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Eric J. Holt
10 April 1952, Edinburgh - 22 May 2013
Eric Holt was born in Edinburgh and attended Boroughmuir Senior Secondary School.
The school had a very successful chess team, which produced a number of talented juniors at a time when the recently-formed Scottish Junior Chess Association provided many opportunities for these juniors to show their skills.
Eric Holt was particularly successful, and could have achieved more had he chosen to pursue his interest in the game. As it was, he decided to give up chess after the 1971 British championship and concentrate on his studies.
Eric later emigrated to the USA, though he later obtained an M.B.A. from Heriot Watt University in his home city. Eric, a father of three, died after after fighting cancer.
CHESS RESULTS
Scottish Boys' Champion (shared) 1967
5th Schilde (Belgium) Junior International 1969: 8th (after tie-break), with 4/8.
European Junior (U-20) Championship, Groningen 1970 (December 21, 1970-January 8, 1971):
scored 4½/7 in his preliminary group, thereby qualifying for the Final section where he scored 2½/9.Agnes Litzenberger Junior Tournament, Zurich, 16-28 August 1970: 3rd place (after tie-break) with 6½/11 (+3, =7, -1), finishing one point behind the winner, Llubojevic, with whom he drew
Played in Glasgow Junior International 1970
Scottish Champion (shared) 1971
Member of Scotland's Glorney Cup Team 1968, 1969 and 1970
Scored 6½/11 in the British Championship 1971 (1½ points behind the winner, Keene)
From the Boroughmuir school magazine, 1968. Other images of Eric can be seen at the links shown above for the Glorney Cup and the 1970 Scottish Junior International Tournament.
For more information of Eric's professional life see
In Memoriam: Rev. Eric HoltDetails of an interview with Eric a few years before his death can be found at the
Streatham and Brixton Chess BlogA selection of Eric's games can be found
here.
Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland
