Hastings: Seven Seven Christmas Chess Congresses 1932-1939 - Peter LahdePaperback, 145 pages, American Chess Promotions 1994 The Hastings Christmas Congress is the longest tradition of international chess tournaments in which the world's leading players compete. During the pre war period 1932 1939, the annual Hastings tournament was the strongest event on the chess calendar, pitting Britain's finest players against a galaxy of chess stars from across the globe.