Edith Holloway
Encyclopedia
Edith Martha Holloway was one of the brightest names in British women's chess
. She was the daughter of sculptor John Denton Crittenden (1834–1877), who exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Winner of the first post-World War I
British Women's Championship
in 1919, she was in the prize list in several subsequent contests, taking the title for a second time in 1936 at the age of sixty-eight.
She played for England in the 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad
at Paris 1924, her individual statistics being +2 −9 =2 (13 games in total, including the preliminaries). Holloway was the first woman to play in an Olympiad; the officially recognized events did not enjoy the participation of women until 1950. It was a memorable tournament for Holloway, as she notably defeated Peter Potemkine
, a Russian Master who had settled in France.
She shared 1st with Helene Cotton at Meran 1924 (unofficial European women’s championship). After the tournament three of the participants (Holloway, Cotton and Agnes Stevenson
) defeated three others (Paula Wolf-Kalmar
, Gülich and Pohlner) in a double-round London vs. Vienna match.
Holloway also shared 4-5th place in the inaugural Women's World Chess Championship
(WWCC), held in London in 1927
. She tied for 6–7th at Warsaw 1935 (5th WWCC), and 10-16th at Stockholm 1937 (6th WWCC). All of these events were won by Vera Menchik
.
, Paris 1924, Owen's Defence 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5 4.f3 fxe4 5.fxe4 g6 6.Be3 e6 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Nbd2 Ng4 9.Qe2 Nxe3 10.Qxe3 Bg7 11.0–0 Nc6 12.c3 0–0 13.Rf2 Ne7 14.Raf1 d5 15.Ng5 Rxf2 16.Qxf2 Qd7 17.Qf7+ Kh8 18.Nxe6 Rg8 19.e5 Bc8 20.Nxg7 Rxg7 21.Qf6 Nf5 22.Nf3 Qe7 23.Re1 Kg8 24.Qc6 Be6 25.Qa8+ Qf8 26.Qxa7 g5 27.Bxf5 Bxf5 28.Qb7 Be4 29.Nd2 c5 30.Qxb6 Rf7 31.Qe6 cxd4 32.Nxe4 dxe4 33.cxd4 Qb4 34.Rf1 Qxd4+ 35.Kh1 Qd7 36.Qxf7+ 1–0
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. She was the daughter of sculptor John Denton Crittenden (1834–1877), who exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Winner of the first post-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
British Women's Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
in 1919, she was in the prize list in several subsequent contests, taking the title for a second time in 1936 at the age of sixty-eight.
She played for England in the 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad
1st unofficial Chess Olympiad
The first Team Chess Tournament had been held by coinciding the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, 12th - 20 July 1924, at Hotel Majestic. The core of the organizing committee were the Frenchmen Pierre Vincent and Alexander Alekhine. Fifty-four players representing 18 countries arrived to Paris...
at Paris 1924, her individual statistics being +2 −9 =2 (13 games in total, including the preliminaries). Holloway was the first woman to play in an Olympiad; the officially recognized events did not enjoy the participation of women until 1950. It was a memorable tournament for Holloway, as she notably defeated Peter Potemkine
Peter Potemkine
Peter Potemkin was a Russian chess master.He took 7th at St. Petersburg 1904 , took 5th at St Petersburg 1907 Peter Potemkin (Potemkine, Potyomkin) (1886–1926) was a Russian chess master.He took 7th at St. Petersburg 1904 (Mikhail Chigorin won), took 5th at St Petersburg 1907 Peter Potemkin...
, a Russian Master who had settled in France.
She shared 1st with Helene Cotton at Meran 1924 (unofficial European women’s championship). After the tournament three of the participants (Holloway, Cotton and Agnes Stevenson
Agnes Stevenson
Agnes Lawson-Stevenson was a British chess master. She was four-time British Ladies' Champion , and married to Rufus Stevenson, editor of the British Chess Magazine....
) defeated three others (Paula Wolf-Kalmar
Paula Wolf-Kalmar
Paula Wolf-Kalmar was an Austrian chess master, born in Agram .She took 5th at Meran 1924 . After the tournament three of the participants defeated three others in a double-round London vs...
, Gülich and Pohlner) in a double-round London vs. Vienna match.
Holloway also shared 4-5th place in the inaugural Women's World Chess Championship
Women's World Chess Championship
The Women's World Chess Championship is played to determine the women's world champion in chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE....
(WWCC), held in London in 1927
Women's World Chess Championship 1927
The 1st Women's World Chess Championship took place during the 1st Chess Olympiad 1927 in London. It was organized by FIDE and was played as a full round-robin tournament. Vera Menchik won the championship, the first of all her 7 championships. The final results were as follows:...
. She tied for 6–7th at Warsaw 1935 (5th WWCC), and 10-16th at Stockholm 1937 (6th WWCC). All of these events were won by Vera Menchik
Vera Menchik
Vera Menchik was a British-Czech chess player who gained renown as the world's first women's chess champion. She also competed in chess tournaments with some of the world's leading male chess masters, defeating many of them, including future World Champion Max Euwe.The daughter of a Czech father...
.
Notable game
Edith Holloway - Peter PotemkinePeter Potemkine
Peter Potemkin was a Russian chess master.He took 7th at St. Petersburg 1904 , took 5th at St Petersburg 1907 Peter Potemkin (Potemkine, Potyomkin) (1886–1926) was a Russian chess master.He took 7th at St. Petersburg 1904 (Mikhail Chigorin won), took 5th at St Petersburg 1907 Peter Potemkin...
, Paris 1924, Owen's Defence 1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Bd3 f5 4.f3 fxe4 5.fxe4 g6 6.Be3 e6 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Nbd2 Ng4 9.Qe2 Nxe3 10.Qxe3 Bg7 11.0–0 Nc6 12.c3 0–0 13.Rf2 Ne7 14.Raf1 d5 15.Ng5 Rxf2 16.Qxf2 Qd7 17.Qf7+ Kh8 18.Nxe6 Rg8 19.e5 Bc8 20.Nxg7 Rxg7 21.Qf6 Nf5 22.Nf3 Qe7 23.Re1 Kg8 24.Qc6 Be6 25.Qa8+ Qf8 26.Qxa7 g5 27.Bxf5 Bxf5 28.Qb7 Be4 29.Nd2 c5 30.Qxb6 Rf7 31.Qe6 cxd4 32.Nxe4 dxe4 33.cxd4 Qb4 34.Rf1 Qxd4+ 35.Kh1 Qd7 36.Qxf7+ 1–0