to some degree at stake on the issue of the contest. It has been too much the fashion to decry games of this class, and consultation games also, as tedious and uninteresting; but for giving a thorough and solid knowledge of the game, and cultivating the habit of analysis, we believe them to be unequalled by anything”.