In the spring of 1939, with Europe sliding toward war, the English seaside town of Margate staged its last great pre-war congress. Paul Keres — fresh from his AVRO 1938 triumph and widely seen as the coming challenger for Alekhine's crown — won the Premier undefeated on 7½/9, a full point ahead of José Raúl Capablanca and Salo Flohr.
A congress under a darkening sky
The Margate congress of April 1939 drew over 200 players across its many sections, but the Premier was the show: ten players, headed by former world champion Capablanca, the Czechoslovak star Salo Flohr, and the 23-year-old Estonian Paul Keres, together with Poland's Miguel Najdorf, the women's world champion Vera Menchik, and an English contingent of Sir George Thomas, Stuart Milner-Barry, Harry Golombek, Edward Sergeant, and George Wheatcroft. The Times' correspondent noted the inauspicious international atmosphere in which the tournament was played — Germany would invade Poland less than five months later.
Keres arrived as the man of the moment. Joint winner of AVRO 1938, he was expected to challenge Alekhine for the world title; the outbreak of war would end those negotiations. He had history at Margate too, having shared first with Reuben Fine in the 1937 Premier, ahead of Alekhine himself.
Hard work and endgame technique
Keres conceded only three draws — including a second-round game with Capablanca — and won his other six games, among them a round-7 victory over Najdorf, whom The Times' correspondent credited with providing the brighter moments of a solidly contested event. The same report attributed Keres' win to hard work and subtle endgame technique.
Capablanca, in one of his final European tournaments, went unbeaten on 6½ with four wins and five draws, dividing second and third prizes with Flohr. Within months the war had scattered the field: Najdorf sailed to the Buenos Aires Olympiad that August and remained in Argentina, and Margate's run of famous pre-war Premiers was over.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keres, Paul | 7½/9 | +6 -0 =3 | games |
| =2 | Flohr, Salo | 6½/9 | +5 -1 =3 | games |
| =2 | Capablanca, Jose Raul | 6½/9 | +4 -0 =5 | games |
| 4 | Thomas, George Alan | 5/9 | +3 -2 =4 | games |
| 5 | Milner Barry, Philip Stuart | 4½/9 | +1 -1 =7 | games |
| 6 | Najdorf, Miguel | 4/9 | +3 -4 =2 | games |
| 7 | Golombek, Harry | 3½/9 | +2 -4 =3 | games |
| 8 | Sergeant, Edward Guthlac | 3/9 | +1 -4 =4 | games |
| 9 | Menchik, Vera | 2½/9 | +0 -4 =5 | games |
| 10 | Wheatcroft, George Shorrock | 2/9 | +1 -6 =2 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keres, Paul | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Flohr, Salo | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Capablanca, Jose Raul | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 4 | Thomas, George Alan | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 5 | Milner Barry, Philip Stuart | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |
| 6 | Najdorf, Miguel | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 7 | Golombek, Harry | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 8 | Sergeant, Edward Guthlac | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | |
| 9 | Menchik, Vera | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
| 10 | Wheatcroft, George Shorrock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.