|
|
|
John Russell
c1853, Paisley ─ 14 July 1919, Glasgow
Associated with Glasgow Chess Club, Central and Burns CC (Glasgow), holding official positions in all of them.
- Glasgow CC Champion 5 times: 1890; 1895; 1896; 1899; 1901.
- West of Scotland Challenge Cup: 1893, 1895, 1896 and 1898.
He played for Glasgow CC several times in the matches against Liverpool CC, and he also represented Scotland in matches against the North of England.
Mr Russell, who worked in Glasgow as a timber merchant, rarely played in the Scottish Championship, maintaining that
'...the winter tourneys for the West of Scotland and Glasgow Championship were stiffer events than the SCA championship tourney played at Easter, usually with a small entry.'
Mr Russell had an interest in chess problems and endgame studies, composing some twenty or thirty problems in his younger days. He also succeeded G.E. Barbier as Chess Editor of The Glasgow Weekly Citizen, but ran the column for only a short time, finding the work rather onerous.
He died at 36 Grafton Street, Glasgow and his funeral was held at the city's Cathcart Cemetery. Representing Glasgow CC were Mr T.C. Rutledge and Mr A.J. Neilson, with James Dickson representing the Bohemian CC.
Sources:
Falkirk Herald chess columns of 23 and 30 July 1919.
BCM 1919, pp 260-262;
Chess Personalia, by Jeremy Gaige (1987).Alan McGowan
Historian, Chess Scotlandupdated 26/8/2022