London, England 1888 (8)




Results
 
Crosstable scores
Name   Edo    Dev.   Score  /  Games    Class 
Gunsberg, Isidor    2606 (31) 11 / 14 
Blackburne, Joseph    2573 (32) 10.5 / 13 
Wainwright, George    2332 (39) 10 / 14 
Bird, Henry    2448 (30) 9.5 / 13 
Gattie, Walter    2348 (41) 8 / 13 
Zukertort, Johannes    2462 (44) 7 /
Pollock, William    2383 (31) 7 / 13 
Mortimer, James    2280 (33) 6.5 / 14 
Michael, Abraham    2221 (67) 5.5 / 12 
Jetley, V.    1941 (69) 5.5 / 14 
Ingoldsby, William    1989 (48) 4 / 11 
Wyman, H.G.H.    1583 (93) 4 / 13 
Sellon, Ernest    2049 (51) 3.5 / 11 
Alderson, F.H.    1238 (131) 2 / 14 
Hirschfeld, A.    0 / 11 
 
  Odds for class difference of 1: two moves
  Odds for class difference of 2: pawn and move
  Odds for class difference of 3: pawn and two moves
  Odds for class difference of 4: a knight
  Odds for class difference of 5: knight and move
  Odds for class difference of 6: a rook
  Odds for class difference of 7: rook and move
  Odds for class difference of 8: rook and pawn
 

Event table notes

Event data
Name: British Chess Club Handicap
Place: London, England
Start date: 5 June 1888
End date: July 1888
 
Notes:
The assignment of players to the nine handicap classes is given in the Chess Monthly, but the details of what odds were given between what class differences is not spelled out in full. Some of them are made clear, such as that first class gave second odds of Two Moves, while first class gave fourth Pawn and Two Moves. This suggests that the odds were similar to those used in the Simpson's Divan Handicap the same year, which went: Two Moves, Pawn and Move, Pawn and Two Moves, Knight, Knight and Move, and Rook for differences of 1 to 6 classes. This tournament had nine classes, so there were differences of up to eight classes between players. I am guessing that the odds given for class differences of 7 and 8 were Rook and Move, and Rook and Pawn, respectively, though I don't have firm evidence for these. Zukertort died part way through the tournament, and his unplayed games were counted as draws in the official scores, but are not counted here for rating purposes.
 
References
Books
   Harding, Eminent Victorian Chess Players, page 294
   Harding, Joseph Henry Blackburne, page 259, 260, 550
   Sergeant, Century of British Chess, page 209
Periodicals
   [CML], vol. 9, no. 10, June 1888, page 290
   [CML], vol. 9, no. 11, July 1888, page 327
   [CML], vol. 9, no. 12, Aug. 1888, page 354, 377

Tournament information updated: 5 May 2020