1940 World Snooker Championship

1940 World Snooker Championship 1940 02 22 1940 03 20 y Thurston's Hall London England Billiards Association and Control Council Fred Davis ENG (101)Joe Davis ENG (101) Joe Davis ENG Fred Davis ENG 37–36 1939 1946 The 1940 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament held at Thurston's Hall in London, England from 22 February to 20 March 1940. It was the fourteenth edition of the World Snooker Championship. Joe Davis defeated his younger brother Fred Davis by 37 frame frames to 36 in the final, to retain the title that he had held since the tournament's inception in 1927. Joe Davis compiled a century break in the penultimate frame to win the match at 37–35 before a dead frame was played out. The only other century break of the tournament was 101 by Fred Davis earlier in the final. There were nine participants. Herbert Holt and Conrad Stanbury played a qualifying match, which Holt won to join the other seven players in the competition proper. Holt was eliminated in the first round by Walter Donaldson. This was the last World Championship to be held until the end of World War II, the next edition being held in 1946. Background The World Snooker Championship is a professional tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker.Snooker championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 11 May 1927 12 March 2019 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19270511/425/0020 20 British Newspaper Archive subscriptionSuart Paul Why Birmingham is the real home of World Snooker Championship https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/birmingham-real-home-world-championship-14556412 6 May 2018 Birmingham Mail 4 January 2022 24 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210424203134/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/birmingham-real-home-world-championship-14556412 live The sport was developed in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India.Hayton Eric Dee John 2004 The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History Rose Villa Publications 978-0954854904 1 Professional English billiards player and billiard hall manager Joe Davis noticed the increasing popularity of snooker compared to billiards in the 1920s, and with Birmingham-based billiards equipment manager Bill Camkin, persuaded the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC) to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season.Everton Clive 23 September 2004 Davis, Joseph [Joe] https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 10.1093/ref:odnb/31013 11 May 2020 subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20190903050418/https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 3 September 2019 live In 1927, the final of the first professional snooker championship was held at Camkin's Hall; Davis won the tournament by beating Tom Dennis in the final.Morrison Ian 1987 The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker Hamlyn Publishing Group London 9780600556046 27–30 The annual competition was not titled the World Championship until the 1935 tournament,Billiards – Professional title Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 3 November 1934 24 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19341103/342/0007 7 British Newspaper Archive subscriptionCanadian's bid for Snooker title Dundee Courier 20 October 1934 20 January 2016 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19341020/167/0009 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription but the 1927 tournament is now referred to as the first World Snooker Championship.Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 0747516103 11–13History of snooker – a timeline Wpbsa https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 29 May 2021 7 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210107025119/https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ live Davis also won the title every year from 1928 to 1939.Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 1852250135 50–52 There were nine entries for the championship. There were eight places in the competition proper, with a qualifying match scheduled between Herbert Holt and Conrad Stanbury to determine which of them would join the other seven participants in the main draw.The Times 22 December 1939 2 Snooker Summary First round (quarter-finals) The first round was held as the best of 31 frames. Holt, who joined the main draw by defeating Stanbury in the qualifying round, met Walter Donaldson in the first match of the competition proper from 22 to 24 February. Donaldson claimed the first four frame frames and led 6–4 overnight.World snooker title Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 23 February 1940 8 Donaldson won eight frames on the second day to lead 14–6, two frames from victory, and took the first two frames on the final day to win 16–6. He eventually won 10 of the 11 frames played, for a final score of 24–7. All 11 frames on the final day were completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Glasgow Herald reported that Donaldson "created what must be a world record for fast scoring".https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2657%2C5237655 Scot's fast scoring in snooker tie The Glasgow Herald 12 26 February 1940 17 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222141320/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2657%2C5237655 live Joe Davis and Alec Brown played in the second quarter-final from 26 to 28 February. Brown had recently won the Daily Mail Gold Cup beating Davis 39–22 in October 1939. However, in that match he received a start of 25 in each frame.Joe Davis loses by 17 frames The Scotsman 30 October 1939 9 Brown took a 2–1 lead but Davis led 7–3 after the first day.The Times 27 February 1940 3 Snooker – The Championship Davis extended his lead to 10–3 but at the end of the second day Brown had reduced Davis's lead to 12–8.The Times 28 February 1940 4 Snooker – The Championship By winning the last frame of the final afternoon session, Davis achieved a decisive 16–9 lead. The final score was 20–11.The Times 29 February 1940 2 Snooker – The Championship From 29 February to 2 March, Fred Davis faced Sydney Lee in the third quarter-final. On the first day Lee won frame 4 but Davis led 9–1. The players each won five frames on the second day so Davis led 14–6. Davis took the first two frames on the third day to win the match 16–6. The final score was 20–11, with Davis making a break of 88 in the evening session.The Times 2 March 1940 3 Snooker – The ChampionshipThe Times 4 March 1940 8 Snooker – The Championship The last quarter-final was between Sidney Smith, a tournament finalist in the two preceding years, and Tom Newman, from 4 to 6 March.The Times 6 March 1939 6 Snooker – J Davis retains the Championship Newman won the first frame with a break of 53 but Smith led 8–2 overnight and won comfortably 16–3 on the second day. The final score was 22–9.The Times 5 March 1940 13 Snooker – The ChampionshipThe Times 7 March 1940 10 Snooker – The Championship Semi-finals Both Semi-finals were also played as the best of 31 frames, with the first taking place from 7 to 9 March. Joe Davis and Donaldson met in the first semi-final. Davis won the first three frames but Donaldson levelled the match at 5–5 at the end of the first day.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NnZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5681%2C6380404 Donaldson's fine display – Tussle with world snooker champion The Glasgow Herald 10 8 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222222024/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NnZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5681%2C6380404 live Davis won 7 frames on the second day to lead 12–8.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3283%2C6519658 J Davis four frames ahead – Scots adopts cautious snooker tactics The Glasgow Herald 12 9 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222173742/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3283%2C6519658 live On the final day Donaldson won the first frame but Davis won the next four to win the match 16–9. Davis then extended his winning run to 10 frames to leave a final score of 22–9.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6458%2C6546343 World snooker title – Scot falls to champion The Glasgow Herald 3 11 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222173916/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6458%2C6546343 live From 11 to 13 March, the second semi-final, between Fred Davis and Sidney Smith, was played. Smith established a 7–2 lead, before Davis won the last frame of the day to reduce the gap to four frames.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OXZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1840%2C6745417 Sidney Smith in form – World snooker title semi-final The Glasgow Herald 12 12 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222170919/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OXZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1840%2C6745417 live Davis won seven frames on the second day to level the match at 10–10 and then added three of the five frames on the final afternoon to lead 13–12. Winning the first two frames in the concluding evening session gave him a 15–12 lead and, although Smith won the following frame, Davis took the match 16–13. The final score was 17–14.Davis brother to meet in snooker final Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 14 March 1940 18 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19400314/297/0010 British Newspaper Archive subscription Final Brothers Joe and Fred Davis met in the final from 14 to 20 March (with no play on 17 March, a Sunday). The match was played as the best of 73 frames. Joe took an 8–4 lead on the first day by winning both sessions 4–2.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5112%2C7015949 Champion leads brother by four frames The Glasgow Herald 3 15 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222172743/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5112%2C7015949 live Joe Davis's 8–4 lead Newcastle Journal 15 March 1940 11 Joe led 14–10 after the second day.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PXZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3256%2C7223684 Champion retrieves snooker position The Glasgow Herald 13 16 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222164529/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PXZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3256%2C7223684 live Fred won the first 10 frames on the third day and led 21–15 at the end of the day. Including the last frame on the second day, Fred had won 11 frames in succession.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PnZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2862%2C7338478 Champion's snooker set-back The Glasgow Herald 12 18 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082937/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PnZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2862%2C7338478 live Joe won 9 frames on the fourth day to level the match at 24–24.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6212%2C7450001 Joe Davis starts with an 88 – World snooker final against brother Fred The Glasgow Herald 12 19 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222235333/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6212%2C7450001 live The fifth afternoon session was shared. Fred made a 101 break in frame 50, including 13 red ball reds, 11 black ball blacks, a pink ball pink and a blue ball blue. It was the first century break of the tournament. Joe won four frames in the evening to lead 31–29.The Times 20 March 1940 6 Snooker – The Championshiphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590%2C7493142 F Davis's century snooker break – Brother regains lead The Glasgow Herald 4 20 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222173116/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590%2C7493142 live On the final day Joe won the first three frames to lead 34–29 but Fred won the next four frames. When Joe won frame 70, he took a 36–34 lead but Fred won the next. In frame 72 Fred scored the first 12 points but Joe then made a 101 break to take a winning 37–35 lead. Joe got his century by pot potting the blue, leaving just the pink and black remaining. The spectators cheered for nearly a minute when Joe made his century. Fred won the last dead frame, giving a final score of 37–36.The Times 21 March 1940 10 Snooker – The Championshiphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Xis1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=paULAAAAIBAJ&pg=6501%2C7579976 Joe Davis retains title – Century break in exciting snooker finish The Glasgow Herald 2 21 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222163010/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Xis1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=paULAAAAIBAJ&pg=6501%2C7579976 live Snooker historian Clive Everton noted that this was the closest that Davis had ever come to defeat in the history of the championship.54 It was the last time that the pair met in the tournament. Joe Davis retired from the competition after winning for the fifteenth time when the tournament was next held, which was in 1946, after a break due to World War II.54–55Turner Chris World Professional Championship http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html https://web.archive.org/web/20130416080933/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html 16 April 2013 cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Chris Turner's Snooker Archive 9 February 2011 In his book Talking Snooker, Fred Davis recalled the 1940 final "The cynics were not slow to suggest that Joe had 'taken it easy' with his younger brother, but those on the inside knew how wrong they were."Davis Fred Talking Snooker A&C Black London 1983 0713624094 The Billiard Player magazine's correspondent wrote that there was no incentive for Joe Davis not to try to win every frame, as "the hall would be packed just the same" even if he had a commanding lead, and attributed the closeness of the result to the younger brother playing the best snooker of his career whilst the defending champion was not consistently at his best.The sceptics were wrong The Billiard Player April 1940 Billiards Association and Control Council 7–8 In Joe Davis's autobiography, he claimed that he had always tried his hardest when playing his brother, and commented that 1940 was the "toughest" of all his championship finals. The Breaks Came My Way Davis Joe 1976 W. H. Allen London 9780491016865 175 Schedule +Schedule of matches for the 1940 World Snooker Championship at Thurston's Hall, LondonWorld's snooker The Billiard Player Billiards Association and Control Council February 1940 8 Match Dates Walter Donaldson v Herbert Holt 22–24 February 1940 Joe Davis v Alec Brown 26–28 February 1940 Fred Davis v Sydney Lee 29 February–2 March 1940 Sidney Smith v Tom Newman 4–6 March 1940 Joe Davis v Walter Donaldson 7–9 March 1940 Fred Davis v Sidney Smith 11–13 March 1940 Joe Davis v Fred Davis 14–16,18–20 March 1940 Main draw Match results are shown below. Winning players and scores are denoted in bold text.World Championship 1940 http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1940.asp Global Snooker 19 March 2011 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120222034342/http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1940.asp 22 February 2012Hayton Eric The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker 2004 Rose Villa Publications Lowestoft 0-9548549-0-X 143 y Quarter-finals 31 frames Semi-finals31 frames Final73 frames Joe Davis ENG 20 Alec Brown ENG 11 Walter Donaldson SCO 24 Herbert Holt ENG 7 Fred Davis ENG 20 Sydney Lee ENG 11 Sidney Smith ENG 22 Tom Newman ENG 9 ENG Joe Davis 22 SCO Walter Donaldson 9 ENG Fred Davis 17 ENG Sidney Smith 14 ENG Joe Davis 37 ENG Fred Davis 36 Final Final: 73 frames.Thurston's Hall, London, 14–16 and 18–20 March 1940.Joe Davis's 8–4 lead Newcastle Journal 15 March 1940 11 Joe Davis still ahead The Scotman 16 March 1940 11 Fred Davis leading brother Joe Newcastle Journal 15 March 1940 11 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6212%2C7450001 Joe Davis starts with an 88 – World snooker final against brother Fred The Glasgow Herald 12 19 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222235333/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P3ZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6212%2C7450001 live The Times 20 March 1940 6 Snooker – The Championshiphttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590%2C7493142 F Davis's century snooker break – Brother regains lead The Glasgow Herald 4 20 March 1940 18 December 2015 22 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151222173116/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QHZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MpIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5590%2C7493142 live The Times 21 March 1940 10 Snooker – The ChampionshipJoe Davis beats brother Fred with century break Nottingham Journal 21 March 1940 4 Joe Davis 37–36 Fred Davis Day 1: 78–36, 74–32, 72–51, 33–58, 93–29, 34–75, 84–23, 62–50, 68–24, 37–76, 52–63, 79–23Day 2: 64–55, 61–70, 15–102, 97–55, 56–69, 64–68, 75–57, 133–12, 10–104, 70–63, 87–25, 46–80Day 3: 63–67, 45–80, 35–104 (56), 39–75 (55), 31–90, 25–90, 35–85 (84), 23–114 (76), 41–62, 9–100, 79–21, 41–90Day 4: 106–15 (88), 80–30, 82–34, 40–79 (78), 85–19, 41–66, 109–2, 70–31, 78–36, 22–91, 92–7, 81–39Day 5: 102–24 (61), 41–101 (101), 85–25, 27–84, 8–117 (68), 76–49, 85–25, 20–78, 74–71, 91–43, 24–111, 84–14Day 6: 62–59, 68–66 (Fred Davis 55), 89–26, 31–98 (72), 55–73, 38–76, 19–89, 68–57, 36–90, 76–38, 12–86, 101–12 (101), 24–83 Joe Davis won the match at 37–35. A further dead frame was played. Qualifying Tournament Herbert Holt and Conrad Stanbury met at Thurston's Hall for their qualifying match, played from 19 to 21 February. Holt led 6–4 after the first day and 13–7 after day two. Although he lost the first frame on the final day, he took the next three to secure a winning 16–8 lead. Stanbury won five of the seven dead frame dead frames for a final score of 18–13.World Snooker Championship Aberdeen Press and Journal 20 February 1940 5 World Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 22 February 1940 17 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19400222/252/0008 8 British Newspaper Archive subscription 31 frames Herbert Holt ENG 18 Conrad Stanbury CAN 1921 13 Century breaks There were two century breaks during the tournament, both during the final.Joe Davis beats brother Fred with century break Nottingham Journal 21 March 1940 4 101 Fred Davis 101 Joe Davis References 30em 1940 World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship, 1940