The 2025 edition of the Glasgow Congress was held at Caledonian University over the weekend 28th-30th March. This was the 53rd edition of the historic tournament which was resurrected last season; and this time it attracted an impressive 152 entrants in total. With 17 members entered across the 3 sections, Queens Park was the best represented club at the tournament by a considerable margin.
A selection of the QPCC contingent on Sunday morning
There were great performances from members as well, with Jordan McNaught and Connor Thompson scoring an impressive 2.5/5 in the Ken Stewart Open – including a draw against a Candidate Master for Jordan which helped him on the way to a performance rating of 1987. Having already gained 159 elo so far this season, he’ll be getting another boost after that!
In the Major (U1800), Jonny Livingstone scored an amazing 4.5/5 to secure sole overall victory. On top of that, Scott Kilgour was among those who took a share of second place with 4/5. An incredible showing from our only 2 entrants in the Major, both of whom were undefeated.
Meanwhile, the Minor (U1400) was dominated by QPCC – with over a quarter of the field being members. Friendly fire was inevitable, and early leaders Ryan McGill and Ally Mclellan met on board 1 in round 3 – an epic which ended in a draw. Ally went on to share second place, while Somto Onyebuchi, James Burns and Andy Chisholm were among the 4-way tie for third.
In among the long, drawn-out battles: Paul Cumming recorded a victory in 14 moves in round 4 with his beloved King’s Gambit; only to be outdone in round 5 by Iain Shields who won in only 9 moves with a Scotch Gambit trap. No official prizes are handed out for such wins, but they are worthy of mention nonetheless!
Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to those who won prizes!
The Winter Blitz tournament, expertly organised and arbitrated by our Competitions Manager, Jordan McNaught, was the second event in Queens Park Chess Club’s 2024-2025 seasonal blitz series. This is only the fifth time we have run the seasonal blitz tournaments since their inception in September 2023, and they have already proven to be a resounding success. The tournament was exclusive to club members, reflecting the strong and growing participation within our community.
The event drew 28 members who gathered to compete in a fast-paced 7-round Swiss tournament. With a time control of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment (3+2), participants showcased their quick thinking and tactical sharpness. Small breaks after rounds 3 and 5 allowed players to regroup and recharge before returning to the board.
Fierce Competition
The tournament was fiercely contested. After the completion of the 7 rounds, two players emerged tied at the top with an impressive 6 out of 7 points:
Moray Lennox
David Logue
Close behind the leaders, four players finished on 5 points, demonstrating the depth of talent within the club and the competitive spirit of the event.
To determine the winner, a thrilling 2-game tiebreak was held. Both players got a chance to play with the black and white pieces, and the games were played under serious time pressure. Moray Lennox narrowly clinched the victory 2-0, showcasing nerves of steel and impeccable blitz play.
The tiebreak attracted a large audience of approximately 20 members and visitors, who watched the intense showdown unfold. Congratulations to Moray Lennox on his victory, and commiserations to David Logue for a fantastic performance!
Note: The final standings listed below reflect results from the 7-round Swiss tournament and do not include the tie-break scores.
The final tiebreak game between Moray and David, with a digital board shown.
Moray’s Winning Streak
This is Moray Lennox’s second seasonal blitz title this year, following his earlier triumph in the Autumn Blitz. Moray has proven himself as a formidable blitz player, demonstrating exceptional composure under time pressure and sharp tactical awareness. His performance in the tiebreak was particularly impressive, securing victory against a strong opponent in front of an enthusiastic audience. With this latest win, Moray remains the only winner so far this season, cementing his dominance in Queens Park Chess Club’s seasonal blitz events.
Moray Lennox receiving his Winter Blitz trophy from Competitions Manager, Jordan McNaught.
Final Standings
Rank
Name
Win
Draw
Loss
Score
1
David Logue
6
0
1
6
2
Moray Lennox
6
0
1
6
3
Jonathan Livingston
5
0
2
5
4
Alistair Ahmed
5
0
2
5
5
Scott Kilgour
5
0
2
5
6
Craig Thomson
5
0
2
5
7
Iain Shields
4
1
2
5
8
Graeme McKinnon
4
0
3
4
9
Eric O’Neil
4
0
3
4
10
Jonathan Liney
4
0
3
4
11
Connor Thompson
4
0
3
4
12
Rhys McCrosson
4
0
3
4
13
Gregory Forrest
3
2
2
4
14
Ally McLellan
3
1
3
3.5
15
Luke McDowell
3
0
4
3
16
Harry McGrory
3
0
4
3
17
Ryan McGill
3
0
4
3
18
Riccardo Olivier
3
0
4
3
19
Joao Carrapico
3
0
4
3
20
Ciaran Melvin
3
0
4
3
21
Andy Chisholm
3
0
4
3
22
Chris Dinwoodie
2
1
4
2.5
23
James Burns
2
0
5
2
24
Paul Cumming
2
0
5
2
25
Derek Rankine
2
0
5
2
26
Gerry Cowan
2
0
5
2
27
Kristen Neilson
2
0
5
2
28
Sarah Scott
0
0
7
0
Note: The standings do not include tie-break scores.
Upcoming Event: Spring Blitz
Queens Park Chess Club’s final blitz tournament of the season, the Spring Blitz, will be held on March 18, 2025. With two tournaments completed, anticipation is building for the final chapter of the seasonal blitz series. Will Moray Lennox make it a clean sweep, or will another member rise to the challenge?
For more information about future events and club activities, visit our Seasonal Blitz page or join us during club nights. See you at the board!
International Master Andrew Greet will return to The Bungo on Tuesday 14 May (6:50pm start) for a simultaneous exhibition match, in which he will take on 22 Queens Park Members at once.
Among a wide range of career achievements and tournament wins, IM Greet is a former Scottish Champion and British Under-18 Champion.
Participants
A call for players was issued to Members in mid-April by email and WhatsApp. Following a registration and selection process, the Queens Park team is as follows (a-z by forename):
Starting Boards
Andrew Speirs
Andy Chisholm
Chris Dinwoodie
Connor Thompson
Craig Thomson
David Logue
Giuseppe Bosco
Greg Forrest
Harry McGrory
Iain Shields
Jack Crawford
Jack Gallagher
Jack Spillane
Joao Carrapico
Jonny Linney
Jordan McNaught
Marianne Burns
Paul Cumming
Ryan McGill
Scott McCartney
Thomas Fowley
Thomas McAleer
Substitutes
Julien Papillon
The event will begin at 6:50pm sharp on Tuesday 14 May. Any starting player who is more than ten minutes late, risks losing their place. It is expected to conclude at 9:00-9:30pm.
Substitutes will swap in for a starting player, as the first three games conclude on the night. Substitutes can play casual chess in the Bungo as the simul begins, and they will be called in to play when a game finishes.
Queens Park will look to improve on last year’s showing, pictured above, in which IM Greet won all 21 games with no draws or losses. The one-sided result doesn’t quite tell the full story, as indicated by the game below (tap/click to see in full), in which Queens Park’s Connor Thompson played superbly. Connor developed a -4 advantage with black in the middlegame, but an ambitious Queen sacrifice didn’t pay dividends.
Connor (black) put IM Greet under significant pressure in the 2023 simul
For further information about simultaneous matches, the format for the evening, and some hints and tips, please have a look at the details for last year’s event.
One significant change from last year’s format is, Queens Park players can choose which colour they wish to play with. Typically in simuls, the opponents always play with Black, so this is a generous change of policy from IM Greet – although it may also speak to his confidence!
IM Greet will also be selecting the three best-performing players on the night, and presenting them with an award.
Queens Park Chess Club has a proud tradition of simuls. Members of the historical Club had the fortune of playing Joseph Henry Blackburne in 1883 and world champion Jose Raul Capablanca in 1919, while the modern Club started playing simuls in 2022, with initial events against GM Jacob Aagaard and AGM Nicolas Skettos.
N.B. This event is open to current Queens Park Members only. The Chess Club is unable to accept new Members at present; those interested in joining in future, are invited to register for our mailing list.
In 2019, a small group of players gathered to form our Club, formally known as Govanhill Chess Club. It wasn’t long until the COVID-19 pandemic appeared and the Club had to close its doors.
In 2021, the Club re-emerged and adopted the Wellcroft Bowling Club as our venue. The following year, the Club Committee had expanded in numbers and the decision was taken to rename the Club to Queens Park Chess Club, a reincarnation of an older chess club of the same name that came to an end in 1936. With our membership numbers growing rapidly, a decision was made to relocate to our current venue – The Bungo. At the start of 2023, membership numbers continued to exceed expectations, leading to a cap at an incredible 55 members!
With the end of the 2023-2024 season drawing near, the Club has decided to celebrate our 5th anniversary as a Club by hosting a members-only Allegro tournament. We encourage all members to participate!
Tournament Details
Date/Location
The Allegro will take place on Sunday 12th May 2024 at the Bungo.
The event will run from 12pm-7pm.
Entry Cost and Eligibility
The Allegro is members-only and is free to enter.
Tournament Structure
The time control is 20+10 (20 minutes per player, 10 second increment per move). There will be five rounds.
The Allegro will be Chess Scotland rated. Jordan will be managing matters on the day.
Prizes
£250 will be awarded across four different prizes:
1st place – £100.
2nd place – £50.
Intermediate Grading Prize – £50 (Grading Boundary TBC – decided closer to the time based on entrants).
Unrated Grading Prize – £50.
Prizes will be shared equally amongst winners in the event of tied scores. Players will not be eligible for more than one prize.
How To Enter
New entrants (members-only) can enter by contacting the committee directly, either by email or through WhatsApp.
Last December, the Committee conducted a Survey on its membership to better understand what members wanted from the Club. One of the many insights that were revealed was that a majority of members preferred faster time controls compared to the much longer, standard time controls that can go on for hours. This revelation was further discussed between the Committee and the membership at the recent August AGM, with a majority wishing for a second Club tournament with shorter time controls as compared with the beloved Club Championship. The Committee listened and decided to take action.
Following from the AGM, the Committee announced the Queens Park Autumn Blitz for the final club night of September. Leagues & Competitions Manager, Jordan McNaught, was in charge of organising the event with support from the Committee. Participants appeared to thoroughly enjoy the event, marking the first success of many for Jordan as he settles into his new role. The tournament marked a special occasion, being the first blitz tournament of its kind hosted by the Club. It was only open to members of the Club, with the aim being to provide members with a mild taster of competitive play and what to expect from the rest of the season as the first league matches draw ever-nearer in October, as well as round one of the Club Championship as it fast approaches in November. Everything was to play for – with the Autumn Blitz trophy up for the taking.
The 2023 Queens Park Autumn Blitz Trophy
Tournament info
The tournament was 7 rounds long and the time control in use was 3 minutes per player with a 2 second increment per move. Games were all unrated as Chess Scotland only grades Allegro and Standard time controls. In the event of tiebreaks at the end, all relevant players would have to play a play-off. A sizable 24 members decided to participate in the tournament, proving that there is indeed a clear interest for faster time time-controls.
Who won?
The race for first place started to tighten from the beginning with some unexpected triumphs. By the 5th round, it was clear that only a handful of players still had a chance of claiming the glory of winning first place, with Thomas Fowley, Moray Lennox and Jonny Livingston looking like top contenders. By the end of round 7, we had our winner… Jonny Livingston won the tournament! Jonny, a new member of the Club, had only recently gotten back into chess and competitive play, making his win that much more impressive. He was awarded with the Queens Park Autumn Blitz trophy after his stellar performance of winning 6/7 games. Thomas Fowley, Moray Lennox and Alistair Ahmed were close runners up, with all 3 players achieving an impressive score of 5/7 wins.
Competitions and Leagues Manager Jordan McNaught (left) & Autumn Blitz winner Jonny Livingston (right)
Results
Final Position
Name
Win
Draw
Loss
Score
1
Jonny Livingstone
6
0
1
6
2
Thomas Fowley
5
1
1
5.5
3
Alistair Ahmed
5
0
2
5
4
Moray Lennox
5
0
2
5
5
Connor Thompson
4
1
2
4.5
6
Paul Cumming
4
1
2
4.5
7
Rhys McCrosson
4
0
3
4
8
Marc Sheridan
3
2
2
4
9
Hunter Mackay
4
0
3
4
10
Craig Thomson
4
0
3
4
11
Alex Lane
4
0
3
4
12
Iain Shields
3
1
3
3.5
13
Harvey Dellanzo
3
1
3
3.5
14
Ciaran Melvin
3
1
3
3.5
15
Andrew Speirs
3
0
4
3
16
Angus Gillies
2
2
3
3
17
Douglas Veitch
3
0
4
3
18
Gregory Forrest
3
0
4
3
19
Jack Spillane
2
1
4
2.5
20
Ryan McGill
2
1
4
2.5
21
Andy Chisholm
2
0
5
2
22
Kris Barr
2
0
5
2
23
Thomas Robertson
2
0
5
2
24
Tom Cox
0
0
7
0
Queens Park Autumn Blitz results
This tournament marked the first of its kind for the Club, but as its name suggests, it may or may not be the only Queens Park blitz tournament this season…
Cathcart Chess Club, our friends (and rivals!) over the board, have just reached their 70th year since their club’s formation. To celebrate their club’s platinum jubilee anniversary, they decided to host a 6-round Open Swiss Allegro tournament with a time format of 15+10.
The Cathcart Allegro marked the first official open chess tournament hosted in Glasgow since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also a good chance to get back into the swing of things prior to the start of the new season.
Players from approximately 23 clubs were in attendance, with friend of the the Club, IM Andrew Greet, also competing. Queens Park Chess Club had the largest contingent of players, with an incredible 9 of our members competing as one other spectated. For many players, it was their first experience of an open tournament, rather than a tournament where players are split by grading strength – a baptism of fire indeed!
Queens Park had an impressive showing, with all of our competing members scoring between 2-4 points over the 6 rounds. Two of our members also won grading prizes for their strong performances.
Despite this tournament only being the third allegro that Ryan McGill had played, he scored an impressive 3/6 which earned him a grading prize in the under-1000 rating bracket.
Ryan McGill accepting his grading prize.
Rhys McCrosson also won a grading prize in the 1000-1400 rating bracket. He scored a strong 4/6 against fierce competition, including a wild time scramble in a tough endgame as a large crowd gathered to spectate.
Rhys McCrosson accepting his grading prize.
When the dust had settled, IM Andrew Greet reigned victorious. IM Greet, from Bearsden Chess Club, scored 5.5/6 which led to an eye-watering performance rating of 2480. Not far behind in second place was another friend of Queens Park Chess Club from Bearsden Chess Club – Rob Colston.
We’d like to thank Cathcart Chess Club and its secretary, Alistair Maxwell, for a well-run tournament that was fun for all involved. You can find the results from the tournament on the Chess Scotland website.
The Glasgow team, one of six league and cup teams Queens Park is operating this season, has outperformed expectations, and developed a strong chance of winning promotion to Division 2 for the 2023/24 season.
The top of the league table is currently as follows:
Queens Park (15pts – 9 games played)
Lenzie Dementors (12pts – 10 games)
Glasgow Uni (11pts – 8 games)
Hamilton D (8pts – 9 games)
Hamilton C (7pts – 8 games)
Queens Park sit top by three points, with three fixtures remaining. Glasgow University are four points behind, with one game in hand, while Lenzie Dementors have played an extra game, and are three points off the pace.
A busy league schedule in March & April will see Queens Park try to pick up maximum points in an effort to maintain the lead over the higher rated Glasgow University team, which got one win and one draw from its two fixtures vs Queens Park, and the talented Lenzie Dementors junior team.
Connor Thompson (left), Jordan McNaught (second from left) & Graeme McKinnon (second from right) have scored points in Division 3b
With Division 2 operating six-board teams, compared to four-board teams in Division 3, Queens Park will be able to operate a larger team in the new season if the campaign to win the league and achieve the promotion spot is successful.
Despite being formed in January 2019, 2022/23 is the first opportunity Queens Park has had to complete a league season, owing to the impacts and disruptions of the Covid pandemic. A league win on the first time of asking will be a notable achievement for the Club.
Team Captain Rhys McCrosson, pictured top, said: “I believe the team is almost guaranteed promotion.”
Here are two games from the team’s latest fixture, a 4-0 win at home to Hamilton C on Thursday 9 March (the ‘home’ game was in fact played in Hamilton, as a result of junior players in the visiting team and licensing restrictions in The Bungo).
In the first game, Connor Thompson won an impressive 13 move (!) miniature, while in the second, Rhys set up a Queen sacrifice to deliver mate. Click on the links for access to the full games.
Connor Thompson (White) vs Hamilton C. White to move – what did Connor play to lead his opponent to resign? Click for full game.Hamiton C vs Rhys McCrosson (Black). Black to move and mate in two. Click for full game.
International Master Andrew Greet, pictured above (left) with Club Secretary Derek Rankine, will visit Queens Park at the end of February for a special simultaneous exhibition match, or simul.
The simul event provides a valuable opportunity for Members to play a 2400+ FIDE rated player – one of the best in Scotland – at the same time. Further information on follows.
This event is taking place on Tuesday 28 February, following postponement from the original intended date in January.
What is a Simul?
In a simultaneous match, a highly rated player plays multiple opponents at the same time. The expert plays one move against one opponent, then moves on to the next board, and so on, until all games are played to completion. Viewers of The Queen’s Gambit may remember the protagonist’s simul event in a key early scene.
For this event, IM Greet has challenged himself by kindly agreeing to play as many as 22 Queens Park Members at once. This presents a unique chance to face a Master level player over the board in a distinctive format that gives Club Members a serious advantage in time available to analyse the position. With so many games to deal with, it is not uncommon for the expert player to make mistakes in simuls that intermediate level opponents can potentially capitalise on, despite the massive gulf in ability.
Queens Park played simuls last season with GM Jacob Aagaard and AGM Nicolas Skettos, under our previous name of Govanhill Chess Club. Members reported both events as being highly enjoyable and rewarding, and one win and some draws were achieved by our Members.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen giving a simul in Tatev Monastery, Armenia, in 2014
About IM Greet
IM Greet was born in Cornwall in 1979. In the 1990s, he was one of the most talented junior players in the UK. He twice won the British Under-18 Championship, in 1996 as a 16-year old, and again in 1998.
Andrew became a FIDE Master in 2004 and an International Master in 2005. Also in 2005, he scored a record breaking 11/11 in the Four Nations Chess League. In 2008, he moved to Glasgow and changed his FIDE registration from England to Scotland. In 2010, he became Scottish Champion.
In 2014, Andrew achieved his peak FIDE Classical rating to date, of 2456. He has won many tournaments across the UK, and also competes in international events. Notably, in 2016 in Azerbaijan, in 2018 in Georgia, and in 2022 in India, IM Greet was Scotland’s Board One player at the Chess Olympiad – the equivalent of an Olympic Games for chess. He was also Board Two for Scotland in the Norway Olympiad in 2014.
Since 2009, IM Greet has worked for Quality Chess, the internationally esteemed Glasgow-based publisher of chess books, as editor and head of marketing. Outside of chess, he has a Degree in Psychology from the University of Kent, and has a Purple Belt in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial art.
IM Greet has already helped the Club this season by donating five chess boards, to help us deal with rapid growth at the start of the season, when we suffered shortages. He is currently attached to Bearsden Chess Club, which is a regular collaborator with Queens Park, and supporter of our early development. We look forward to his visit later this month.
A massive simul in Odessa, Ukraine, in 2009
Participants
Following a call for players on 8 January, the confirmed Queens Park participants and reserves are as follows (a-z by surname):
Alistair Ahmed
Ash Angappan
Philip Blaber
Giuseppe Bosco
Rhys Brown
Gary Collins
Paul Cumming
Gemma Dickson
Greg Forrest
Tommy Lally
Jonny Linney
Michael Mathieson
Rhys McCrosson
Caitlin McCulloch
Ryan McGill
Riccardo Olivier
Iain Shields
Ethan Small
Andrew Speirs
Wull Swales
Connor Thompson
Douglas Veitch
1st Reserve: Moray Lennox
2nd Reserve: Jordan McNaught
Starting from the top, those on the reserve list will be provided with a place in the event of any advance cancellations, or no-shows/latecomers on the night (those more than 10 minutes late, risk losing their place).
GM Susan Polgar giving a simul in Central Park, New York, in 2018
Simul Process & Tips
The simul will start at 6:45pm on Tuesday 28 February in our new venue, The Bungo.
Those with a confirmed place, should sit down at an available board on the night. At the IM’s request, we will not be ordering players by rating. All Queens Park Members will play with the Black pieces.
The simul will be played without clocks. Queens Park players are to make their move immediately once IM Greet arrives at their board. IM Greet will then play his move before moving to the next board. From there, the simul games will proceed in the same way as a regular chess game. Players can offer or accept draws, or resign, at any point.
IM Greet has agreed to give Queens Park Members three pass requests. Say “pass” to IM Greet when he reaches your board if you wish to have more time to think. IM Greet will then make another circuit of all remaining players before a move is to be played.
Players may wish to write down their moves to keep a record of the game for future analysis, but notation is entirely optional. For those who wish to notate and share their games, we will be happy to publish a selection on our website.
The nature of simuls is, some games are likely to end quickly, while others may go on to 9pm. When games conclude, players are welcome to play casual games in another section of the Bungo-Lo. We ask that noise is kept to a minimum to let the IM and remaining participants concentrate.
Some general tips for simuls are: players should take full advantage of all available time to consider multiple candidate moves and ideas; it can be helpful to avoid exchanges and keep pieces on the board to push for a middlegame advantage, as an IM should have little problem winning an equal endgame against an intermediate player; it may also be worth playing more aggressively than normal, continually attacking, making threats and considering sacrificing material, while the IM lacks time to plan defences and counter-attacks.
That said, players should be aware that IMs can spot advanced tactical ideas instantly, and have vastly superior knowledge of all aspects of the game, from openings to endgames. The reality of the ability difference is, it is likely that the IM will comfortably win a significant majority of the games, despite the high number of opponents.
Regardless of the outcome, we hope all Members who take part, enjoy the experience. Please contact Derek via secretary@queensparkchessclub.com or on WhatsApp if you have any queries about the event.
Stairs, to Nowhere Climb: Queens Park in the Spens Cup
Official Selection: Un Certain Regard, Festival de Cannes, 2023
1. EXT. BUSY STREET – DAY.
Stirring violin music plays. In black and white times, a group of well-dressed men confidently push their way through crowds of supporters to enter a grand municipal building.
NARRATOR (Ewan McGregor): The year: 1936. The city: Perth. 14 of the country’s strongest chess masters, with thick beards and steely glares, have gathered to fight for ultimate glory, in the final of the Spens Cup.
2. INT. PLAYING HALL – DAY.
The men are locked in battle over chess boards. One man tips his King over, the heavy wooden ‘clack’ resounding with an echo. He offers his hand to his opponent. The opponent removes his pipe and nods deeply. The game is over. They firmly shake hands.
NARRATOR: Queens Park Chess Club fight valiantly but are ultimately overwhelmed. Dundee lift the trophy amid wild celebrations.
Cut to: A close-up of a Scotsman newspaper clipping, dated 24 March 1936. The main headline reads: Glorious, Glorious Dundee. Further down the page: Misery, Failure – The Queens Park Curse Continues. A small article at the bottom is headed: Unrest, Instability in Europe.
NARRATOR: It is Queens Park’s third consecutive loss in the final. The pain, the toll, the heartbreak. It is all too much.
The newspaper fades out, ghost-like, and vanishes altogether with an understated ‘pop’.
NARRATOR: The Club disappears, and is never heard from again.
3. EXT. QUEENS PARK BOATING POND – DAY.
A pre-war black and white scene in Queens Park. Slowly, a subtle hint of green creeps in to the grass at the edge of the frame. Blue flecks in the boating pond follow.
NARRATOR: Decades pass.
The scene gradually transforms into full technicolour.
NARRATOR: 87 long years.
Through the winter mist, we can just make out, the grey silhouettes of several men.
NARRATOR: In the 21st century, five brave warriors have emerged. The rumours are true. Queens Park Chess Club is back. And once again, they will compete in the Spens Cup.
The men strut closer into the frame, their features snapping into sharp focus. One man, younger and shorter than the others, oozes confidence. He parts his hair and looks intensely into the camera through his John Lennon glasses.
NARRATOR: One question forms on the nation’s lips: are these the men to restore their ancestors’ pride?
4. EXT. QUIET STREET – DAY.
We hear the violin music from scene one, which segues into a royalty-free song with more than a passing resemblance to ‘Little Green Bag’ by George Baker. In slow motion, close-ups-on-faces, five men walk towards a Georgian Townhouse, Reservoir Dogs style. Several take their glasses out of cases and put them on. Ready for business.
NARRATOR: The year: 2023. The city: Edinburgh. Bank of Scotland Chess Club host Queens Park in the Preliminary Round of the Spens Cup. It is the first edition of the tournament since the global pandemic.
The music fades out. We cut to a wide street view. There are no crowds, no attention, apart from that of a lone seagull staring down from a lamppost. The seagull watches the men enter the building. It squawks once, and flies off over the New Town cityscape.
“Are these the men??” l-r: Craig, Paul, Graeme, Rhys, Derek
5. INT. EDINBURGH UKRAINIAN CLUB – DAY.
The chess match is underway. The men lack the impressive beards of their forebears, but match them in focus and intensity. The camera lingers on our protagonists in turn.
NARRATOR: On board five for Queens Park, is Team Captain Derek Rankine. Demonstrating the leadership skills of a wailing toddler lost in a supermarket, he walks his Queen straight into a trap. Game over.
We move up to the next Queens Park player, frowning in contemplation.
NARRATOR: On board four, Club President Graeme McKinnon has made a strong start. But the game has taken a sour turn, and the only thing he is presiding over today, is his own defeat. Check. Mate.
The camera pans on, the next player removing his cap to scratch his head, looking puzzled.
NARRATOR: On board three, poker expert Paul Cumming goes all in with a reckless gamble. The house wins.
We pass by as Paul offers his resignation.
NARRATOR: On board two, young Rhys McCrosson is bucking the trend. Sporting his trademark cheshire cat grin, his creative fires have burned brightly today. He is rewarded with a fine draw against an opponent ranked almost 500 points higher.
Moving up to the final player.
NARRATOR: And on the top board, grizzled veteran Craig Thomson. After a horrible start, Craig has been in wounded bear mode, swinging his claws around furiously, lunging desperately, and inflicting some damage. He has put up a magnificent fight. But it’s simply not enough.
With stoic reluctance, Craig turns his King sideways. The camera moves for a final time, coming to rest on a thick, wooden table with an official Chess Scotland scoreslip. Bank of Scotland’s captain scribbles down the final result and briskly walks out of frame.
NARRATOR. As you may have guessed by now, this isn’t the story of a plucky underdog overcoming wild odds. No. This is the real, gritty world of Scottish chess. The strongest teams don’t take a moment’s hesitation to brutally crush the hopes and dreams of the small, the weak, and the low rated.
We zoom in closer and closer to the score slip, and rotate until the entire screen is filled with two scrawled numbers.
NARRATOR: Bank of Scotland have won with four and a half points, to Queens Park’s half a point. The Spens Cup has barely started, and Queens Park have already been sent packing.
The scene closes with the Queens Park team in the foreground, heads in their hands, while at the far wall the Bank of Scotland players engage in a group hug.
NARRATOR: Bank of Scotland progress into the quarter finals. Cumming and co. are going home.
A single tear rolls down Paul’s cheek.
We zoom into the score slip… Bank of Scot 4.5 – 0.5 Queens Park
6. INT. CRAIG THOMSON’S CAR – NIGHT.
Our dejected heroes sit in silence on the journey back to Glasgow. The passengers gaze miserably out of the windows either side of the M8. Darkness has fallen. Rain pounds on the car.
NARRATOR: On the way home, the atmosphere was equal parts despondency, exhaustion and shame. The call of history had rung out, but they had failed to answer.
A horn sounds in the distance. The rain continues to lash down.
NARRATOR: And yet, unbeknownst to the others, each man was looking deep inside his heavy heart, and was astonished to find there, a quietly burning ember of hope.
A close-up of each player’s face in turn.
NARRATOR: All were independently dwelling upon the very same, very powerful idea.
If we pay very close attention, we can just about see their eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly, their brows furrowing faintly.
NARRATOR: What, they asked of themselves, if this wasn’t the end of Queens Park’s Spens Cup journey?
We settle on Craig, peering thoughtfully at the road ahead from behind the wheel. He reaches into the glovebox and puts a cassette into the car stereo, returning his attention to the road. The camera turns to follow his gaze through the windscreen wipers. We fade to black looking out upon the bleak, wet, dark motorway.
The noise of the rain grows louder and louder, as the screen goes completely black. Then – abrupt silence. And a long pause.
NARRATOR: What if it was only just the beginning?
Huge, sharp white text cuts aggressively through the blackness: “Fin”.
We hear the satisfying click of the car stereo’s play button, followed by deafening Finnish death metal.
The credits roll.
Based Upon Real Events (a little). Exclusive distribution rights are available for sale: the Club will accept two budget chess clocks, or nearest offer. Good luck to our opponents in the quarter finals. Top image created with artificial intelligence using DALL-E.
November 2022 was another packed month for the Club. Business continued for our three teams in the Glasgow and Dunbartonshire Chess Leagues, the Beltrami Club Championship got underway, and we initiated a Club Leaderboard. We were represented at national tournaments in Oban and Livingston, and we hosted a group of visitors from the admirable Freedom From Torture charity.
We reached an impressive milestone of 40 members, making Queens Park one of the bigger chess clubs in Scotland. That is all the more impressive given it doesn’t include non-members who: join us in Wellcroft Bowling Club for casual chess on Tuesdays; play in the Thursday Chess Group; and/or join our meetups on Sunday mornings. Full details follow.
Beltrami Championship
32 players competed in the first round of our Club Championship, sponsored by law firm Beltrami & Co. The tournament provides an opportunity for members of all abilities to test their classical skills, gain or improve upon a national rating, and compete for the prestigious trophy.
Round one winners included the Club’s highest rated players Tommy Lally (1616) and Craig Thomson (1606), and defending champion Rhys McCrosson (1477). On the lower boards, unrated newcomers Connor Thompson, Andrew Speirs, Ash Angappan and Paul Stewart also picked up full points. Full results here.
Round two, which has the designated date of Tuesday 10 January, will see six new Members join the tournament. Players unavailable on this date may arrange for their game to take place later in January. The round two draw will be made by Tournament Controller Alex Lane in early December, and will pair winners against winners using the Swiss format.
All round one games concluded in November
Club Leaderboard
This month saw the launch of Queens Park’s own elo system in a special Club Leaderboard administered by Club President Graeme McKinnon. “Queens Park elo” does not contribute to Chess Scotland or FIDE ratings – but it does provide all-important bragging rights.
The Leaderboard is open to members and non-members alike, and simply involves playing a timed over-the-board rapid game (10+0, 15+0 or 30+0) with another player during a Club night, and recording the outcome in a score slip.
All players start at 1200. At the end of November, Rhys McCrosson leads and is the first player to cross the 1300 threshold, out of more than 30 players that have played at least one Leaderboard game to date. Click here to see the standings and rules.
Driven: Rhys leads in no. games and rating
Oban Congress
Congratulations to Queens Park’s Jordan McNaught, a surprise joint winner of the Major section of the 2022 Oban Congress. Jordan, ungraded, was one of three players to share the prize money with 3.5/5.
Just behind on 3/5 were Alex Lane and Alex Radevic, while Derek Rankine scored 2.5/5. With Queens Park supplying the three lowest seeds of 14 players, it was an impressive outcome for the Club.
Oban: (l-r) Alex R, Zizheng, Alex L, Derek, Iain & Jordan
Queens Park was also represented in the Minor section by Iain Shields, who got 2.5/5, while Strathclyde Uni’s Liu Zizheng, who regularly visits Queens Park, achieved 2/5 in the Challengers section.
The five round classical tournament (75 mins per player for the first 30 moves, then an additional 30 mins per player) was held in Oban’s Royal Hotel on the weekend of 18-20 November.
International Master Andrew Greet, who will be visiting Queens Park on 31 January 2023 for a special 22 board simultaneous exhibition, won the tournament’s Open section with 4.5/5. An invitation to the simul will be shared with Members in early January.
Jordan collecting his well-earned Oban prize money
Livingston Allegro
A Queens Park delegation was in attendance at a Scottish Chess Tour rapid tournament in Livingston’s Mercure Hotel on 8 November. In a tough Major section, Graeme McKinnon scored 2/5 and Jordan McNaught got 1/5.
In the internationally rated Minor section, Connor Thompson achieved three consecutive wins to finish on 3/5, while Jonny Linney got 2/5 and Ryan McGill got 1/5. The time control for the five round Swiss pairings event was 20+10.
The international charity Freedom From Torture, which provides therapy and support for people who are recovering from torture, visited Queens Park this month. The charity’s Scottish branch runs a chess group for some of its service users. On 23 November, the group joined us for some casual games and advice on learning and development.
Our Members greatly enjoyed meeting the group and sharing some tips around opening principles and middlegame strategy. The group have an open invitation to join us again anytime in future.
Freedom From Torture’s chess group visited Queens Park
Monthly Interview
Our interview series continued with Ryan McGill as our November subject. Ryan is an enthusiastic new Member who arrived at Queens Park Chess Club via our local partner, Thursday Chess Group.
In his interview, Ryan tells us about how his interest in the game developed, picks out several highlights from his first few months in the Club, and shares some useful advice to newer players.
Meanwhile, the Thursday Chess Group is also growing in size. This month they set up home in a new location, the Corona Bar in Shawlands. Thanks to a successful joint bid to the Thriving Govanhill Fund, players no longer have to bring their own chess sets, and can turn up for a game anytime from 6pm on Thursday.
Our Thursday Group partners in their new venue, Corona Bar
Endgame Class
Our internal Club training sessions continued with Alex Radevic hosting one on practical endgames on 29 November. Alex used our new demonstration board (purchased with Thriving Govanhill funding) to set up and work through a series of positions with a group of eight.
Next month, Graeme McKinnon will take a class on developing an opening repertoire. The session will be particularly valuable to those at intermediate level who are less clear about how to build up an appropriate depth of knowledge in their favoured openings. A session invitation will be shared via the Club Member WhatsApp group next month.
League Update
Queens Park’s impressive start in the Glasgow Chess League continued with a 2-2 draw away to the Glasgow University A team on 16 November. The result, achieved from wins by Tommy Lally and Paul Cumming on boards two and four respectively, keeps Queens Park’s promotion chances in good health at the top of Division 3b.
In the Dumbarton & District Chess League, Queens Park’s A team in Division 1 lost 0.5-3.5 at home to Stepps A. Craig Thomson achieved Queens Park’s half point by drawing an opponent rated more than 400 points higher, and ungraded Connor Thomson put up a tremendous fight against 2000+ rated Stepps opponent John Henderson.
Queens Park’s B team had mixed fortunes in Division 2 of the Dunbartonshire League. Caitlin McCulloch captained the team to an impressive 3.5-0.5 win away to a Giffnock side featuring her father, Andy, on 7 November. The following week, on 15 November, the team suffered a 4-0 defeat at home to an impressive Strathclyde University side. The second game saw league debuts for new and ungraded Queens Park Members Sachin Vats, Greg Forrest and Sagar Kukreja.
Queens Park lead Division 3b of the Glasgow Chess League
The Dunbartonshire teams are frequently rotated with a view to giving newer players experience alongside some of our higher rated Members. Those wishing to join a future team are encouraged to respond to calls for league players issued by captains in the Members WhatsApp group.
As some Members have reported difficulty finding the latest league tables, this website will feature a regularly updated set of tables on a dedicated new League Info page. In addition, our website calendar also provides detail on all league fixtures across the 2022/23 season, as well as special events.
National Ambition
In early 2023, Queens Park will be going national. We have registered teams in two Scotland-wide Cup competitions – the Spens and the Richardson.
The ‘first’ Queens Park Chess Club, which was active from the 1870s to the 1930s, won the prestigious Spens Cup on several occasions. While it is unlikely we will match their success on our first try, we will look forward to following in their footsteps and testing ourselves against other Clubs across the country in the five board Cup.
Queens Park may be entering the Scottish National Chess League too. The Committee are considering an invitation to join Division Five for the current season, with fixtures beginning in January.
The historic Queens Park Club first won the Spens Cup in 1903
Public Posters
The posters highlight the three busy chess meetups
Finally, those in Govanhill and Shawlands may have spotted our above poster, highlighting the three regular and free-to-attend chess meetups around Queens Park. The posters are currently on display in community noticeboards and selected venues.
