Scottish Championship 1946

compiled by Alan McGowan

The championship was decided by the games between the three experienced contenders in this tournament, Fairhurst, Combe, and Aitken. Fairhurst played throughout with his customary blend of soundness and keenness and fully deserved his victory—his seventh in this event. Combe also showed to advantage, playing with remarkable swiftness and daring, even in complicated tactical positions; it is a great loss to Scottish chess that in Elgin he is so much cut off from first-class practice. [Although he would go on to win the British championship later the same year. AMcG.] Aitken played interesting chess but was not at in his most accurate form; his best game was certainly against Fairhurst where he drew a difficult Rook ending with a pawn less.

Roth and Thomson were newcomers to this event though the latter is well known in Scottish chess. Both played in imaginative and attacking style: they will secure better results when experience has tempered vigour with discretion. Thomson, in particular, is not done justice by the bare figures as all his games were hard-fought, most going to a second sitting.

At the annual meeting of the S.C.A. on Monday, April 22nd , Mr. C.S. Forbes, Dundee , was elected President, and Mr. W.A. Fairhurst, Mr. J. McGrouther, and Mr. Aird Thomson were elected directors. The 1947 Congress will be held at Dundee , as part of the Dundee Club's centenary celebrations. Some minor changes were made in the constitution.

(BCM 1946, June, p 183)

Scottish Championship 1946		1	2	3	4	5
1	W.A. Fairhurst		1	½	1	1	3½
2	R.F. Combe	0		1	1	1	3
3	Dr. J.M. Aitken	½	0		1	1	2½
4	K.F. Roth	0	0	0		1	1
5	Aird Thomson	0	0	0	0		0