|
|
|
James A. McKee
James Alexander McKee
09 March 1877 Glasgow - 12 April 1940 Glasgow
- Scottish Champion 1911 and 1926.
- West of Scotland Champion on 7 occasions.
- Glasgow CC Champion 9 times
BCM 1926, October, p 433
James Alexander McKee was born at Eastmuir, Glasgow, on March 9th, 1877, and was taught to play chess by the Rev. William Fraser, of Carsphairn, but he considers himself indebted to the late Richard Teichmann for much of his advanced knowledge of the game. He has on one previous occasion won the Scottish championship, namely in 1911, but the West of Scotland event and the Glasgow championship have each fallen to him seven times. In six matches for Scotland and [sic - against] the Northern Counties Chess Union he has won thrice and drawn thrice.
It is most unfortunate that he has only once been able to play in the British championship, for when he did this in 1911, he made an excellent fight, coming out fifth with a score of 6½. This figure included the only win against H.E. Atkins (who eventually took the championship) and also points gained at the expense of R.P. Michell, R.E. Lean, J.H. Blake, E. Macdonald and A. West.
Mr McKee is a keen philatelist and collector of books. We hope in the future he will have more time than in the past to devote to chessplaying; given this he would be a hot favourite for premier honours.
Glasgow Herald, Saturday, April 20, 1940
The death took place in Glasgow on April 12 of James A. McKee, of the Glasgow and Queen's Park clubs, one of the best players in Scotland for many years. He was champion of Scotland in 1911 and 1926, West of Scotland champion seven times between 1906 and 1923, and Glasgow CC champion ten times between 1904 and 1931. His rivalry for these honours with the late William Gibson made local history. His chess, learnt in the Queen's Park Club in its palmy days of 40 years ago, was sound and attractive. One of his most notable games was played on his solitary appearance in the British Championship at Glasgow in 1911, when he had the rare distinction of defeating Atkins, then in his prime. On that occasion McKee finished two points below Atkins, the winner, after missing an easy win and losing against another star in Yates. "Jimmy," as he was affectionately known to his chess friends, was out of the game for the past few years for health reasons, but his passing will be mourned by a wide circle of the older generation. His game against Atkins follows.P.B. Anderson, in the Scottish Chess Buletin No. 12, October-December 1963, wrote:
Of all the chess stalwarts who were the hereos of my boyhood, James McKee was perhaps the one I admired most. He was a small man, but in my eyes he was the perfect gentleman, with a natural dignity that I have seen in few of my fellows. Had he not been forced to pay so much attention to work, he might well have been the greatest British player of his day. As it was, he was not far removed from that distinction.James Alexander McKee was born in Glasgow on the 9th of March, 1877. He lived most of his early life in the Queen's Park district of Glasgow, where his father was a doctor. He joined the Queen's Park CC, for whom he played in the Glasgow League for many years. It was in the Glasgow CC, however, that he really had his heart, joining them in 1901, and remaining there till his death nearly forty years later. He was club champion ten times [sic - nine times, AMcG], between 1904 and 1931 and winner of the West of Scotland championship seven times. He was twice Scottish champion, in 1911, and again in 1926. These are the bare figures; I wish I could describe his profound ability, and great geniality. I will have to leave this to his games. His most noteworthy performance was that of his only British Championship appearance, at Glasgow in 1911. It is safe to say, that despite the presence of Blackburne, Atkins, Yates and others, he had no superior in that tournament. Indeed, had he not lost, on the time limit, a dead won game against Parry, he might well in the event have tied for first place; he would certainly have tied for third place, instead of being fifth. He was the only player to beat Atkins, the eventual winner... He and William Gibson were top and second board, turn about, for Glasgow in the Richardson for many years, and with Dr R.C. Macdonald of Inverness the big three of Scottish chess. In his later years James was dogged by bad health and poverty. He died in Glasgow on April 12th, 1940, lamented by only a few friends.
J.A. McKee - H.E. Atkins
British Championship 1911
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 Bg4 8.d3 h6 9.Nbd2 Nh7 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 11.Qa4 Bd7 12.d4 c5 13.Qc2 cxd4 14.cxd4 exd4 15.Nxd4 c5 16.N4f3 0-0 17.Nc4 Be6 18.Bf4 g5 19.Be3 f5 20.Rad1 Qc7 21.Bc1 Rf7 22.Ne3 f4 23.Nd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Qb7 25.Nd2 Rd8 26.Nc4 Nf6 27.Rf5 d5 28.exd5 Rxd5 29.h4 Rxf5 30.Qxf5 Qd5 31.Ne5 Rg7 32.Ng4 Qxf5 33.Nxh6+ Kf8 34.Nxf5 Rh7 35.hxg5 1-0Sources:
BCM 1926, p 433
Glasgow Herald, Saturday, April 20, 1940
Scottish Chess Bulletin No. 12, October-December 1963
Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotland