William Black

1855 - 13 December 1906, Glasgow

• Associated with Glasgow and Hillhead Chess Clubs.
• Joined Glasgow Chess Club 1886.
• Glasgow CC Champion 1894 and 1897.
• Represented the club in Richardson Cup matches.
• West of Scotland champion 1903.

 

Mr Black held some interesting opinions, perhaps with justification:-

"One might not object to a chess-playing summer holiday in Edinburgh, or even Dundee, but no sane man would willingly waste a week of fine summer weather playing chess in a Glasgow atmosphere."

From the unpublished history of the Glasgow Chess Club. Comments made after finishing with 1½/5 in the 1891 Scottish Championship, played in Glasgow.

From British Chess Magazine 1907, pp 14-15 (which included information from the Falkirk Herald).

Mr Black was not only a strong player, but an important administrator in Glasgow and Scottish chess circles. He was secretary of Glasgow CC from 1887-1890, and was later president of the club (1901). He was also president of the Scottish Chess Association (1905). Mr Black was also instrumental (along with D.Y. Mills) in organising the series of matches between the Scottish Chess Association and the Northern Counties of England that began in 1901. He was a generous supporter financially of Scottish chess, and on his death Glasgow CC decided to arranged for an enlarged portrait of Mr Black for the club-room.

Sources
Falkirk Herald, 19 December 1906, p. 8
British Chess Magazine, January 1907, pp. 14-15 (which wrongly gave 18 December 1906 as the date of death.

Alan McGowan

Updated - 05/01/2019