Edward G.W. Beckingham

1902 Dublin IRE - 1979 Arbroath SCO

Associated with chess in Dundee and area. Member of Dundee Chess Club, but played for the Dundee Liberal Club in the Spens Cup competition in the 1920's. Founded a Dundee and District Chess League in 1924 which, however, was disbanded the following year. Played in the Scottish Championships of 1927, 1928, 1947, 1948 (where he inflicted a rare defeat on Fairhurst), and 1956. Represented Scotland at the Munich Olympiad 1958.

Mr Beckingham at the 1927 Scottish Championship in Dundee.

Mr Beckingham is particularly remembered for his encouragement of younger players at Dundee CC, and for the instructional lectures that he gave over many years.

Here is the game referred to above. Perhaps Fairhurst's 38th move was caused by time pressure.

E.G.W. Beckingham - W.A. Fairhurst [B83] Scottish Championship Edinburgh (2), 1948

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.0-0 Nc5 8.f3 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.Qd2 a6 11.Rfd1 Qc7 12.Qe1 b5 13.b4 Nb7 14.a3 Bd7 15.Rac1 Rac8 16.Nb1 d5 17.Nd2 e5 18.N4b3 d4 19.Bg5 a5 20.Nb1 a4 21.N3d2 Qb6 22.Kh1 Rfd8 23.c4 dxc3 24.Nxc3 Be6 25.Nxb5 Rxc1 26.Rxc1 Ng4 27.fxg4 Bxg5 28.Rc2 Qe3 29.Nf3 Qxe4 30.Rc7 Bxg4 31.Rxf7 Bf6 32.Rc7 Kh8 33.Rc4 Qf5 34.h3 Bxf3 35.Bxf3 Qd7 36.Nc3 Nd6 37.Rc5 Rc8 38.Qd1 Qf7 39.Qxd6 Rd8 40.Qc7 Qxc7 41.Rxc7 1-0

Mr Beckingham (right) receiving his prize from Billy Butlin for sharing 1st and 2nd places in one of the Major Tournaments at the 2nd Skegness Chess Festival 1954. In the centre is B.H. Wood, proprietor of the magazine CHESS, and the driving force behind a series of chess festivals at holiday resorts in England during the 1950s and 1960s.

Sources:
The Story of Dundee Chess Club, by Peter W. Walsh (1984).
The Evening Telegraph, Thursday, January 6, 1927, p. 3 (1927 photo, extracted from larger image).
CHESS, September 1954, p. 29 (photo from Skegness)

Alan McGowan
Historian/Archivist, Chess Scotland

revised 7/1/2021