“Many highly-coloured stories have been written about Sonja Graf, but the majority of these have been found to be without foundation.”
Anne Sunnucks, The Encyclopaedia of Chess, 2nd Edition, 1976, Robert Hale, London.
This is the first of four posts that document Sonja Graf’s 1935 whirlwind fortnight in Ireland. The information contained therein is mainly based on the contemporary reports of her stay, but the perfect truth is elusive because those reports sometimes differ.
The first mention of Sonja Graf’s visit to Ireland was on page 11 of the Irish Independent for Tuesday 29th January 1935 in its Sports Gossip of the Day column.
CHESS players in Dublin are promised another treat in the visit of Fraulein Sonja Graf, the 21-years-old lady champion of Germany, whose fine play against some of the best Continental and English players in the Major “A” was a feature of the recent Hastings Congress. At the invitation of the Dublin Club, she is coming to give a series of exhibitions at the Club’s rooms, 20 Lincoln Place. After Hastings, Sonja was invited to give exhibitions at Eastbourne, Watford, Worcester, Malvern, and London. Her record of success in simultaneous displays is little short of wonderful. Her rate of play in simultaneous exhibitions, like that of Herr Lilienthal, who played recently in Dublin, is rapid. Fraulein Sonja is at present in London as the guest of Miss Vera Menchik, the world’s lady champion, whose opinion of Sonja’s play is extremely high. Those who play against her when she comes to Dublin are in for an unpleasant surprise should they under-rate her strength on account of her sex and youth. Particulars of her programme, which begins on Monday next, will appear shortly.
Her imminent arrival was noted on page 4 of the Irish Press for Saturday 2nd February.
The youthful German woman Chess champion, Fraulein Sonja Graf, will arrive in Dublin this evening and will, during her stay in the city, give several exhibitions of simultaneous play, as well as other demonstrations of chess skill.
The following three exhibitions of simultaneous play have been arranged:
Monday at 7 p.m., at the Dublin Club, 20 Lincoln Place, against a side selected from the members. Thursday, at the same hour and place, against a side composed of players from the other Clubs. Friday, at 7.30 p.m., at the Sackville Club, 30 Harcourt Street, against a side selected from the members of this Club.
On other evenings during the week Fraulein Graf will give demonstrations of consultation play, etc., at the Dublin Chess Club.
It turned that her engagements were much more extensive than those foreshadowed.
Full itinerary:
Saturday 2nd February
Arrival in Dublin
Monday 4th February
Simultaneous Exhibition, Dublin Chess Club, 7.00 pm with members of the club
Graf played 16 games: won 7 lost 3 drew 6
Tuesday 5th February
Casual games at Dublin Chess Club with members of the club
Wednesday 6th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, 10.30 am, Games 1 and 2
G1. O’Hanlon 1-0 Graf 41 moves, Ruy Lopez Morphy Defence (Open)
G2. Graf -v- O’Hanlon adjourned after 21 moves, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Flohr’s Attack
Thursday 7th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, Game 2 adjournment session and Game 3
G2. Graf 1-0 O’Hanlon 25 moves (Match score Graf 1.0-1.0 O’Hanlon)
G3. O’Hanlon -v- Graf (adjourned) Queen’s Gambit, Tarrasch Defence
Simultaneous Exhibition, Dublin Chess Club, 7.00pm with composite team of members from various other Dublin clubs
Graf played 16 games: won 12 lost 2 drew 2
Friday 8th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, 10.30am, Game 3 adjournment session
G3. O’Hanlon 0-1 Graf (Match score Graf 2.0-1.0 O’Hanlon)
Simultaneous Exhibition, Sackville Chess Club, 7.30 pm with members of the club
Graf played 17 games: won 8 lost 2 drew 7
Saturday 9th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, Game 4
G4. Graf -v- O’Hanlon (adjourned) Queen’s Gambit Declined
Simultaneous Exhibition, Blackrock Town Hall, 7.00 pm with members of the Blackrock Chess Club
Graf played 14 games: won 9 lost 1 drew 4
Monday 11th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, Game 4 adjournment session (morning) and Game 5 (evening)
G4. Graf 0-1 O’Hanlon (Match score Graf 2.0-2.0 O’Hanlon)
G5. O’Hanlon -v- Graf (adjourned) Ruy Lopez
Tuesday 12 February
Graf took a rest day
Wednesday 13th February
Simultaneous Exhibition, Cork Chess Club Pavilion Café, Cork, 7.00 pm with players of the city (play commenced at 7.20pm)
Graf played 16 games: won 6 lost 2 drew 8
Thursday 14th February
Match -v- A. Panton Watkinson, Dublin Chess Club, Games 2 and 3
[The date on which Game 1 was played has not been conclusively identified but it was probably played on either 12th or 13th February; the game was won by Graf]
G2. Watkinson 0-1 Graf 14 moves, Queen’s Gambit, Tarrasch Defence
G3. Graf v Watkinson (adjourned)
Friday 15th February
Match -v- O’Hanlon, Dublin Chess Club, 10.30 am, Game 5 adjournment session
G5. O’Hanlon ½-½ Graf, 40 moves (Match final score Graf 2.5-2.5 O’Hanlon)
Match -v- A. Panton Watkinson, Dublin Chess Club, immediately following the end of the O’Hanlon Match, Game 3 adjournment session
G3. Graf 1-0 Watkinson, 32 moves (Match final score Graf 3.0-0.0 Watkinson)
Saturday 16th February
Departure from Dublin