How members of England’s 1939 Chess Olympiad team became wartime codebreakers
During the 1939 Chess Olympiad, three English team members were recruited to Bletchley Park to assist in breaking the German Enigma code. Their success demonstrated how the analytical skills required for chess, such as pattern recognition, were highly applicable to wartime cryptanalysis.
Why it matters
It illustrates the intersection of intellectual disciplines and their practical application in historical intelligence efforts.
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On the other side of the ocean, the final stage of the 1939 Chess Olympiad was getting underway in Buenos Aires.It was the first Olympiad to be organized outside Europe and was the largest to date, with twenty-seven national teams participating. England had sent five players: Hugh Alexander (the reigning British champion), Sir George Thomas, Stuart Milner-Barry, Harry Golombek, and Baruch Wood. England finished third in its preliminary group and qualified for the championship final.The unfolding events in Europe followed the players into the tournament hall. Britain declared war on Germany on September 3. England withdrew from the competition and returned home, while all other teams continued. Germany eventually won the Olympiad, finishing half a point ahead of Poland.For three members of the English team, the return journey led to work that would not be discussed publicly for decades.
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