1974 Athenaeum Jubilee Tournament, 5-7 July and 12-14 July, Royal Automobile Club

1974 Athenaeum Jubilee		Fed	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	Maxwell L Fuller	AUS	2365	&;	½	1	1	½	½	½	1	1	1	7
2	Robert Bellin	ENG	2355	½	&;	1	½	1	½	1	0	½	1	6
3	Robert G Wade	NZL	2350m	0	0	&;	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	5½
4	Leslie S F Blackstock	SCO		0	½	½	&;	½	1	½	1	½	½	5
5	Seth Saverymuttu	ENG	2250	½	0	0	½	&;	1	½	½	1	½	4½
6	Michael J Franklin	ENG	2335	½	½	½	0	0	&;	½	0	1	1	4
7	Colin S Crouch	ENG		½	0	0	½	½	½	&;	1	½	½	4
8	Michael J Basman	ENG	2400	0	1	0	0	½	1	0	&;	½	1	4
9	Timothy D Harding	ENG		0	½	0	½	0	0	½	½	&;	½	2½
10	Kevin J O'Connell	IRL		0	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	&;	2½

THE ATHENAEUM CHESS CLUB ‘101’ TOURNAMENT by W.G. Raines (BCM, October 1974, p359)

The Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall provided a sumptuous and secluded setting for a strong 10-player invitation tournament sponsored by the Athenaeum Chess Club over the two week-ends July 5-7 and July 12 - 14. It was called simply the '101' tournament since July 1974 marked the end of the hundred and first playing season since the founding of the club.

Apart from its intrinsic interest the event was arranged in the hope of getting some new British names on the Elo ranking list. Foreign tournament organizers are somewhat reluctant to invite non-ranked players whatever their national credentials, while a reasonably high Elo rating is often a prelude to invitations abroad and consequent international experience. Accordingly the field was chosen to consist of six Elo-ranked players — Michael Basman (Elo 2400), Robert Bellin (2355), Michael Franklin (2335), Max Fuller (2365), Seth Saverymuttu (2250), and Bob Wade (2350) — and four players in search of a rating — Athenaeum members Les Blackstock, Tim Harding and Kevin O’Connell, and the talented 17-year old Middlesex Junior Colin Crouch, who stepped in to fill a last-minute vacancy. Thanks mainly to the generosity of former Athenaeum Club President C.D. Georgopoulos there was a prize fund of over £300 and so points scored counted triple in the Cutty Sark Grand Prix.

As the score-table shows the tournament ended in a convincing victory for the Australian Open Champion Max Fuller, visiting London after competing at Nice, who got off to a flying start by winning his first five games. Actually, though, the destination of first prize was in some doubt until the end, since Fuller and Bellin did not meet until the final round. Fuller’s best game was probably his victory over Basman.

---

The Athenaeum 101st Jubilee Tournament by Robert Bellin (CHESS, July 1974, Vol.39/701-2, p292)

To celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Athenaeum Chess Club a special tournament was held at the Royal Automobile Club over the two weekends July 5-7 and 12-14. The playing conditions were good, but the novel schedule was very tight.

Max Fuller raced ahead with five straight wins, then free-wheeled to first place, and £150, with four draws. He is a determined, intense, and uncompromising player (as those who witnessed his last visit to these shores in 1970 will recall), and earned his victory by dint of hard work. His one piece of "luck" came when he saved a lost position against Franklin. He had earlier tried to win after an adjournment by analysing it until 4 a.m. the next day.

Bob Wade played typically gritty, tactical, crazy-looking games which were often a treat to watch. Les Blackstock in sophisticated positional style had only one defeat and earned a respectable Elo rating. 17-year old Colin Crouch of Haberdashers’ Aske’s School worthily filled a last-minute vacancy.

---

File Updated

Date	Notes
19 July 1998	First uploaded as a zipped file.
23 December 2023	Uploaded in current mode, with an extra part-game (Tim Harding has tried to recall part of his missing game vs Les Blackstock). Many thanks to Tim.