Chess - The Scotsman 20/09/12

THE Olympics are over, and the countdown is on for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, set to become the biggest sporting and cultural event in Scotland’s history.

And it was announced this week that the 2014 Commonwealth Chess Championships will also be held in the city.

This is another boost for Chess Scotland, staging the biggest event the national federation has organised since their centenary celebrations in 1984. Kudos goes to the Alex McFarlane and Lara Barnes for presenting Chess Scotland’s case and winning the bid at the Olympiad in Istanbul.

No official dates or venue have been confirmed, but it looks more than likely that the Commonwealth Chess Championships will be held as part of the Scottish Championships, and International Open in early July 2014, just weeks before the Games start on the 23 July. Further details will be announced over the coming weeks and months at www.chessscotland.com.

A little-known fact for you is that a Scot, William Fairhurst, is credited with winning the first unofficial Commonwealth Championship in 1950 in Oxford. The only Scot to officially win the Commonwealth title was Colin McNab in 1992 when it was integrated into the Kuala Lumpur Open. En route to winning the crown – and with it his final grandmaster norm – McNab also beat one of the pre-tournament favourites, the late, great Tony Miles, in an amazing game.

C McNab - A Miles

Kuala Lumpur Open, 1992

English Opening

1 Nf3 b6 2 g3 Bb7 3 Bg2 e6 4 c4 g5 5 Nc3 g4 6 Nh4 Bxg2 7 Nxg2 Bg7 8 d3 Nc6 9 Bd2 h5 10 h3 Qc8 11 Qa4 Qb7 12 0–0–0 Nd4 13 Ne3 a6 14 Nc2 b5 15 cxb5 axb5 16 Qb4 Qc8 17 Ne4 Nxe2+ 18 Kb1 Ne7 19 hxg4 Nc6 20 Qc5 Qa6 21 a3 d5 22 Nb4 Nxb4 23 Bxb4 0–0–0 24 Ng5 hxg4 25 Rhe1 Rh5 26 Rxe2 Rxg5 27 Qe7 Rf5 28 Rc1 Qb6 29 Rec2 Be5 30 Rc6 Rxf2 31 d4! Rxb2+ 32 Kxb2 Qxd4+ 33 Bc3 Qe4 34 Bxe5 Qxe5+ 35 R6c3 Rd7 36 Qf8+ Kb7 37 Qb4 d4 38 Rc5 Rd5 39 Qxb5+ 1–0