1931 World Snooker Championship

Professional snooker tournament, held April to May 1931 1931 World Snooker Championship 1931 04 27 1931 05 1 y Lounge Hall Nottingham England Billiards Association and Control Council Joe Davis ENG (72) Joe Davis ENG Tom Dennis ENG 25–21 1930 1932 The 1931 World Snooker Championship was a snooker tournament held at the Lounge Hall in Nottingham, England from 27 April to 1 May 1931. Despite increasing interest in the game of snooker, only two players entered the competition for the title: defending champion Joe Davis and three-times runner-up Tom Dennis. It was the fifth time that the World Snooker Championship had been contested since its inception in 1927. Davis won his fifth World title by defeating Dennis 25–21. Dennis led 19–16 at one stage but Davis won 9 of the next 11 frame frames to take the title. The highest break of the match was 72, compiled by Davis in the 41st frame. 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 British Newspaper Archive subscription 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 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 snooker world 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 Davis also won the title in 1928, 1929, and 1930, with Dennis runner-up in three of the first four years of the championship, the exception being 1928, when Fred Lawrence lost to Davis in the final.Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 1852250135 50–51 Championship details The closing date for entries for the championship was 28 February 1931.Thorn A. Stanley Notes from headquarters: professional snooker championship The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford April 1931 2 Only two players entered, Joe Davis and Tom Dennis and so only one match was necessary,The Times 3 March 1931 7 Billiards – Snooker Pool Championship with the players left to decide the date and venue for a contest over 49 frame frames. The match was played from 27 April to 1 May. There were ten frames played each day with five frames in the afternoon and five in the evening (four on the final day). The match was held at The Lounge Billiard Hall, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham,Lounge Billiards Hall – Shakespeare Street, Nottingham (advert) Nottingham Evening Post 27 April 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310427/065/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription which was owned by Dennis. Dennis led 3–2 after the first afternoon sessionWorld's Championship – Tom Dennis challenges Davis at Snooker Nottingham Evening Post 27 April 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310427/048/0008 British Newspaper Archive subscription and increased his lead to 6–4 at the end of the first day.Snooker Championship – Dennis and Davis at The Lounge Nottingham Evening Post 28 April 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310428/049/0008 British Newspaper Archive subscription On the second day, Davis won each of the afternoon and evening sessions 3–2 to level the match at 10–10. Dennis won the third afternoon session 4–1. In frame 24, Davis made a break of 41, the first break over 40 of the match, but lost the frame 57–49. At one stage in the frame Dennis was snooker snookered behind the brown ball "but jumped the cue ball clean over that obstacle" to make his escape, according to a report in the Nottingham Evening Post. In the 25th frame Davis made a 56 break before foul fouling a red when preparing to pot the black ball, missing his chance of beating his Championship record break of 79.Snooker Championship – Dennis wins four frames this afternoon Nottingham Evening Post 29 April 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310429/046/0008 British Newspaper Archive subscription Davis then won the evening session 4–1 to level the match again at 15–15.World's Snooker Championship – Match at The Lounge becomes exciting Nottingham Evening Post 30 April 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310430/044/0010 British Newspaper Archive subscription On the fourth day Dennis again won the afternoon session 4–1 but Davis won all five frames in the evening to take a 21–19 lead. On the final day Davis won the first frame which included a 48 break and then the second frame with a 72 break, the highest of the match, missing an attempted bank shot double into the middle pocket.Davis leads Dennis – Final stages of Professional Snooker Championship – Highest break of the match Nottingham Evening Post 1 May 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310501/063/0016 British Newspaper Archive subscription The afternoon session ended with Davis leading 24–21, needing just one more frame for victory. Davis took the first frame of the evening by a score 75–43, including a 58 break, to win the Championship 25–21.Snooker cup retained – Fifth successive victory of Joe Davis – Good fight by Dennis Nottingham Evening Post 2 May 1931 10 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19310502/045/0007 British Newspaper Archive subscription https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b-I-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6EwMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4739%2C309846 Professional championship The Glasgow Herald 2 May 1931 13 Davis was awarded with the "Championship Cup" by Tinsley Lindley, who also presented Dennis with the runner-up medal. Davis and Dennis played a further four frames for the benefit of the spectators. Of the finals that Davis and Dennis contested, this was the closest match. Snooker historian Clive Everton has considered whether Davis may have allowed Dennis to win some frames in order to prolong the match and therefore increase the gate receipts, and concluded that it seems more likely that Dennis was playing better than Davis had expected. Everton wrote that when Davis was 16–19 behind, "it was entirely credible, though, that Joe should react to danger by raising his game and imposing his more positive personality when he needed to."Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 0747516103 13–14 Davis's brother Fred Davis, was a spectator at the match. Discussing his brother's early years of domination of the World Snooker Championship, Fred Davis wrote that "it was in nobody's financial interest for the match to be decided early" and that this is probably why there were few one-sided matches. Fred Davis also opined that as Joe Davis's ability was so far ahead of other players, "as soon as [Joe] started to apply himself fully, there could be only one winner."Davis Fred Talking Snooker A&C Black London 1983 0713624094 11 Final Final: Best of 49 frames. Lounge Hall in Nottingham, England27 April–1 May 1931.The professional championship of snooker The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford June 1931 10 Joe Davis 25–21 Tom Dennis Day 1: 57–47, 22–60, 44–66, 74–45, 41–50, 29–79, 20–52, 66–39, 84–46, 51–57 (4–6)Day 2: 48–43, 32–54, 36–52, 80–36, 68–18, 70–35, 21–85, 61–59, 56–66, 48–46 (10–10)Day 3: 8–101, 45–59, 7–59, 49–57, 75–32 (56), 74–23, 80–13, 80–22 (53), 59–53, 31–44 (15–15)Day 4: 42–63, 41–76, 88–21, 61–73, 64–73, 74–16, 56–25, 66–39, 95–21, 64–41 (21–19)Day 5: 110–2 (72), 75–43 (58), 50–56, 60–42, 27–76, 63–35 (25–21) References 2 1931 World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship