Snooker. How the game originated

Tattersall’s Club Magazine. December, 1943

How many members have the foggiest idea of how the game of snooker came into being. There are several claimants for its invention, but the game has gone through many changes since its inception and it is generally conceded that Frank Smith, Senr., ex-Australian billiard champion, was “father” of the pastime when he introduced it into the Victorian Club in 1877.

Frank states he added extra balls (colours) to the pyramid reds to enable wider scope for players of Shell-out. Later, in company which Mr. Alcock, of the well known Melbourne billiards firm, certain rules were drawn up for a new game. Smith declares the word snooker was selected because members of the Indian Army used to refer to anyone ambushed as being “snookered,” and the explanation seems apt.

Webster’s and Oxford dictionaries, however, do not support. Both refer to a “snook” as a sniff; to search out; to follow by scent. On the other hand “snooker” was the soubriquet at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (Eng.) for a newly-joined cadet.

A claim for the invention of the new game was made on behalf of the late Lord Kitchener, who was stated to have drawn up the rules whilst at Ootacamund, but no less a personage than General Sir Ian Hamilton contradicted the claim on July 11, 1938, in a public statement. He pointed out that Lord Kitchener did not visit India until many years after the ga me had been established.

There are substantial grounds for the claims of Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain, who certainly drew up certain rules for snooker while at Jubbulpore in 1875. Sir Neville at the time was a subaltern and was anxious to improve the game of Black Pool, which was played over long sessions in the mess billiard room during rainy seasons. He added an extra colour ball and, later, others also made their appearance.

Sir Neville, with regard to the naming of the pastime, is recorded as follow:

“The term was a new one to me, but I soon had an opportunity of exploiting it when one of our party failed to pocket a colour ball which was dose to a corner pocket. I called out to him: ‘Why, you’re a regular snooker!‘”

”I had to explain to the company the definition of the word, and, to soothe the feelings of the culprit, I added that we were all, so to speak, snookers at the game, so it would be very appropriate to call the game snooker. The suggestion was adopted with enthusiasm and the game has been called snooker ever since.“

The news of the new game soon reached England from India and an English professional cueist who had been imported by the Maharajah of Cooch Behar to give that worthy billiards lessons, made inquiry as to the rules. The Maharajah suggested he confer with Sir Neville, who was present at the time, “as HE is the inventor.”

The professional, according to the knight, was either John Roberts or W. Cook.

When the subject of the real inventor came up for discussion about six years back there were many who stepped forward with alacrity to justify the claims of Sir Neville.

Major-General W. A. Watson, Colonel of the Central India Horse (his old regiment) wrote:

“I have a clear recollection of you rejoining the regiment in 1884. You brought with you a brand new game which you called Snooker or Snookers.  There were, besides the reds, a black, pink, yellow and green balls.”

Field -Marshal Lord Birdwood wrote:

“I remember well your introducing the game of Snookers into the 12th Lancers’ Mess when I was a subaltern in the Regiment at Bangalore in 1885.“

So there is the whole story and I leave it to members to judge for themselves. Probably both the claims or Sir Neville and our own Frank Smith are equally justified. Most certainly Smith must be given credit for “improvements,” as he gave us the brown and blue colours and the standard has remained to this day. But one is inclined to the belief that the “nickname” derived from Woolwich (Eng.) explains how the game got its name. It appears logical and, on the evidence, beyond all dispute.