Belgian championship, Brussels
1941
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | Tot | ||||
| 1 | NM | Devos, Paul | BEL | – | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | NM | Van Seters, Frits | NED | ½ | – | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6½ |
| 3 | NM | O’Kelly de Galway, Albéric | BEL | ½ | 0 | – | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6½ |
| 4 | Gottesdiener, Josek | POL | ½ | ½ | ½ | – | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | + | 6 | |
| 5 | Perlmutter, Jacob Baruch | POL | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 6 | Defosse, Marcel | BEL | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | – | 0 | 1 | 1 | + | 4½ | |
| 7 | Franck, Alfons | BEL | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | – | ½ | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 8 | Gerits, Valère | BEL | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | – | ½ | + | 2½ | |
| 9 | Van Sevenandt, Etienne | BEL | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | – | + | 2 | |
| 10 | Begam, Albert | POL | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
The Belgian Chess Federation’s official journal published the crosstable and all the games I have, but it mentions neither the location nor the exact dates. [2] mentions that the tournament started on Saturday, September 13th. I strongly suspect the tournament was played in Brussels, but would not be greatly surprised if that turns out to be wrong.
Devos, being a Belgian, won not only the title of champion of the federation, but also that of Belgian champion and even that of ‘king’, a title the Belgian Chess Federation gave for a few years to the highest scoring player to have had the Belgian nationality for more than ten years. There were four prizes: BEF 400, BEF 300, BEF 200, and BEF 100. Moreover, BEF 20 was paid out for every victory. There were two brilliancy prizes of BEF 125 and BEF 75 respectively. They were assigned by Soultanbeieff to O’Kelly, for his victory over Perlmutter, and Perlmutter, for his victory over Begam.
In the penultimate round, Begam left the tournament, thereby losing his adjourned games against Van Sevenandt and Gottesdiener as well as the two games he still had to play. For leaving the tournament “on the pretext of illness”, as [1] calls it, he was suspended for a year. I wonder, however, whether he was not, perhaps, captured by the nazis.
Wanted
- Many of the games.
- The exact dates.
Sources
- Belgische Schaakbond, Driemaandelijksch Tijdschrift 1941/4
- De Gentenaar 13/09/1941
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