J.H. Bruce (1876-1939), President of the English Draughts Association

[DrCaesar]

J. H. Bruce (1876-1939) was president of the EDA from 1923 to 1926. In 1926, he unexpectedly became secretary of the EDA upon the sudden resignation of Arthur A. Ashworth over the question of who would have the privilege of travelling to New York to serve as referee for the International Match.

Bruce was a Scot who moved to England when he was 23. He played in tourneys and was active in the Sheffield Draughts Club for more than 20 years before becoming president of the EDA. He was a watchmaker and jeweller by trade, and his advertisements for draughts and chess trophies and medals appeared regularly in the first few volumes of the Draughts Review. He was also active in the Sheffield Chess Club.

As recounted in several issues of the Draughts Review, Bruce became secretary of the EDA after a vote on who would serve as referee at the IM in 1927. Ashworth had served in various positions in the EDA since 1909 and was considered a strong player; but when the voting took place, not a single member seconded Ashworth's nomination, and Bruce was selected as referee. Understandably insulted, Ashworth resigned on the spot, and Bruce was called upon to take over his position as secretary.

In the Review, Frederick Stokes (who wrote the monthly "London Notes") implied darkly that Bruce's selection was part of a conspiracy on the part of various Sheffield club members to help one of their own, as Bruce and the new EDA president, Edward Honeyball, were old friends and colleagues in that club. Ashworth contributed several sharply-worded letters to the Review in the year that followed, including one that blamed both Bruce and Honeyball for the British team's disastrous performance in the IM.

Ashworth also derided the playing skills of both Bruce and Honeyball, describing them as "negligible." He and Stokes dismissed them as "enthusiasts" rather than real draughts players. Here is an interesting missive from Ashworth, written just after his resignation:

"After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the nomination of Mr. Bruce as official referee . . . in preference to myself is equivalent to a vote of no confidence.

"I am therefore resigning my position as secretary of the EDA immediately, and shall in consequence not be able to contribute any more EDA notes.

"I hope, however, that I still retain the good wishes of the many friends I made during the period from 1909 to 1926.

"With regard to Mr. Bruce's nomination, I had thought that my long services to the game (I daresay that my knowledge of the game is at least equal to Mr. Bruce's) would have told in my favour. Evidently I was mistaken. Also, I might mention that Mr. Gunn, of Liverpool, and myself were in communication with Dr. Greene, of the American Checker Association, on the subject of a return match with America so long ago as 1913.

"Yours faithfully, A. A. Ashworth"

Ashworth remained active in Lancashire Draughts Association for several years after the contretemps. Honeyball died in 1930. Bruce died a few months before Hitler invaded Poland.