Thomas McGrouther and James McGrouther

Thomas McGrouther

27 August 1858, Falkirk - 2 July 1941, Larbert

Associated with Glasgow and Falkirk Chess Clubs. Though though most of his services were to the city club, of which he had been a member since 1895, he also supported the development of chess in Stirlingshire.

In his earlier days at Glasgow CC he had been the Hon. Secretary, during which time he helped compile a history of the club from available records. He later served as President of the club, as well as being an Hon. Auditor for about 35 years. He was also a Vice-President of the Scottish Chess Association and President of the Glasgow League.

He had several interests apart from chess, including botany and golf, and he was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians.

From an obituary in The Glasgow Naturalist, Volume 14, 1943, pp. 101-2:

 

James McGrouther

22 July 1868, Falkirk - 18 May 1960, Stepps

A brother of Thomas McGrouther. Associated with Glasgow and Falkirk Chess Clubs,as well as the Burns and Central Chess Clubs (both Glasgow), and the Post Office CC. He was a leading player in the West of Scotland for many years.

He won the Minor tournament at the 1893 Scottish Chess Association Congress in Dundee:

J. McGrouther-R. McCann
Minor Tournament, SCA Congress Dundee 1893

1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nf5 Ne7 6. Nd6 mate.

This game appears in several books, including works by Tartakower and Znosko-Borovsky, to illustrate opening errors and smothered mate. (Kurt Richter's Hohe Schule der Schach-Taktik: 623 Kurzpartien, 1952 and later editions, wrongly shows the players' names as Cranther and Cam, and gives the wrong year.)

He scored a nice win against a future Prime Minister in the following game:

Andrew Bonar Law - James McGrouther
Scottish Championship, Glasgow, 1897

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, p8.)

And he must have enjoyed his win against world champion Alekhine, particularly as he was 70 years of age at the time.

Alekhine - J. McGrouther
Simultaneous Exhibition, Glasgow 1938
Ruy Lopez [C78]
[Notes from the Glasgow Herald]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 d6 7.a4 Bg4 8.c3 Be7 9.d4 0-0 10.Be3 d5 11.axb5 dxe4 12.bxc6 exf3 13.gxf3 Bh3 14.Re1 exd4 15.Qxd4 Qxd4 16.Bxd4 Bd6 17.Nd2 Rfb8 18. Ra5 Rb5 19.Rxb5 axb5 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.fxe4 Kf8 22.e5 Be7 23.e6 f6 24.f4 Ra6 25.Bd5 Ra8 26.Kf2 Ke8 27.Kf3 b4 28.c4 g6 29.b3 Ra3 30.c5 Ra8 31. Be4 Kf8 32.f5 Rd8 33.Bf2 gxf5

34.Kg3 White is now lost. If 34.Bc2 Rd2 35.Bd1 Bg4+ wins a piece.

[White does not have to play 34. Bc2 - he has, for example, 34. Bb1. AMcG]

34...fxe4 35.Kxh3 Rd3+ 36.Kg4 If 36.Be3 Bxc5 wins a piece, and if; 36.Re3 Bxc5 37.Rxd3 exd3 38.Be1 Be3 again wins a piece.

[36. Bg3 was better. And in the last line White has 38. Bxc5 with check, and he still stops the d-pawn. AMcG]

36...f5+ 37.Kxf5 Rf3+ and Black wins. 0-1 The column does not make it clear that the game ended at this point.
Source: Glasgow Herald, Friday, 4 November 1938

James McGrouther, a retired postmaster, died at 73 Cumbernauld Road, Stepps, in his 92nd year.

Sources:
Falkirk Herald, 21 April 1897, p. 8.
British Chess Magazine 1908, p. 481; 1960, p 198.
Glasgow Herald, 5 July 1941; 19 May 1960, p 16.
History of Glasgow CC (unpublished).
The Glasgow Naturalist, Volume 14, 1943, pp. 101-2.

Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland