William H.K. Pollock

Who was William H.K. Pollock?

William Henry Krause Pollock was an English chess master, and a surgeon.

Pollock was born in Cheltenham, England, the son of the Rev. William J. Pollock. He was educated at Clifton College. He studied for the medical profession in Dublin, Ireland from 1880–82, at which time he was a member of the Dublin Chess Club. In 1882, he became a licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. In the same year, his first published chess game and problem appeared in the unlikely setting of the Irish publication The Practical Farmer. After receiving his medical license, Pollock moved back to England and became a surgeon.

Pollock tied for 1st–3rd in the B section at Bath 1884, scoring 7 points out of 10 games. In a stronger tournament, the British Chess Association Congress held at London 1885, he finished 4th with 10½/15, behind Isidor Gunsberg, Henry Edward Bird and Anthony Guest. He tied for 8–10th in the Master Tournament at Hereford, scoring 3/10; Blackburne won, ahead of Bird and Schallop. In the British Chess Club Master Tourney, he finished 5th of 8 players, scoring 3/7, behind Blackburne, Bird, Gunsberg, and James Mason. In the 2nd British Chess Federation Championship, also held at London 1886, he finished 10th of 13 players, but had the consolation of handing tournament winner Blackburne one of his two losses. At Nottingham 1886, he finished 7th of 10 players, behind Burn, Schallopp, Gunsberg, Johannes Zukertort, Bird, and Jean Taubenhaus. He tied for 3rd–5th of 7 players at Stamford 1887, won by Joseph Henry Blake. At London 1887, the 3rd British Chess Federation Congress, he finished 5th of 10 players, behind Burn, Gunsberg, Blackburne, and Zukertort. At Bradford 1888, the 4th British Chess Federation Championship, he tied with Bird for 9th–10th place out of 17 players; Gunsberg won. He tied for 5–6th of 10 players at London 1888, also won by Gunsberg.