1933 World Snooker Championship

Professional snooker tournament 1933 World Snooker Championship 1933 03 23 1933 06 16 y yes Joe Davis Saloon Chesterfield England BACC Joe Davis ENG (72) Joe Davis ENG Willie Smith ENG 25–18 1932 1934 The 1933 World Snooker Championship, known at the time as the Professional Championship of Snooker, was a snooker tournament held between 23 March and 16 June at various venues in England, with the final beginning on 12 June 1933 at Joe Davis's Saloon in Chesterfield, England. It was the seventh edition of the championship, and Joe Davis won his seventh title by defeating Willie Smith by 25 frame frames to 18 in the final. The highest break of the tournament was 72, compiled by Davis in the fortieth frame of the final. 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 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 (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 1935,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 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 https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 29 May 2021 Davis also won the title each year from 1928 to 1932, with Dennis runner-up in four of the first six years of the championship, the exceptions being 1928, when Fred Lawrence lost to Davis in the final, and 1932 when Clark McConachy was the defeated finalist.Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 1852250135 50–51 For the 1933 championship, the preliminary heats and semi-finals were to be best of 25 frame frames, played over three days, with the final contested over 49 frames across six days.The professional championships The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford February 1933 21 The entry fee was set at five guineas per player (UK 5 5 0 1933 eq £), with a five guineas sidestake required for each match. Entry fees would be used to provide prize money for the finalists, with 60 per cent going to the champion, and gate receipts for each match would be divided equally, after expenses (including 5 per cent of the gross receipts for the BACC), between the two players concerned. Summary There were five entries: defending champion Joe Davis, Tom Dennis, and first-time championship participants Walter Donaldson, Willie Leigh, and Willie Smith.Snooker championship The Scotsman 9 March 1933 15Professional snooker Western Morning News 1 April 1933 12 Donaldson and Leigh were drawn to play each other in the first round, with the winner meeting Davis in the semi-finals; Smith and Dennis would contest the other semi-final. Donaldson and Leigh played their first round match at the Lounge Hall, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham from 23 to 25 March.Professional championship of snooker The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford April 1933 26 Leigh won the first frame after Donaldson went in-off when pot potting the final black ball. He added the second after clearing from the brown ball brown to the black ball black, then moving into a 4–0 lead. In the evening session, Donaldson took the first frame. He missed the pack of red ball reds when break off breaking off in the next frame, but still won it. The first day finished with the scores at 4–4,Professional snooker: Leigh and Donaldson opposed Nottingham Journal 24 March 1933 11 and each player won two frames in the morning session of the second day to make it 6–6.Even snooker match Nottingham Journal 25 March 1933 11 The score was eight frames all after the first two days.Snooker Championship – final sessions of Nottingham match Nottingham Evening Post 25 March 1933 19 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19330325/063/0008 8 British Newspaper Archive subscription It was still level, at 10–10 following the morning session on the third day. In the concluding session, Donaldson opened a two frame lead at 12–10, and, after Leigh had taken the following frame, compiled the highest break of the match, 71, in winning the 24th frame to secure victory at 13–11.Leigh beaten at snooker Nottingham Journal 27 March 1933 9Snooker Championship – final sessions of Nottingham match Nottingham Evening Post 27 March 1933 19 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19330327/037/0009 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription Smith and Dennis played their semi-final at the Burroughes and Watts Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne from 10 to 12 April. Smith moved into a 6–2 lead on the first day, winning both sessions 3–1.Snooker Championship Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 11 April 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19330411/324/0012 12 British Newspaper Archive subscription On the second day Smith again won both sessions 3–1 to lead 12–4.Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 12 April 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19330412/574/0015 15 British Newspaper Archive subscription Smith won the first frame of the third day to achieve a winning margin at 13–4. The remaining dead frame dead frames were played and Smith finished 16–9 ahead.Smith's progress Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 12 April 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19330412/321/0012 12 British Newspaper Archive subscription The other semi-final and the final were played at Joe Davis's Saloon in Vicar Lane, Chesterfield. Davis met Donaldson in the semi-final scheduled for 29 to 31 May. Davis took a 3–0 lead before Donaldson won frame 4. Davis then won all four frames in the evening to lead 7–1 with breaks of 54 in frame 7 and 67 in frame 8. Davis continued to dominate and extended his lead to 11–1 in the afternoon. In frame 11 Donaldson had led 60–6 but Davis made a 57 clearance to win the frame. He then claimed the first two frames in the evening to secure victory at 13–1, winning the match a day early. Donaldson won the two dead frames which finished the evening session.Joe Davis – To meet Smith in snooker final at Chesterfield Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 3 June 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330603/066/0004 4 British Newspaper Archive subscription In 1939, Donaldson recounted to an interviewer in The Billiard Player that "[Davis] annihilated me. He wiped me right off the table" and that "I saw at once that there was far more in the game than I had ever dreamt of."Lewis Harold A typical Scottish invasion The Billiard Player November 1939 Billiards Association and Control Council 8–10 The final between Davis and Smith was originally planned for 6 days with 8 frames per day (9 on the final day). Davis won all four afternoon frames on the first day but Smith took three of the four frames played in the evening, to leave Davis 5–3 ahead. On the second day, Smith claimed all four afternoon frames to lead 7–5. At this point it seems that the match was reduced to five days since six frames were played in the evening. Davis won five of these to lead 10–8. He had a break of 53 in frame 14. On the third day Smith won three of the five afternoon frames while each player won three frames in the evening session (which was extended from four to six frames) to leave Davis 15–14 ahead. Davis won three of the five frames on the fourth afternoon to leave the score at 18–16. Davis then won four of the five frames in the evening to extend his lead to 22–17. He had a break of 55 in frame 37.Snooker Championship – Joe Davis and Willie Smith in final at Chesterfield Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 17 June 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330617/454/0016 16 British Newspaper Archive subscription Snooker championship The Scotsman 14 June 1933 18 On the final afternoon, Davis made a break of 72 to win frame 40, the highest of the match. He then added the next frame to lead 24–17 and, although Smith took the third frame of the session, Davis won the last frame in the afternoon to take the match 25–18 and win the title for the seventh time. Five dead frames were played in the evening, after which the Mayor of Chesterfield, Arthur Swale, made the presentations. The referee was Mr A Marshall, "the one-arm champion".Snooker Champion – Joe Davis secures title for seventh time Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 24 June 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330624/505/0017 17 British Newspaper Archive subscription Davis retains snooker title The Scotsman 17 June 1933 19 Schedule +Schedule of matches for the 1933 World Snooker Championship Match Dates Venue, city Walter Donaldson v Willie Leigh 23–25 March 1933 Lounge Hall, Nottingham Willie Smith v Tom Dennis 10–12 April 1933 Burroughes and Watts Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne Joe Davis v Walter Donaldson 29–31 May 1933 Joe Davis Saloon, Chesterfield Joe Davis v Willie Smith 12–17 June 1933 Joe Davis Saloon, Chesterfield Main draw Match results are shown below. Winning players and scores are denoted in bold text.Snooker Championship – final sessions of Nottingham match Nottingham Evening Post 27 March 1933 19 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19330327/037/0009 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription Smith's progress Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 12 April 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19330412/321/0012 12 British Newspaper Archive subscription Joe Davis – To meet Smith in snooker final at Chesterfield Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 3 June 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330603/066/0004 4 British Newspaper Archive subscription Snooker Champion – Joe Davis secures title for seventh time Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 24 June 1933 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000541/19330624/505/0017 17 British Newspaper Archive subscription Round 1Best of 25 frames Semi-finalsBest of 25 frames FinalBest of 49 frames Walter Donaldson SCO 13 Willie Leigh ENG 11 ENG Joe Davis 13 SCO Walter Donaldson 1 ENG Willie Smith 13 ENG Tom Dennis 4 ENG Joe Davis 25 ENG Willie Smith 18 Final Final: Best of 49 frames.Joe Davis Saloon, Chesterfield, England, 12–16 June 1933. Referee: A Marshall. Joe Davis 25–18 Willie Smith Day 1: 52–34, 46–44, 103–23, 81–31, 25–72, 43–69, 68–22, 61–71Day 2: 13–45, 38–53, 33–49, 21–63, 78–19, 70–15, 116–15 (53), 68–31, 29–66, 66–22Day 3: 32–82, 81–10, 30–62, 69–33, 35–76, 45–57, 90–25, 86–33, 25–56, 49–57, 86–25Day 4: 87–14, 56–66, 66–46, 21–72, 74–61, 79–31, 54–75, 89–14 (55), 72–18, 79–11Day 5: 105–5 (72), 66–54, 27–58, 90–16 References 1933 World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship