George Schelto Fontein (11 July 1890 – 29 November 1963)[1] was a Dutch chess master.
Fontein was born in Harlingen, Friesland, as the son of Willem Adriaan Constantijn Fontein and Teetje Harmens.[2] At the beginning of his career, he took 3rd at Leiden 1909 (the 1st official Netherlands Chess Championship won by Adolf Georg Olland). Then, he tied for 2nd-4th in interrupted Mannheim 1914 chess tournament (Hauptturnier C). During World War I, he tied for 3rd-4th at Scheveningen 1915, tied for 5-6th at Amsterdam 1916, shared 1st with Gerard Oskam at Scheveningen 1917, won at The Hague 1917/18, and tied for 3-4th at Scheveningen 1918.[3] After the war, he took 2nd at Scheveningen 1919, tied for 2nd-3rd at Scheveningen 1920 (the 4th Silver Queen Cup, Max Euwe won), shared 1st at The Hague 1920, tied for 1st-2nd at Scheveningen 1922 (the 6th Silver Cup), won at The Hague 1923, tied for 7-10th at Amsterdam 1924 (the 6th NED-ch), won at The Hague 1925, and shared 1st with Rudolf Loman at The Hague 1930.[4]
He won a match against Johannes van den Bosch (3–2) at The Hague 1930.[5] He tied for 10-12th at Amsterdam 1938 (the 11th NED-ch[6]),[7] tied for 4-6th at Amsterdam (KNSB) 1939, took 6th at Amsterdam (VARA) 1939, took 2nd at Baarn (II Quadrangular) 1939,[8] and won at The Hague (Keusbeker) 1940.[9] After World War II, he took 2nd at Leiden (A) 1946,[10] and tied for 5-8th at Baarn (Section 2, Savielly Tartakower won).[11]
He played in several friendly matches: The Netherlands – Great Britain in 1914, Berlin – Scheveningen (radiomatch) in 1920, The Netherlands – The Foreigners at Scheveningen 1923, The Hague – Hastings in 1923, The Netherlands – Belgium in 1927, The Netherlands – England in 1937, England – Netherlands in 1938, The Netherlands – England in 1939, The Netherlands – England in 1947.[12]