Liverpool Chess Congress 1923
Mieses' Triumph at 58
Tournament Overview
- Date: 1923
- Location: Liverpool, England
- Winner: Jacques Mieses (GER)
Mieses' Performance
Result: 1st Place
Tournament Victory – ahead of Maróczy, Thomas and Yates
Liverpool 1923 was one of only two major tournament victories in Mieses' career of almost seven decades, alongside Vienna 1907 (Trebitsch Memorial). At 58 years old, this was a remarkable achievement – proving that age was no barrier to his attacking genius.
Crosstable (Premier Section)
| Place | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Mieses | ∗ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 8–1 |
| 2 | Géza Maróczy | ½ | ∗ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7½–1½ |
| 3rd–4th | Fred Dewhurst Yates | 0 | 0 | ∗ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½–2½ |
| 3rd–4th | George Alan Thomas | 0 | ½ | 0 | ∗ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½–2½ |
| 5th | Joseph Henry Blake | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ∗ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5–4 |
| 6th | Edmund Spencer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ∗ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4–5 |
| 7th | Victor Leonard Wahltuch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ∗ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 3½–5½ |
| 8th | Harry Holmes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ∗ | ½ | 1 | 2–7 |
| 9th–10th | Allan William Edward Louis | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ∗ | 0 | 1–8 |
| 9th–10th | Climenson Yelverton Dawbarn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ∗ | 1–8 |
Historical Significance
The victory was particularly sweet as Mieses finished ahead of Géza Maróczy – the same opponent he had defeated at Vienna 1907. Other notable competitors included British champions George Alan Thomas and Frederick Yates.
The Man Behind the Master
A chess friend who accompanied Mieses on a morning walk through Dale Street during the congress described him as "a courteous and cultured man, precise in speech and with something of the military in his bearing" – a gentleman of the old school.
The walk turned into a veritable tie-hunting expedition, with Mieses selecting a fine assortment of ties to take back to Germany. → Read the full anecdote
(Sources: British Chess Magazine, April 1954; British Chess News)
Other Tournaments
International Debut Breslau 1889
3rd Prize – first international master tournament Hastings 1895
Tournament of the Century Berlin 1897
Shared 3rd–4th Place Monte Carlo 1903
8th Place Cambridge Springs 1904
8th–9th Place Vienna 1907
1st Place – Greatest Victory! Ostend 1907
3rd–4th Place – World-Class Event San Sebastián 1911
Mieses as Organizer Liverpool 1923
1st Place – Tournament Victory! Baden-Baden 1925
New Beginning After War Kemeri 1937
The Fateful Tournament Chess Olympiads
London 1927 · Prague 1931