Richardson Cup 1928

The final was played on Saturday, March 17 in the rooms of the Glasgow Chess Club.

The Glasgow Jewish team had won the Spens Cup in 1927, thereby qualifying for the premier team event. Their good fortune continued by reaching this final, their team being strengthened by the inclusion of D. Joseph, the Manchester expert. However, this was still not enough against the strong and experienced Edinburgh players.

Three of the games were unfinished at the close of play - boards 2, 4 and 5 - and had to be sent for adjudication. On board 2 the forces were equal, but Lothian had the weakness of a doubled pawn. The board 5 game (which was played in Edinburgh) saw Nisbet a pawn ahead, and on board 4 Schotz was the exchange and a pawn up but his king was somewhat exposed. As can be seen from the table, the adjudicator gave draws on boards 2 and 4, and a win for Edinburgh on board 5.

Glasgow Jewish CC had the white pieces on boards 1, 2 and 6.

Additional note:
The player on board 4 for the Glasgow Jewish CC, Benno Schotz, also played for the Bohemian CC of Glasgow. He would later become known as Scotland's leading sculptor. He received numerous awards, including Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland in 1963, and his work is represented in all the major public and private collections in Scotland and in many collections around the world. (Bronze in my Blood: The Memoirs of Benno Schotz Gordon Wright Publishing, Edinburgh 1981.)

From reports in The Scotsman of Monday, March 19 and Wednesday March 28, 1928

Alan McGowan
Historian/archivist, Chess Scotland

updated 17/4/2020