Scottish Championship 1897

The fourteenth congress of the Scottish Chess Association was played in the rooms of the Glasgow Chess Club at the Athenaeum between Friday, April 16th and Thursday, 22nd April. There were 11 entrants in the Major tournament.

D.Y. Mills easily won his third successive title - his only loss being to Paton - thereby becoming the owner of the first championship trophy.

Some games were not played.

   
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Points
1
 D.Y. Mills
■
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
9
2
 J. McGrouther
0
■
½
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
6½
3
 Sheriff Spens
0
½
■
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
½
6
4
 D. Forsyth
0
1
1
■
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
6
5
 W.N. Paton
1
0
0
0
■
0
1
1
1
1
1
6
6
 J.D. Chambers
0
0
0
1
1
■
0
0
½
1
1
4½
7
 J.M. Finlayson
0
1
0
1
0
1
■
0
½
1
4½
8
 Dr R.C. Macdonald
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
■
0
0
3
9
 G.A. Thomson
0
0
0
0
0
½
½
■
1
2
10
 A.B. Law
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
■
2
11
 J. Borthwick
0
0
½
0
0
0
1
0
■
1½

At the annual general meeting of the Scottish Chess Association in Glasgow, held on 19 April 1897, Mr A.B. Law, the retiring SCA president, announced that he would give a Cup to replace the one retained by Mr Mills. [Glasgow Herald, 20 April 1897, p. 4]

Sheriff Spens - Dr R.C. Macdonald
Scottish Championship 1897
Scandinavian Defence [B01]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. O-O Bd6 8. Ne2 Nd7 9. Ng3 Ne7 10. Bg5 Nf6 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Nh5 Ng6 13. Ng7+ Kd7 14. Nxf5 exf5 15. Bxf7 Qc7 16. Re1 Nf4 17. g3 Raf8 18. Bb3 Nh3+ 19. Kg2 Ng5 20. Qd3 Kc8 21. Qxf5+ Kb8
22. Nxg5 fxg5 23. Qxg5 h5 24. Qg6 h4 25. Re6 Rfg8 26. Qe4 hxg3 27. fxg3 Bxg3
28. Rg6 Rxh2+ 29. Kg1 Rgh8 30. Rf1 Rh1+ 31. Qxh1 Rxh1+ 32. Kxh1 Qh7+ 33. Kg2 Qxg6 and wins. 0-1
Falkirk Herald and Midland Counties Journal, 28 April 1897, p. 8.

J.M. Finlayson - Dr R.C. Macdonald
Scottish Championship 1897
Scandinavian Defence [B01]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 c6 5. Bc4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. O-O Bd6 8. Ne2 Qc7 9. Ng3 Ne7 10. Nxf5 Nxf5 11. Bd3 Nd7 12. c3 O-O-O 13. c4 Nxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxh2+
15. Kh1 Nc5 16. b4 (16. Be3) 16... Rxd4 17. bxc5 Rh4 18. Bg5 and Black announced mate in two by 18...Bg1+ and 19...Qh2 mate. 0-1
Falkirk Herald and Midland Counties Journal, 28 April 1897, p. 8.

A.B. Law - J. McGrouther
Scottish Championship 1897
Ruy Lopez[C67]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Be7 6. Qe2 Nd6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. dxe5 Nb7 9. Rd1 O-O 10. Nd4 Qe8 11. Re1 Qd8 12. Nf5 d5 13. Nd4 Bc5 14. Be3 Bxd4
15. Bxd4 c5 16. Be3 Re8 17. f4 f6 18. Bf2 fxe5 19. fxe5 Qe7 20. Nd2 Nd8 21. b3 Ne6 22. Rad1 a5 23. a4 Ba6 24. Qf3 c6 25. Qc3 d4 26. Qg3 Ng5 27. Nf3 Nxf3+ 28. Qxf3 Qe6 29. c4 Rab8 30. Re2 Bc8 31. Bg3 Qg4 32. Rb2 Qxf3 33. gxf3 Bf5 34. e6 Rb7 35. Bd6 Rxe6 36. Bxc5 d3 37. Bd4 Re2 38. Rxe2 dxe2 39. Re1 Bd3 40. Bc3 Rxb3 41. Bxa5 Bxc4 42. Bc7 Rxf3 43. a5 Rf1+ White resigns. 0-1
Falkirk Herald and Midland Counties Journal, 21 April 1897, p 8.

W.N. Paton - D.Y. Mills
Scottish Championship 1897
Giuoco Piano [C50]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Be3 Bb6 6. h3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Bxb6 axb6 9. Nbd2 Nf4 10. O-O O-O 11. Ne4 Kh8 12. Ng3 Qf6 13. Re1 Be6 14. Bxe6 Qxe6 15. d4 Rxa2 16. Rxa2 Qxa2 17. b3 Rd8 18. Nxe5 Nxe5 19. Rxe5 Ne6 20. Nf5 g6 21. Nh6 Kg7 22. Nxf7 Kxf7 23. Qf3+ Kg7 24. Rxe6 Qa1+ 25. Kh2 Qxd4 26. Re7+ Kh6 27. Qf7 Kg5 28. g3 Rh8 29. Rd7 Qb4 30. Qd5+ Kh6 31. h4 Qc5 32. Qd2+ g5 33. Rd5 Qe7 34. Rxg5 1-0
Falkirk Herald and Midland Counties Journal, 21 April 1897, p 8.

Minor Tournament

There were eight entrants in this event, which was decided by the very last game to be played, James Leith against Krasser.

   
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Points
1
 J. Leith
■
1
½
1
1
1
1
1
6½
2
 G.F. Krasser
0
■
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
3
 W. Lock
½
0
■
½
1
1
1
0
4
4
 W. Sharp
0
0
½
■
½
1
1
1
4
5
 A. Stevenson
0
0
0
½
■
0
1
1
2½
6
 J. Connor
0
0
0
0
1
■
½
1
2½
7
 D. Robertson
0
0
0
0
0
½
■
1
1½
8
 R.D. Nichol
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
■
1

 

Sources
The Scotsman, 23 April 1897, p. 9
Falkirk Herald and Midland Counties Journal, 21 April 1897, p. 8; 28 April 1897, p. 8

Compiled by
Alan McGowan

updated 5/6/2020