n.b. the following items are a work in progress - more will be added in due course. See notes at the bottom of the page for further details of material referred to.
Sir George Thomas, Margate 1936
Photo from The Sphere, 25 April 1936 (colourised by John Saunders)
BCM, June 1913, ppn 225-226
Mr G[eorge]. A[lan]. Thomas [JS note: he inherited the title of 'Sir George' on the death of his father in 1918]
It is with much pleasure that we give a photograph of the winner of the City of London Championship in its Jubilee year. This success is not Mr. Thomas' first success in the chess world, nor is it likely to be his last.
Born on 14th June, 1881, Mr. Thomas has played chess ever since he can remember, and this is not surprising, as his mother, Lady Thomas, has always been a keen and able chess player. She won the Ladies' Championship at Hastings in 1895, and we hope she will live to see her son's success in the British Championship.
Like many other strong chess players Mr. Thomas does not care to spend a fortnight in the summer playing chess. He is an all-round man, and in the summer devotes his energies to lawn tennis.
Mr. Thomas informs us that the first tournament in which he took part was the Second Class Open Tournament at the Southern Counties' Congress, held at Salisbury in 1898, when, at the age of 17, he finished third. He did not play in another open tournament till the Kent Congress at Tunbridge Wells in 1902, when he tied with Messrs. R. P. Michell and G. E. Wainwright for third place (Mr. Rudolf Loman 1st, Mr. O. C. Müller 2nd), but since that time he has played in the Kent Congresses every year except 1911. In 1907, 1908, 1909 and 1912 he won first prize, not losing a game at any of these four meetings.
For many years Mr. Thomas has represented his County, Hampshire, for chess. He has also been a member of the Metropolitan Chess Club for several years, and has played in the London League matches with great success. He has competed for the Championship of the Metropolitan Club on seven occasions, winning five times, once after a tie with Mr. C. S. Howell, who played in the cable matches for America, and last year after a tie with Mr. J. H. Blake.
This is the third occasion Mr. Thomas has competed for the City of London Chess Club Championship; in 1911 he tied with Mr. R. P. Michell for second place; in 1912 he tied for first place with Mr. J. H. Blake, but lost the tie match.
He played in the last two Cable Matches, and won both games in splendid style.
Besides being an international chess player, he is an international at Badminton, having played for England v. Ireland ten times, captaining the English team for the last seven years; he also secured international honours at lawn tennis, playing for England v. Ireland last year.
His Badminton successes consist of 120 Open Championships, including the Open Double Championships five times, and the Open Mixed Doubles four times. At lawn tennis he has won over 70 first prizes in Open Tournaments, and Messrs. Mappin & Webb or Messrs. Fattorini [makers of trophies - JS] would require all their resources to make a show against Mr. Thomas' prizes!
In addition to these successes he played hockey for Hampshire for five seasons, and yet he is withal as modest a man as one could wish to meet.
Mr. Thomas is more fortunate than most chess players in that he has more spare time to devote to games than the majority.
His chess is of the sound order, or at least he is sound first and brilliant afterwards; his knowledge of end-game play has, like Mr. W. Ward's, turned many a drawn, or worse position, into a won game. He rarely gets short of time, showing that he has a quick sight of the board; he is as formidable an opponent at skittles as in match play!
We should much like to see him compete for the British Championship, and he would be a rash man who would give long odds against his winning chief honours. A match between Mr. Atkins and Mr. Thomas would be an intellectual treat.
Since the above was set in type, Mr. Thomas has won first prize in his section of the Open Tournament in the Kent and Sussex Congress at Hastings, 1½ points above the next competitor. For full scores see another part of the present number.
1915 Match between George A Thomas and Roland H V Scott, 26-31 July, Golders Green, London
Match, Golders Green
26-31 July 1915 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Total |
| George Alan Thomas |
1 |
½ |
½ |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| Roland Henry Vaughan Scott |
0 |
½ |
½ |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
Venue: the private residence of Dr. Jacob Schumer (1869-1932), Golders Green, London (believed to be "Melrose", Hodford Road, Golders Green, London NW11)
Linlithgowshire Gazette, 30 July 1915: "Referring to the match in London between Messrs. R. H. V. Scott and G. A. Thomas, Mr Woollard writes in "Yorks. Observer Budget" —"We have no doubt that some interesting games will result from the meeting, but at the same time we feel bound to say that in our opinion serious matches between young and able-bodied chess players are at present much to be deprecated for fairly obvious reasons. We do not suggest that in the present case there are any other than sentimental objections to the match, for we know nothing whatever of the attendant circumstances, but for the time being chess-playing, except as a temporary relaxation from daily labour, should be left to the elderly and infirm, if only for the sake of example." At the time of the Thomas-Scott match Thomas was aged 34 and Scott 27. The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, on 26 October 1915, reported that "Mr. G. A. Thomas, who enjoys the distinction of being a champion player at badminton, lawn tennis, and chess, has obtained a commission, and is with his regiment." (He was with the Hampshire Regiment and served in Mesopotamia - see BCM, May 1920, p133) Scott, who subsequently took part in the 1915/16 City of London Championship, was gazetted Temp. 2nd Lt. in the Norfolk Regiment in 1917 and later invalided out (according to his 1939 census entry).
5-15 June 1935 - Barcelona International - Club d'Escacs, Rambla Catalunya, Barcelona
1935 Barcelona
International |
Draw
No. |
Fed |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Total |
| 1 |
Salo Flohr |
10 |
CZE |
|
1 |
½ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
½ |
1 |
1 |
8 |
| 2 |
George Koltanowski |
9 |
BEL |
0 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
| 3 |
Henri Grob |
5 |
SUI |
½ |
0 |
|
½ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
½ |
1 |
1 |
6½ |
| 4 |
Sir George Alan Thomas |
4 |
GBR |
0 |
0 |
½ |
|
½ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
| 5 |
Brian Patrick Reilly |
1 |
IRL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
½ |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5½ |
| 6 |
Josep Maristany |
2 |
ESP |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
½ |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3½ |
| 7 |
Pere Cherta i Clos |
7 |
ESP |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
½ |
|
1 |
½ |
1 |
3 |
| 8 |
Ángel Ribera Arnal |
6 |
ESP |
½ |
0 |
½ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
½ |
1 |
2½ |
| 9 |
Dr. Josep Vallvè i Piñol |
8 |
ESP |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
½ |
½ |
|
1 |
2 |
| 10 |
Dr. Nicolas Ticoulat |
3 |
FRA |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
Source for crosstable & draw: ajedrez365.com
1939/40 National Chess Centre, Hampstead Tournament (Dec/Jan? exact dates not known)
1 At the time Martin Blaine still used his birth name Marton Blum (born Hungary, circa 1916). Also known as Martin Blum, he changed it by deed poll in December 1946 to Martin Blaine (died 1995). BritBase uses the post-1946 version of his name for game scores, regardless of date.
1940 National Chess Centre, Easter Congress (March/April? exact dates not known)
1940 National Chess Centre, Club Championship, Section B (Date - May?)
1 Alan Noel Booth (1913-1948). "A. N. Booth, a well-known player London player, was accidentally gassed, early in April." (CHESS, May 1948, Vol.13/152, p190 - in fact, Booth died on 3 March 1948)
File Updated
| Date Updated |
Notes |
| 10 July 2025 |
First upload (1,206 entries, including 164 stubs). In compiling this collection I have made extensive use of The Chess Games of Sir George Alan Thomas by Roger L Paige (Self-Published 2005), which numbered 1,041 game entries (which also included a considerable number of stubs). I've made numerous additions and emendations to what appeared in that book. Other sources included chessgames.com, BCM, CHESS magazines, commercial chess databases, online newspaper archives, the Brian Denman collection, plus games sent by BritBase contributors such as Andy Ansel and Ulrich Tamm. I've included a few crosstables and will add to these in due course. |
| 10 July 2025 |
Added three correspondence games from the 1901 Womanhood Tourney: (1) W Pierce 1-0 GAT; (2) GAT 1-0 F Braund; (3) G Thomas ½-½ W Pierce. Many thanks to Gerard Killoran for submitting them via the English Chess Forum. Running total of game entries now 1,209. |
| 12 July 2025 |
A further nine games added: (1) GAT & C Chapman 0-1 H Pillsbury, Tunbridge Wells 1902; (2) J Leroy 0-1 GAT, Womanhood corr 1902; (3) A Mackenzie ½-½ GAT, Womanhood corr 1902; (4) G Thomas 1-0 W Ward, City of London 1912; (5) GAT & Allies 1-0 SF Smith & Allies, City of London 1920, plus a further four which replace existing stub games: (6) K Gilg 1-0 GAT, Klosterneuburg 1934; (7) GAT 1-0 M Feigin, Warsaw Olympiad 1935; (8) GAT 0-1 G Stahlberg, Stockholm Olympiad 1937; (9) G Thomas ½-½ I König, Hampstead 1939. My thanks to Gerard Killoran, Ulrich Tamm and others at the English Chess Forum who have contributed scores. Running total of game entries now 1,214 including 160 stubs. |
| 27 July 2025 |
Added the game G A Thomas ½-½ C H O'D Alexander, played in a living chess display at Taunton's School, Southampton on 13 May 1935, as reported in the Hampshire Advertiser for 18 May 1935. Many thanks to Graham Stuart for submitting the score via the English Chess Forum. |
| 29 July 2025 |
Added another 10 game scores. My thanks to Tim Harding, Alan Smith and Gerard Killoran for supplying additional games, all of which are from the period 1914 and earlier. |
| 25 August 2025 |
Added another four game scores. These four were contributed by Alan Smith for which many thanks: (1) GAT 1-0 WM Brooke, Corr 1902; (2) GAT 1-0 FA Joyce, Kent Congress May 1902; (3) CW Draycott 0-1 GAT, Portsmouth 1903; (4) GAT 1-0 D Miller, Metropolitan Club Championship 1911/12. |
| 28 August 2025 |
Added two games R P Michell 1-0 GAT, Kent First-Class, rd 3, 20.05.1902 and GAT 1-0 G Schories, rd 8, 23.05.1902. |
| 30 September 2025 |
Added two games: (1) GAT 1-0 G Wainwright, snr, City of London Ch'ship 1913/14; (2) GAT 1-0 HG Cole, Kent First-Class, rd 5, 30.03.1910. Many thanks to Gerard Killoran for supplying the scores of these games via the English Chess Forum. Also added are five stub games from the 1910 Kent event. All four complete games and stubs from that tournament now have dates and round numbers. |
| 10 October 2025 |
Added four scores: (1) GAT 1-0 EG Sergeant, City of London Ch 1926/27; (2) GAT 1-0 T Taylor, Kent 1903; (3) GAT 1-0 J O'Hanlon, Kent 1909; (4) GAT 1-0 A Louis, Kent 1910. Many thanks to Alan Smith for sending the games. |
| 9 January 2025 |
Added the game G Wainwright, snr 1-0 GAT, Lud Eagle v Metropolitan, (probably) 1913. Many thanks to Gerard Killoran for contributing the score. |
| 14 January 2026 |
Added the game E Sergeant ½-½ G A Thomas, 1920 British Championship, rd 2, which replaces a stub. Many thanks to Gerard Killoran for sending the score via the English Chess Forum. |
| 19 March 2026 |
Added four more games played by Sir George Thomas in 1943 competitions at the West London club: (1) white win v L Klugmann; (2) white win v (Capt) E A Beamish; (3) white win v Dr P List; (4) black win v E Sergeant. Many thanks to Steve Giddins for submitting the games. |
| 2 July 2026 |
Added the game H S Stephens 0-1 G A Thomas, St Georges CC, prob. 1899. The score of Louisa Fagan - GAT, SCCU Salisbury 1898 now has all 51 moves played (previously it had the first 28 moves). |
| 3 July 2026 |
Added the game Dr S F Smith 0-1 G A Thomas, Essex v Devon, corr 1907. |
| 4 July 2026 |
Added the game G A Thomas 1-0 P H J O'Connor, Kent First Class, Sevenoaks, April 1908. Running total 1,248 game entries (inc. 18 part-games & 163 stubs) |
