Aberdeen Chess Club

Aberdeenshire Chess Association

Aberdeen Chess Club (now the Bon Accord Chess Club)

Formed 1853, revived 1887.

Advertisement in the Aberdeen Post Office Directory 1859-60

 

Members of the club, circa 1859.

 

From the British Chess Magazine 1887, p. 259:

The club must have faded once again, based on the following extract from the Aberdeen Press and Journal of Thursday, 27 December 1894, p. 4:

 

Some historical notes about the club were provided by Peter A. Macnab in 2001:

The History of the Bon Accord Club

An early reference to chess in Aberdeen is in the autobiography of Dr. A Carlyle of Inveresh. It seems that the Duke of Cumberland, fresh from his destruction of the Jacobites in 1746, had been taught chess by the Rev. Black, a local Minister who had been chaplain to one of the Duke’s regiments. The Duke was either an apt scholar or his mentor was a pretty poor player as within a day the Duke was beating his teacher!

The Aberdeen Chess Club was formed on 3rd January, 1853. The forty six founder members included twelve advocates, several University professors, a few doctors, two Ministers, Bank Managers, Insurance Managers, manufacturers, ship owners and two landed proprietors. New members were ballotted and could be "black balled" or excluded if they were deemed undesirable!

Another Chess club was founded in 1859 called the Social Chess Club and operated for many years. However membership was kept small and the club had distinct literary tastes. It was founded by teachers from Aberdeen Grammar School.

The Aberdeen Chess Club was still active in 1884 when the Scottish Chess Association was formed and was an original member of the Association. However, the First World War disrupted the Club’s activities and it was not until 1928 that the club was re –established with a notice in the paper that it was proposed to establish a chess club in Aberdeen, open to all interested and indicating that beginners would be able to receive coaching in the art of the game. The venture was proposed by Mr. A. B Murray, a well known bookseller.

A.B. Murray became the first President of the Bon Accord Chess Club and playing venues were in the Music Hall. By his actions to encourage the game to the general public, AB Murray did much to destroy the earlier more "stuffy" image of chess in Aberdeen and encouraged it as a game for everyone, young and old, a strategy that has been followed subsequently by other subsequent chess clubs in the North East.

During the 1930s, the Bon Accord Chess Club grew from strength to strength. Robert Combe, a former pupil of Aberdeen Grammar and Bon Accord member, in 1946 won the British Open Chess Championship in Nottingham. Past great club players included: Charles Pirie who nurtured Robert Combe in the thirties (Charles Pirie also played 4th board for Scotland against the English Northern Counties in 1946); Ian Middleton, who won the Scottish Boys Championship the following year and played for Scotland against England in 1955; and Dr.R C Nairn, who had been formerly Liverpool Club Champion. Other internationalists included Hugh Holmes and Brian Whyte.

In the past, the Bon Accord Club ran tuition classes for school children to boost inter school chess in Aberdeen and organised a tournament every Easter for school children These tournaments were very popular and in 1982, for example, the Easter Congress for Juniors attracted 176 entrants.

That initiative has fallen away, unfortunately, and today we are lucky that there is a club in Aberdeen, run by David Leslie, that is focussed on training local school children. David's initiatives have ensured that 50% of the current Scottish Junior Internationalists are based in Aberdeen.

The Bon Accord Club is still the strongest club in the Northeast. In 2001, they reached the final of the Richardson Cup, Scotland’s most prestigious team event, for only the third time in club history. The Club currently boasts the Scottish Champion - Jonathan Rowson (Scotland's strongest player and only its third Grand Master); the East of Scotland Champion - David Fowler; and the Scottish Junior Champion - Duncan Grassie.

Peter A. Macnab (19/05/01)

Aberdeen Press and Journal, 31 October 1932, p. 3

Chess, June 1946, p. 199

Additional notes:

The club won the Spens Cup in 1933 and 1946, was a losing finalist 1972, and won in 2009.

Winners of the Richardson Cup in 2014 and 2018.

Murad Abdulla, Scottish champion in 2017 and 2018, is a member of the club.

Several masters have visited the club, for example: Eliskases (1933), Sir George Thomas (1934) and

Znosko-Borovsky (1936).

 

Compiled by Alan McGowan

Updated Jan 4, 2020