Mr James Mason, the chess-player, is in Dublin and can be seen daily in play in the newly opened Chess Divan and Café of Mr J. Morphy at No. 79 Grafton Street. In addition to simultaneous games and general play, Mr Mason has undertaken a match of “the first five games up” with a Dublin amateur [Porterfield Rynd].The match had to be curtailed and then abandoned with only five games having been played because of Rynd's professional obligations as a barrister. My feature article on the match can be found at Irish Chess History.
[Event "Match"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "1888.07.23"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Mason, James"]
[Black "Rynd, J.A. Porterfield"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A10"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "1888.07.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[SourceDate "2012.09.29"]
{Mr Mason, the American Champion, played the first game of his match with the
Dublin Amateur yesterday evening. Having won the right of first move, he
opened with the English opening, the first move being} 1. c4 {There was a
large attendance of interested spectators throughout. The game began at 7 pm,
and finished at 11 pm in favour of the Dubliner. Mr Mason lost a pawn on the
12th move, and on the 20th move another, but, the combinations being most
complicated, it was hard to predict the result. The second game will be played
this afternoon and admission is free. The match, as already announced, will be
won by whoever wins five games first. [Dublin Daily Express, 24 vii 1888]} 0-1
[Event "Match"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "1888.07.24"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Rynd, J.A. Porterfield"]
[Black "Mason, James"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[EventDate "1888.07.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[SourceDate "2012.09.29"]
{The second game in the match between Mr James Mason, of New York and the
Dublin Amateur was played yesterday evening at the Divan before a numerous
assemblage of chess players. The Amateur opened with} 1. e4 {whereupon the
American replied with} e6 {and a French defence ensued. In the opening the
Dubliner fared second best, and for a long time seemed to be fighting against
hope. However, ultimately he created a diversion, and succeeded in making a
draw. The score stands - Amateur 1; Mason 0; Drawn 1. The third game will be
played tomorrow evening, commencing at 7 o'clock.[Dublin Daily Express, 25 vii
1888]} 1/2-1/2
[Event "Match"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "1888.07.25"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Mason, James"]
[Black "Rynd, J.A. Porterfield"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "40"]
[EventDate "1888.07.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[SourceDate "2012.09.29"]
{The third game of the match between Mr Mason and an amateur was played last
evening at the Divan, 79 Grafton Street. Mr Mason had the move, and played} 1.
e4 {to which his opponent replied} e6 {(the French defence). The game proceeded
} 2. e5 d5 3. c3 c5 4. f4 {Several well known enthusiasts were present, and
took great interest in the proceedings. The game gradually assumed a
favourable aspect for the Dublin amateur, and after two hours play resulted in
his favour. [Dublin Daily Express, 26 vii 1888]} Nc6 5. Bd3 $2 f5 6. Nf3 Be7 7.
O-O Nh6 8. a3 O-O 9. b4 Qb6 10. Kh1 c4 11. Bc2 a5 12. Bb2 Ng4 13. Qe2 Bc5 $1
14. h3 Nf2+ 15. Kh2 Ne4 16. Bxe4 fxe4 17. Ne1 a4 18. Nc2 Be7 19. Qe3 Qc7 20.
Nd4 Nxe5 {Diagram [#] The final position is a curiosity. If Black's Knight be
captured, he gains a Rook for it, and hopefully locks in White's Queen side
pieces. If the Knight be not captured, then it obtains indefeasible possession
of the important post at d3, so as to lock in for all eternity - should the
game so long last - all White's Queen side pieces. White seeing the futility
of any further efforts to free or save his game gracefully resigns.[Full
game-score and concluding note by Rynd: Dublin Evening Herald 9 ix 1893]} 0-1
[Event "Match"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "1888.07.26"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Rynd, J.A. Porterfield"]
[Black "Mason, James"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C29"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1888.07.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[SourceDate "2012.09.29"]
{The fourth and as yet the mostkeenly contested struggle took place yesterday
evening. Th opening was with the dubliner, who played a Vienna game,
introducing an unsound variation of Paulsen's. Mr Mason emerged with much the
better game. Step by step, however, his opponent extricated himself almost to
the point of obtaining an advantage. The attack and counter-attack were well
kept up, and in the end a draw might have resulted but tht Mr Mason made the
most of his superior position, and won after four and a half hours' fighting.
The score now stands - Amateur 2; Mason 1; drawn 1. The fifth game will be
played at Mr Morphy's Divan, 79 Grafton street, this evening. [Dublin Daily
Express, 27 vii 1888]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 ({The more usual} 2... Nc6 {is so
apt to give rise to complicated and highly critical positions very early in
the game (mostly with a practical tendency in favour of the attack) that it is
yet a question whether the move here adopted should not really be given the
preference.}) 3. f4 d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 5. Qe2 ({This strikes us as inferior to} 5.
Nf3) 5... Nxc3 ({If} 5... Qh4+ 6. g3 Nxg3 7. Qf2 Nf5 8. Qxh4 Nxh4 9. Nxd5 {
&c. Perhaps it was in view of matters taking some such turn that Mr. Rynd
ventured the rather faulty 5. Qe2.}) 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. d4 Be7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bf4 f6
10. Qe3 {The situation is now full of peril for White. The forced opening of
the f-file, added to the inconvenient position of his Queen, unite in
rendering early Castling extremely problematical. And early Castling seems, in
the circumstancces, to be almost necessary to the maintenance of his game.}
fxe5 11. dxe5 b6 12. Bb5 Bc5 {Diagram [#]} 13. Nd4 ({An error, the
consequences of which prove fatal.} 13. Qd2 {was a far better move.}) 13...
Nxd4 14. cxd4 Bb4+ {Compelling White to move his King or submit to material
loss.} 15. Kd1 ({For if} 15. c3 {then} Bxc3+ 16. Qxc3 Rxf4 {&c. From this
point the game is virtually in the hands of the second player, who presses his
advantage with great vigour.}) 15... c5 16. dxc5 Bg4+ 17. Kc1 Bxc5 18. Qg3 Be6
19. Bd3 Qd7 20. a4 a6 21. Be3 Bf5 22. Re1 Rac8 23. Bxf5 Qxf5 24. Bxc5 Rxc5 25.
Ra2 Rfc8 26. Re2 d4 27. Kd1 Rc3 28. Qf2 Qe6 29. Rb2 {Diagram [#] There seems
no better move, though this gives Mr. Mason an opportunity of bringing the
contest to a neat and speedy termination.} d3 $1 30. cxd3 Rxd3+ 31. Red2 Qg4+
32. Qe2 Qxa4+ 33. Ke1 Rc1+ 34. Kf2 Qf4+ 35. Qf3 Rxd2+ {[Full game score and
annotations from the Chess Monthly Volume X (October 1888), pages 54-55 - the
game is incorrectly stated to have been played on the 27th July]} 0-1
[Event "Match"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "1888.07.27"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Mason, James"]
[Black "Rynd, J.A. Porterfield"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E14"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1888.07.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]
[SourceDate "2012.09.29"]
{The fifth game was played at the Divan yesterday evening. the American
champion adopted Van't Kruys opening - the moves being 1. e3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 -
after which the game assumed the position of a Queen's Gambit declined. The
Dubliner developed a Queen's Fianchetta, but afterwards blocked it by
advancing his c-pawn only one square, from the cramping effects of which he
never recovered. The interesting play which ensued was attentively studied by
a large group of chessists, who at the conclusion were amply rewarded by the
pretty finish of Mr Mason. Play in the match will now be suspended till
Tuesday evening.[Dublin Daily Express, 28 vii 1888]} 1. e3 {The opening
derives its name from the Dutch player Van't Kruys, who adopted it against
Anderssen in 1851.} Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 b6 5. Nf3 Bb7 6. cxd5 exd5 ({
This appears to be opposed to the idea underlying the development of the
Bishop at b7, and has the further effect of making the management of the
position on the Queen's side more difficult than need be.} 6... Nxd5 {would be
better; as it might be followed up by c5 at an opportune moment.}) 7. Bd2 Be7
8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O c6 {Most of Black's subsequent troubles may be directly
referred to this and his next succeeding move.} 10. Rc1 Qd6 11. Ne5 {It is
clear that even this early White has much the superior game/} Nfd7 12. f4 f6
13. Nd3 f5 {Necessary to prevent the advance of the adverse f-pawn, followed
by Nf4-e6, which would render his position on the King's side all but
untenable.} 14. Ne5 Nf6 15. g4 {Safe enough! Black can do little but await the
coming attack and parry as best may be.} Ne4 16. gxf5 Nxd2 17. Qxd2 Rxf5 18.
Kh1 b5 {Surely there was no time for this.} 19. Bg4 Rf6 20. Rg1 a6 21. Qg2 {
Threatening to win at least a piece.} Bf8 ({Of course, if} 21... Kh8 {the
answer would be} 22. Bc8) 22. Ne2 Ra7 23. Ng3 Ba8 24. Nh5 Rh6 25. Ng3 Qd8 26.
Bf3 Qb6 27. Nf5 Re6 28. Qh3 c5 29. dxc5 Bxc5 {Diagram [#]} 30. Rxc5 {Decisive.}
Qxc5 31. Nxg7 Rg6 32. Qe6+ $1 Kh8 ({If} 32... Rxe6 {then} 33. Nxe6+ Kh8 34.
Nxc5 {with a piece ahead.}) 33. Nxg6+ hxg6 34. Qe8+ ({[} 34. Qe8+ {] If} Kxg7
35. Rxg6+ {and Qg8 mate. [Full game score and annotations from the Chess
Monthly Volume X (October 1888), pages 52-53 - the game is incorrectly stated
to have been played on the 27th July]}) 1-0
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