Dr James Macrae Aitken (born 27 October 1908, Calderbank, Lanarkshire, died 3 December 1983, Cheltenham)

Biography at Chess Scotland website

JM Aitken writing about his own chess memories (1962) - Chess Scotland website

Wikipedia Entry

Wartime cryptanalyst, Bletchley Park, 1940-45

Edward Winter on JM Aitken (Chess Note 3766)

Scottish chess champion ten times between 1932 and 1965 and represented Scotland in four chess Olympiads between 1937 and 1972.

Dr James M Aitken in play at the 1963 Enschede Zonal, 5 October 1963 (playing M Filip). Second left is Jonathan Penrose.

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48th Scottish Championship, Aberdeen, 22-25 April 1935

1935 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	1	1	1	1	½	4½
2	George Page	0	&;	1	½	½	1	3
3	J B McGibbon	0	0	&;	½	1	1	2½
4	Luis Neftali Ponce Miranda	0	½	½	&;	½	1	2½
5	Mary Dinorah Gilchrist	0	½	0	½	&;	½	1½
6	William Robert D McNaughton	½	0	0	0	½	&;	1

London Championship, 13-23 October 1945 (venues Lud-Eagle club & Holborn Town Hall)

1945 London Chess Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
1	Gabriel Jacquin Wood	&;	½	1	1	1	0	½	1	1	1	1	8
2	Dr Paul M List	½	&;	0	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	7½
3	Dr Otto Friedman	0	1	&;	1	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	7
4	Sir George Thomas	0	0	0	&;	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	6½
5	Dr James M Aitken	0	½	1	0	&;	0	0	1	1	1	1	5½
6	William L Brierley	1	0	0	½	1	&;	1	0	½	0	1	5½
7	Harold Brown	½	0	0	0	1	0	&;	½	1	1	1	5
8	Alan Fraser Truscott	0	½	1	0	0	1	½	&;	½	½	1	5
9	Alexander Distler	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	&;	1	1	2½
10	Geoffrey H Diggle	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	0	&;	½	2
11	R E Hayley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	&;	½

London Championship, 18-28 October 1950 (Venue: Lud Eagles CC)

1950 London Chess Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	Dr James M Aitken	&;	1	1	1	1	½	½	1	6
2	Dr Paul M List	0	&;							5
3	E C Hughes	0		&;						4½
4	Jeffrey Ansell	0			&;					4
5	John Herbert B Bennett	0				&;				3½
6	Herbert Francis Gook	½					&;			2½
7	Arthur Henry Trott	½						&;		1½
8	Stanley Charles Love	0							&;	1

FIDE West European Zonal Tournament, 27 April - 16 May 1951, Bad Pyrmont, Germany

1951 Bad Pyrmont Zonal Tournament		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Total
1	Svetozar Gligoric	YUG	&;	½	0	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	11
2	Wolfgang Unzicker	FRG	½	&;	1	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	½	10
3	Lodewijk Prins	NED	1	0	&;	½	½	1	½	½	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	9½
4	Aleksandar Matanovic	YUG	½	0	½	&;	0	½	½	1	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	9½
5	Harry Golombek	ENG	0	½	½	1	&;	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	1	1	½	9
6	Vasja Pirc	YUG	0	½	0	½	½	&;	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	8½
7	Efim Bogoljubow	FRG	0	½	½	½	½	½	&;	1	0	0	1	½	1	1	1	8
8	Jan Hein Donner	NED	½	½	½	0	0	½	0	&;	1	0	½	1	0	1	1	6½
9	James Macrae Aitken	SCO	0	0	1	0	½	0	1	0	&;	½	0	1	½	1	1	6½
10	Henry Grob	SUI	0	½	½	0	0	½	1	1	½	&;	½	0	0	1	½	6
11	Haije J Kramer	NED	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	½	&;	1	0	½	1	5½
12	Joao De Moura	POR	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	1	0	&;	1	½	1	5
13	Erich Kuebart	DDR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	1	1	0	&;	½	1	5
14	Arturo Pomar Salamanca	ESP	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	&;	1	3
15	Enrico Paoli	ITA	½	½	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	&;	2

The first five qualified for the interzonal while another four received prizes, including Dr. Aitken.

59th Scottish Championship, Glasgow, April 1952

1952 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	½	1	1	0	½	1	1	1	1	7
2	Norman Alasdair Macleod	½	&;	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	6
3	Peter B Anderson	0	1	&;	½	0	1	½	1	½	1	5½
4	Armins Lerchs	0	½	½	&;	½	1	½	½	1	1	5½
5	(Nicholas) Anthony Perkins	1	½	1	½	&;	0	½	½	½	1	5½
6	Claud William Marshall	½	0	0	0	1	&;	½	1	1	1	5
7	Erwin Knopfler	0	½	½	½	½	½	&;	½	1	0	4
8	D H Beattie	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	&;	1	½	3
9	Dr Maurice Rose1	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	0	&;	1	2
10	T J Hamilton	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	&;	1½

¹ birthname Mordhai Roizentzvit

60th Scottish Championship, Edinburgh, 3-11 April 1953

1953 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8
2	Erwin Knopfler	0	&;	½	1	0	1	1	1	½	5
3	Norman Alasdair Macleod	0	½	&;	½	½	1	1	½	1	5
4	T R Harvey	0	0	½	&;	1	0	1	1	1	4½
5	Henfrey Austin Turriff	0	1	½	0	&;	1	0	1	½	4
6	S L Hart	0	0	0	1	0	&;	½	1	1	3½
7	Ian Candlish Kirkwood	0	0	0	0	1	½	&;	½	1	3
8	R A Donald	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	&;	½	1½
9	Armins Lerchs	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	&;	1½

9th West of England (WECU) Championship, 15-19 April 1954, Newquay, Cornwall (7 rounds)

1954 West of England Championship		Resid.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Total
1-2	Dr James M Aitken	Gloucestershire	&;	½	1				0	1			1		1			1	5½
1-2	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	Devon	½	&;	½	½		1	1	1				1					5½
3	Cyril Owen Welch1	Gloucestershire	0	½	&;			½	1					1	1	1			5
4	Peter Fairbairn Copping	Wiltshire		½		&;	1	1		½			0		0		1		4
5	Leslie Edward Vine	Somerset				0	&;		1		½		0			1	½	1	4
6	Ronald MacKay Bruce	Devon		0	½	0		&;	½		1	1				½			3½
7	Y Peter Keffler	Somerset	1	0	0		0	½	&;				1				1		3½
8	Henry Vickers White Trevenen	Cornwall	0	0		½				&;		1	½	½	1				3½
9	Francis Samuel Woolford	Gloucestershire					½	0			&;	½	1		0	½		1	3½
10	Arthur William Busby	Cornwall						0		0	½	&;		0		1	½	1	3
11	Ivan Robert Napier	Cornwall	0			1	1		0	½	0		&;	½					3
12	Isaac Taylor Sifton	Devon		0	0					½		1	½	&;	½		½		3
13	Rowena Mary Bruce	Devon	0		0	1				0	1			½	&;			0	2½
14	Maximilian Ernst Poolake	Gloucestershire			0		0	½			½	0				&;	1	½	2½
15	D S Reed	Somerset				0	½		0			½		½		0	&;	1	2½
16	Dr Joseph Fine	Monmouthshire	0				0				0	0			1	½	0	&;	1

Aitken's scorebook (no.15) suggests he played and beat Dr J Fine several weeks ahead of the tournament's start date, on 28 February, constituting round one for both players.
¹ Cyril Owen Welch was invariably referred to simply as C. Welch in chess publications (the removal of his middle initial may have been as a result of an aversion to schoolboy jokes of a bovine nature!)

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West European Zonal, 4-26 June 1954, Munich, Germany

1954 Munich Zonal Tournament		Nat'y	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Total
1	Wolfgang Unzicker	FRG	&;	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	15
2	Braslav Rabar	YUG	½	&;	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	14½
3	Jan Hein Donner	NED	½	½	&;	½	½	0	1	1	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	14½
4	Andrija Fuderer	YUG	0	½	½	&;	½	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	1	½	1	14
5	Vasja Pirc	YUG	½	½	½	½	&;	1	½	½	½	1	1	0	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	13½
6	Roman Toran Albero	ESP	½	0	1	1	0	&;	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	12½
7	Harry Golombek	ENG	½	½	0	0	½	½	&;	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	12½
8	Haije J Kramer	NED	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	&;	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	11½
9	Vincenzo Castaldi	ITA	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	&;	0	0	0	1	1	½	1	½	1	1	½	9
10	Josef Lokvenc	AUT	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	&;	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	9
11	Edwin Bhend	SUI	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	&;	½	0	1	½	0	1	½	½	1	8½
12	Heinz Lehmann	FRG	½	0	0	0	1	½	0	0	1	½	½	&;	0	0	½	1	½	½	1	0	7½
13	James Macrae Aitken	SCO	0	½	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	1	1	&;	0	½	1	½	1	0	½	7½
14	Sylvain Burstein	FRA	0	½	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	1	1	&;	1	0	½	1	½	½	7½
15	Hans Bouwmeester	NED	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	&;	½	½	½	0	1	7
16	Robert Graham Wade	ENG	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	0	½	1	0	0	1	½	&;	1	0	1	½	6½
17	Arthur Dunkelblum	BEL	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	&;	½	1	1	6½
18	Joao Mario Ribeiro	POR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	1	½	&;	1	1	5½
19	(Edmond) Noel Mulcahy	IRL	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	½	1	0	0	0	&;	1	4½
20	Franz Jacob	SAA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	½	½	0	½	0	0	0	&;	3

Top four players qualified for the interzonal. The bottom-ranked player represented the Saarland.

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62nd Scottish Championship, Aberdeen, 15-22 1955

1955 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total
1	Dr James M Aitken	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1		1						6½
2	Dr Richard Charles Nairn	½	&;	1	1	½	1	1					1			6
3	Armins Lerchs	0	0	&;		1	1			1		½	1			4½
4	Peter B Anderson	0	0		&;					½	1	1		1	½	4
5	Ian Charles Middleton	0	½	0		&;		½			1			1	1	4
6	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	0	0	0			&;	1	1			½		1		3½
7	Dr Norbert Uri	0	0			½	0	&;	1	1			1			3½
8	J E Bothwell						0	0	&;	0	0	1	1		1	3
9	Dr Francis Henry Charles Marriott	0		0	½			0	1	&;		1			½	3
10	Dr Maurice Rose				0	0			1		&;	0	1	0	1	3
11	E A Woods			½	0		½		0	0	1	&;		1		3
12	George Duguid Campbell		0	0				0	0		0		&;	1	1	2
13	Dr Reginald Frank Twort				0	0	0				1	0	0	&;	1	2
14	Thomas Russell, jnr				½	0			0	½	0		0	0	&;	1

63rd Scottish Championship, Dundee, 21-28 July 1956

1956 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8½
2	Michael Fallone	½	&;	½	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	7
3	Claud William Marshall	0	½	&;	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	6½
4	George A Dickson	0	½	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	1	5½
5	Edward George William Beckingham	0	0	0	1	&;	½	1	1	1	½	5
6	Harry Deas	0	0	1	0	½	&;	0	½	0	1	3
7	James Cairncross	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1	0	½	2½
8	A J Galbraith	0	½	0	0	0	½	0	&;	½	1	2½
9	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	½	&;	0	2½
10	E A Woods	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	&;	2

CHESS, August 1956, p296 (Vol.21 no.s 273-4)

"CHAMPION BY HABIT - Dr. Aitken soon made sure of the Scottish Championship once again, starting with seven successive wins at Dundee. Son of a Lochgelly minister, he has four degrees, M.A. and Ph.D. from Edinburgh and B.A. and B.Litt. from Oxford. He does confidential work at Government Communications H.Q., a branch of the Foreign Office, at Cheltenham."

BCM, September 1956, p231-233 - report by Dr. Aitken

THE SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP, 1956

By J M Aitken

THE Sixty-third Annual Congress of the Scottish Chess Association was held in the Burgh Court Room, Dundee, from July 21st to 28th, underthe auspices of the Dundee Chess Club. The original entry for the championship was, unfortunately, considerably weakened by the withdrawal of a former Champion, P B Anderson, but the entry of two young players for the first time in a senior event—seventeen-year-old Michale Fallone and sixteen-year-old George Dickson, who was Scottish Boy Champion last year—was interesting and possibly significant for the future. As will be seen, neither disappointed expectations.

After the first half of the tournament I had a clean score of 5 but Dickson and Fallone, with 4½ and 4 respectively, were still close on my heels. But in the course of the next two rounds I increased my lead over both the youngsters to 1½ points (7 to 5½ each) and the decision came in the penultimate round when I drew with Fallone and Dickson lost. I had not on this occasion so many hard endings as last year and won most of my games in the middle games. Fallone undoubtedly played the best game against me and at one point might even have secured some advantage.

There is no doubt that Fallone was fortunate as he scored 2½ points from three games he might well have lost; and yet even this is evidence of his determination and resourcefulness. His score represents a remarkable debut in the championship for a boy of his age and his promise is indicated by the fact that those who know his play better than I do consider he was even so not playing in his best form.

Marshall started below his true form but pulled up well in the closing stages to pass Dickson and all but catch Fallone. Dickson was for so long second to me that he may well be somewhat disappointed with his final place; but he showed a fine combinative touch and in only less degree than Fallone made an excellent first appearance. Beckingham would have been in the prize-list with a little more steadiness at critical points; he missed a clear win against Fallone and was the first player to defeat Dickson.

The Ladies’ Championship, a double-round tournament of four players, ended in a tie, with 5 out of 6, between Mrs. N C Elder and Mrs. S M Steedman, Champions previously in 1950 and 1951 respectively. Owing to difficulties in arranging a play-off it was agreed to share the title. A Minor Tournament was won by F Fallone, father of Michael.

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64th Scottish Championship, Glasgow, 12-20 July 1957

1957 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	8
2	George A Dickson	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	6½
3	Michael Fallone	½	1	&;	0	1	1	½	1	½	1	6½
4	Norman Alasdair Macleod	½	0	1	&;	½	1	½	1	1	1	6½
5	I Morton	0	0	0	½	&;	1	½	1	1	1	5
6	James Cairncross	0	0	0	0	0	&;	1	0	1	1	3
7	George McGowan	0	0	½	½	½	0	&;	½	½	½	3
8	P McLaren	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	&;	0	1	2½
9	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	1	&;	0	2
10	J A Johnstone	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	&;	2

65th Scottish Championship, Edinburgh, 5-12 July 1958

1958 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	&;	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	10
2	George A Dickson	½	&;	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	9½
3	Michael Fallone	½	0	&;	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	7½
4	(Nicholas) Anthony Perkins	0	0	1	&;	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	7½
5	G Weeden	0	½	0	1	&;	½	1	1	1	0	1	1	7
6	E Allan	0	0	0	0	½	&;	1	1	1	1	1	1	6½
7	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	0	0	0	½	0	0	&;	½	1	½	½	1	4
8	D Munro	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	&;	½	½	½	1	3½
9	Claud William Marshall	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	½	&;	½	0	1	3
10	Thomas Russell	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	½	½	&;	½	0	3
11	D G Weir	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	1	½	&;	0	2½
12	Major William Ernest Bruges	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	&;	2

67th Scottish Championship, Aberdeen, 16-22 July 1960

1960 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	+4	+10	+6	=5	=2	=3	+8	5½
2	Raymond Wallace Martin Baxter	+13	=5	+8	=6	=1	+9	=5	5
3	Andrew Robert Grant Horton	–6	+14	+10	+12	=5	=1	=2	4½
4	A Macleod	–1	–12	+14	+8	=9	+13	+5	4½
5	Peter Coast	+12	=2	+9	=1	=3	=6	–4	4
6	T McKelvie	+3	+7	–1	=2	=12	=5	–10	3½
7	Dr Francis Henry Charles Marriott	–10	–6	=13	–9	+14	+11	+12	3½
8	Dr Richard Charles Nairn	=14	+9	–2	–4	+11	+12	–1	3½
9	George Duguid Campbell	+11	–8	–5	+7	=4	–2	=13	3
10	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	+7	–1	–3	–11	+13	–14	+6	3
11	Derek Ross Thomson	–9	+13	–12	+10	–8	–7	+14	3
12	Major William Ernest Bruges	–5	+4	+11	–3	=6	–8	–7	2½
13	J E Bothwell	–2	–11	=7	+14	–10	–4	=9	2
14	S Vezy	=8	–3	–4	–13	–7	+10	–11	1½

16th West of England (WECU) Championship (All-Play-All Section), 29 March - 2 April 1961, Weymouth

1961 West of England (WECU) Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
1	Adrian S Hollis	&;	½	½	½	1	1	1	4½
2	Jeffrey Ansell	½	&;	½	½	1	1	1	4½
3	James Macrae Aitken	½	½	&;	1	½	½	½	3½
4	Peter Fairbairn Copping	½	½	0	&;	½	½	1	3
5	John A Henley	0	0	½	½	&;	1	½	2½
6	Denys Pepperell Bonner	0	0	½	½	0	&;	½	1½
7	Michael E Ventham	0	0	½	0	½	½	&;	1½

Hollis beat Ansell 2-0 in a match to decide who should play off against B Hare who won the WECU Championship Swiss Section; Hollis beat Hare 2½-½ in the play-off for the overall WECU title.

68th Scottish Championship, Edinburgh, 8-15 July 1961

1961 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken	+7	+9	=3	+17	+2	+4	+8	=5	7
2	George A Dickson	=10	+15	+6	+8	–1	+5	+3	+4	6½
3	Michael Macdonald-Ross	+19	+6	=1	–4	+17	+12	–2	+9	5½
4	J Wilkes	=16	+14	+8	+3	+12	–1	+6	–2	5½
5	E Allan	–13	=7	+18	+19	+11	–2	+14	=1	5
6	Derek Ross Thomson	+12	–3	–2	+18	+14	+9	–4	+8	5
7	E D Martin	–1	=5	–14	+20	+10	–13	+12	+16	4½
8	George Duguid Campbell	+11	+13	–4	–2	+16	+17	–1	–6	4
9	Michael J Freeman	+20	–1	–11	+10	+15	–6	+13	–3	4
10	P H Hansen	=2	–17	+15	–9	–7	+19	+11	=14	4
11	N J Maclean	–8	+20	+9	–12	–5	+16	–10	+17	4
12	A MacLeod	–6	+19	+13	+11	–4	–3	–7	+20	4
13	D Munro	+5	–8	–12	–15	+19	+7	–9	+18	4
14	W G Armstrong	=17	–4	+7	=16	–6	+18	–5	=10	3½
15	T McKelvie	=18	–2	–10	+13	–9	=20	=17	+19	3½
16	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	=4	+18	–17	=14	–8	–11	+20	–7	3
17	J A Johnstone	=14	+10	+16	–1	–3	–8	=15	–11	3
18	A Goldberg	=15	–16	–5	–6	+20	–14	+19	–13	2½
19	A R Cormack	–3	–12	+20	–5	–13	–10	–18	–15	1
20	D Donald	–9	–11	–19	–7	–18	=15	–16	–12	½

18th West of England (WECU) Championship (All-Play-All Section), 11-15 April 1963, Falmouth

"American" Section: 1 Philip E Walker (Weston-super-Mare) 5/7; 2-3 John F Wheeler (London), Adrian S Hollis (Oxford) 4½; 4 James M Aitken (Cheltenham) 4; 5 Francis E A Kitto (St Austell) 3½; 6 Andrew R B Thomas (Tiverton) 3; 7 John C Cock (Cheltenham) 2; 8 George W Wheeler (London) 1½. Unfortunately Aitken's games from this event are missing as they would be in one of books 23 and 24.

1963 West European Zonal, 4-25 October 1963, Enschede, Netherlands

1963 Enschede Zonal Tournament		Nat'y	Draw	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Total
1	Svetozar Gligoric	YUG	12	&;	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	12½
2	Levente Lengyel	HUN	11	½	&;	0	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	½	12
3	Klaus Darga	FRG	8	½	1	&;	1	0	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	12
4	Jonathan Penrose	ENG	3	½	0	0	&;	½	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	11½
5	Arturo Pomar Salamanca	ESP	5	½	½	1	½	&;	½	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	11
6	Miroslav Filip	CZE	16	½	½	½	0	½	&;	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	10½
7	Josef Kupper	SUI	9	½	0	½	1	1	½	&;	0	½	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	½	10
8	Luben Popov	BUL	1	0	½	½	0	½	½	1	&;	½	0	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	9½
9	Theo D Van Scheltinga	NED	2	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	&;	½	½	1	0	1	½	½	1	7½
10	Jaime Llado Lumbera	ESP	14	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	1	½	&;	1	½	1	0	½	1	1	7½
11	Stefano Tatai	ITA	17	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	0	&;	1	1	1	1	0	1	6½
12	Josef Martin Boey	BEL	13	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	&;	1	1	1	1	1	6
13	Joaquim Durao	POR	6	½	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	0	0	0	&;	½	½	½	1	5
14	Guy Mazzoni	FRA	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	½	&;	½	1	1	5
15	James Macrae Aitken	SCO	4	0	0	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	&;	½	½	4
16	Wolfgang Heidenfeld	IRL	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	0	½	&;	½	3½
17	Georges Philippe	LUX	7	0	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	½	½	&;	2

Top three players qualified for the interzonal

---

19th West of England (WECU) Championship, 26-30 March 1964, Torre Abbey, Torquay (6 rounds)

1964 West of England (WECU) Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Jeffrey Ansell1	♦ 1/12	◊ ½/8	♦ 1/9	◊ 1/4	♦ ½/2	◊ ½/3	4½
2	James Macrae Aitken	♦ ½/17	◊ 1/16	♦ 1/8	◊ 1/9	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/4	4½
3	Denis John Pereira Gray	♦ 1/20	◊ 1/13	♦ 0/4	◊ 1/11	♦ 1/12	♦ ½/1	4½
4	Denis Victor Mardle	♦ 1/5	◊ 1/14	◊ 1/3	♦ 0/1	♦ 1/8	◊ ½/2	4½
5	Brian William Clapp	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/10	◊ ½/7	♦ ½/15	◊ 1/17	♦ ½/6	3½
6	Joseph Andrew Flood	◊ 1/7	♦ 0/9	◊ 0/11	♦ 1/18	◊ 1/20	◊ ½/5	3½
7	Maximilian Ernst Poolake	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/5	◊ ½/12	◊ ½/14	♦ 1/13	3½
8	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas	◊ 1/18	♦ ½/1	◊ 0/2	♦ 1/17	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/14	3½
9	Robert H Wildig	♦ 1/19	◊ 1/6	◊ 0/1	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/15	♦ ½/10	3½
10	John Crowle Cock	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/5	♦ 1/19	◊ 1/16	♦ ½/11	◊ ½/9	3
11	Ivan Robert Napier	◊ 0/14	◊ 1/19	♦ 1/6	♦ 0/3	◊ ½/10	♦ ½/15	3
12	Philip E Walker	◊ 0/1	♦ ½/18	◊ 1/20	♦ ½/7	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/16	3
13	Arthur William Busby	◊ 1/10	♦ 0/3	◊ 0/17	♦ ½/14	◊ 1/18	◊ 0/7	2½
14	David Ellis	♦ 1/11	♦ 0/4	◊ ½/15	◊ ½/13	♦ ½/7	◊ 0/8	2½
15	C(olin?) Durston	♦ ½/16	◊ ½/17	♦ ½/14	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/9	◊ ½/11	2½
16	J Anderson	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/18	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/19	◊ 0/12	2
17	Ronald Owen Powis	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/15	♦ 1/13	◊ 0/8	♦ 0/5	♦ 0/19	2
18	J Cullum	♦ 0/8	◊ ½/12	♦ ½/16	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/13	♦ ½/20	1½
19	P J Edwards	◊ 0/9	♦ 0/11	◊ 0/10	♦ ½/20	♦ 0/16	◊ 1/17	1½
20	Reginald Samuel Thynne	◊ 0/3	♦ 0/7	♦ 0/12	◊ ½/19	♦ 0/6	◊ ½/18	1

¹ Ansell was placed first on Sum of Opponents' Scores. Results culled from the Torbay Express and South Devon Echo and the Times.

72nd Scottish Championship, Aberdeen, 10-16 July 1965

1965 Scottish Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total
1	James Macrae Aitken1	+24	+18	=4	–2	+11	+12	+8	5½
2	Peter McKeich Jamieson1	+21	+6	+10	+1	+4	=8	–3	5½
3	Raymond Wallace Martin Baxter	+19	=8	=12	+13	=5	+10	+2	5½
4	Alexander Munro Davie	+23	+7	=1	+15	–2	+5	=6	5
5	Peter M George	+22	=11	+9	+17	=3	–4	+14	5
6	R J Austin	+20	–2	+23	+16	–8	+17	=4	4½
7	Edward Davis	+25	–4	–8	+22	+23	=15	+12	4½
8	Michael J Freeman	=13	=3	+7	+9	+6	=2	–1	4½
9	Col. William Grenville Irvine-Fortescue	+12	+20	–5	–8	–10	+11	+18	4
10	J A Johnstone	+14	+16	–2	–12	+9	–3	+17	4
11	Gerald Bonner	=15	=5	=25	+19	–1	–9	+21	3½
12	Hugh D Holmes	–9	+21	=3	+10	+13	–1	–7	3½
13	Andrew G Laing	=8	+26	+15	–3	–12	–14	+19	3½
14	P McLaren	–10	–15	+22	=25	+19	+13	–5	3½
15	(Alexander) Aird Thomson	=11	+14	–13	–4	+25	=7	=16	3½
16	Dr J M Wallace	+17	–10	=19	–6	=18	+20	=15	3½
17	J E Bothwell	–16	+22	+18	–5	+20	–6	–10	3
18	Ed Gollnick	+26	–1	–17	=23	=16	+24	–9	3
19	T I Cowling	–3	+25	=16	–11	–14	+23	–13	2½
20	W P Watson	–6	–9	+26	+21	–17	–16	=24	2½
21	Major William Ernest Bruges	–2	–12	–24	–20	+26	+25	–11	2
22	W A Bryden	–5	–17	–14	–7	=24	+26	=23	2
23	George Duguid Campbell	–4	+24	–6	=18	–7	–19	=22	2
24	F McKenna	–1	–23	+21	–26	=22	–18	=20	2
25	J Wilkes	–7	–19	=11	=14	–15	–21	+26	2
26	C B Russell	–18	–13	–20	+24	–21	–22	–25	1

¹ After Xmas (28 December 1965 - 3 January 1966), a double-round play-off in Edinburgh ended Aitken & Jamieson 2½/4, Baxter 1, so Aitken & Jamieson shared the title.

---

24th West of England (WECU) Championship, 3-7 April 1969, Torquay, Devon (6 rounds)

1969 West of England Championship		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Others	Total
1	Peter H Clarke	&;	½	1		½	½	1			1	4½
2	Leon P Burnett	½	&;	½	1			1			1½	4½
3	John F Wheeler	0	½	&;		½			1		2	4
4	Stuart J Hutchings		0		&;	½	½				3	4
5	Dr James M Aitken	½		½	½	&;		½			2	4
6	George W Wheeler	½			½	½	&;			½	2½	4
7	Nigel J Holloway	0	0			½		&;	1		2	3½
8	James R Boyce			0				0	&;	½	3	3½
9	Michael E Brigden						½		½	&;	2½	3½
10	Dr Peter Merrett											2½
11	John Crowle Cock											2½
12	Ronald O Powis											2½
13	Joseph Andrew Flood											2½
14	(Henry) James Draisey											2½
15	David A LeMoir											2½
16	Leslie Paul Collard											2
17	David J Richards											2
18	Maurice J Belsten											2
19	Andrew Rowland Benedick Thomas											2
20	R Martin											1½

Thames Valley Chess League Congress, Richmond, 28-31 August 1970 (6 rounds)

A total of 134 participants took part in the annual August Bank Holiday Congress. The Premier Tournament (6-round Swiss; 62 competitors) was won by the young Belfast player, Hugh MacGrillen, with the fine score of 5½. The remaining prizewinners were: (2) Seth Saverymuttu 5; (3-9) Dr. James M Aitken, Leonard W Barden, Michael R B Clarke, D A Hyett, Richard C Lemon, John D M Nunn, Jonathan S Speelman 4½. First prize in the Major went to Thomas H Stonehouse 5½; he was followed by (2-4) Tim Parkes, Peter R Rawcliffe and Klaus M Weinhold 5; (5-10) Roger G Ambler, Rev. Peter R Kings, B W Mclvor, Zia Mehmet, R A Norton and P A Warren 4½. Source of info: BCM, October 1970, p279 (I have added forename details where known - JS)

Rhyl Premier A, 7-9 May 1971 (5 rounds)

(1) Dr James M Aitken 4½/5; (2-3) Paul A Hutchinson, Baruch H Wood 4; (4)4 Terence D Crawford 3½; (5-6) Frank Boyd, Harry Lamb 3; (7-13) L Alan Edwards, Iolo C Jones, J Jarvis, Dr Ervin Bernard Kraus, Brian E Milner, Andrew J Morley, Robert P Ross 2½; (14-16) M D Osmond, John Trevelyan, Robert H Wildig 2; (17-18) James R Nicolson, M C Wright 1½; (19) Peter Morrey 1; (20) E Navilluso [alias Brian F O'Sullivan] ½ (Source of info: BCM, June 1971, p206)

1st Jersey International, 13-18 May 1973 (6 rounds)

(1) IM Radolfo Tan Cardoso (PHI) 5/6; (2-6) James M Aitken (SCO), Timothy D Harding (ENG), Rory M R O'Kelly (ENG), John K Robinson (ENG), W Schmid (FRG) 4½; (7-9) R Bisson (JCI), H Herring (FRG), E Palmer (GCI) 4; (10-12) I Le Marquand (JCI), D Riley (ENG), C Wentworth (ENG) 3½; (13-18) A Grosse (JCI), S Manning (JCI), A O'Donovan (JCI), M Paut (FRA), P Watkins (JCI), D Wunsch (JCI) 3; (19-21) L Charnley (JCI), PD Gait (ENG), R Whitley (JCI) 2½; (all remaining players JCI) (22-26) I Henley, L Jones, R Le Rossignol, M Pallot, B South 2; (27) Mrs V Von Pantzer 1½; (28-30) Miss Chapman, R O'Toole, P Rynd 1.

2nd Jersey International, 5-11 May 1974 (7 rounds)

1 AJ Miles 6½/7; 2-3 N Birnboim (ISR), AJ Mestel 6; 4-6 RG Eales, RFA Harman, D Wright 5½; 7-12 GH Bennett, TD Harding, N Giffard (FRA), J Vickery, W Seeger (FRG), BH Wood 5; 13-19 R Blow (JCI), P Guillaume (FRA), J Kerkmeester (NED), A Goldsmith (AUS), R Gronau, RW O'Brien, R Norton 4½; 20-33 Dr JM Aitken (SCO), A Crosse (JCI), R Farley, R Gamble, J Goodman, I Henley (JCI), P Lunais (FRA), RMR O'Kelly, A Prizant, M Schmid (FRG), F Stegeman (NED), F Trommsdorff (FRA), L Wilde (JCI), Dinah Wright-> Norman 4, etc.

3rd Jersey International, 27 April - 3 May 1975 (7 rounds)

1 Baruch H Wood 6½/7; 2 S Pavlovic (YUG) 6; 3-5 S Brixel (FRG), ML Fuller (AUS), TD Harding (IRE) 5½; 6-10 GH Bennett, N Oliver, LM Pickett, P Stegemans (NED), Daniel Wright 5, etc. JM Aitken was amongst those on 4½/7.

4th Jersey International, 2-8 May 1976 (7 rounds)

1 David E Rumens 6½/7; 2-3 ML Fuller (AUS), KJ Wicker 6; 4-12 JB Adams, R Goldenberg (FRA), MJ Freeman (SCO), V Gass (FRG), H Lamb, Puck Leynen (GER), W Luberti (NED), E Moscow (USA), JE Stada (NED) 5; 13-21 G Boersma (NED), MG Chandler (NZL), R Evertse (NED), M Faber (FRG), TD Harding (IRE), CM Kuijpers (NED), RW O'Brien, D Sikkel (NED), BH Wood 4½. JM Aitken was amongst those on 3½.

5th Jersey International, 1-7 May 1977 (7 rounds)

1 Max L Fuller (AUS) 6½/7; 2-3 F Helmond, D Sikkel (both NED) 6; 4-6 I Branicki (NED), D Parr, W Wolff (GER) 5½, etc. JM Aitken scored 4/7 (including a one-point bye in round 1).

7th Jersey International, 13-19 May 1979 (9 rounds)

1 Max L Fuller (AUS) 8/9; 2-3 S Von Seelen (DEN), MJ Yeo 7; 4-8 H Dietrich (FRG), A Hanreck, RFA Harman, L Monnard (FRA), KJ Wicker 6½; 9-13 NF Dickenson, CD Gilliam, Sheila Jackson, H Schmelmer (FRG), E Gerritson (NED) 6; 14-19 NW Faulks, AD Gravett, K Harman, J Havenaar (NED), O Shapiro (USA), PK Wells 5½, etc. JM Aitken scored 5/9.

Jersey Lloyds Bank International, 26 October - 1 November 1980

1980 Jersey International		Nat'y	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total
1	Ian Duncan Wells	ENG	2295f	◊ 1/40	♦ 1/19	◊ 1/10	♦ 1/4	◊ ½/3	◊ 1/2	♦ ½/7	♦ ½/13	◊ 1/14	7½
2	Jean-Pierre Boudre	FRA	2235	◊ 1/8	♦ 1/26	◊ 1/30	♦ ½/3	◊ 1/7	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/9	◊ 1/4	♦ ½/10	7
3	Robert Bellin	ENG	2440m	◊ 1/38	♦ 1/25	♦ 1/31	◊ ½/2	♦ ½/1	◊ 1/10	♦ ½/4	◊ ½/7	♦ ½/5	6½
4	Stuart C Conquest	ENG		◊ 1/33	♦ 1/20	◊ 1/14	◊ 0/1	♦ 1/19	♦ 1/30	◊ ½/3	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/13	6½
5	Ronald Blow	JCI	2200	◊ 1/42	♦ ½/7	◊ 1/45	♦ 0/6	◊ 1/46	♦ ½/9	◊ ½/14	♦ 1/20	◊ ½/3	6
6	Peter W Hempson	ENG	2240	♦ 1/9	◊ ½/22	♦ 1/32	◊ 1/5	♦ ½/10	◊ 0/19	♦ ½/18	◊ 1/23	♦ ½/7	6
7	Andrew D Martin	ENG	2315	♦ 1/36	◊ ½/5	♦ 1/15	◊ 1/28	♦ 0/2	◊ 1/12	◊ ½/1	♦ ½/3	◊ ½/6	6
8	S Newman	JCI		♦ 0/2	♦ 1/52	◊ 1/26	◊ 1/34	♦ 0/12	◊ 0/35	♦ 1/27	◊ 1/25	♦ 1/18	6
9	Alan Reid	SCO	2255	◊ 0/6	♦ 1/12	♦ 1/11	◊ 1/31	♦ 1/25	◊ ½/5	♦ 0/2	◊ ½/18	♦ 1/21	6
10	Paul Van Haastert	NED		♦ 1/48	◊ 1/37	♦ 0/1	◊ 1/18	◊ ½/6	♦ 0/3	◊ 1/11	♦ 1/15	◊ ½/2	6
11	Kenneth J Bloodworth	ENG		◊ 1/29	♦ 0/13	◊ 0/9	♦ ½/14	♦ 1/41	◊ 1/38	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/43	♦ 1/31	5½
12	Neil H Bradbury	ENG		♦ ½/54	◊ 0/9	♦ 1/40	◊ 1/35	◊ 1/8	♦ 0/7	♦ 0/23	◊ 1/41	♦ 1/19	5½
13	Jonathan P Levitt	ENG		♦ ½/32	◊ 1/11	♦ ½/22	◊ ½/30	♦ ½/28	◊ 1/21	♦ 1/24	◊ ½/1	♦ 0/4	5½
14	Svend O Van Seelen	DEN	2205	♦ 1/23	◊ ½/15	♦ 0/4	◊ ½/11	♦ 1/26	◊ 1/22	♦ ½/5	◊ 1/19	♦ 0/1	5½
15	Joop P A Bakker	NED		◊ 1/39	♦ ½/14	◊ 0/7	♦ ½/24	♦ 0/21	◊ 1/37	♦ 1/26	◊ 0/10	◊ 1/34	5
16	Hans Berrevoets	NED		♦ 0/28	◊ ½/17	♦ 1/43	◊ 1/44	♦ ½/30	◊ 1/25	♦ 0/19	◊ 0/21	◊ 1/38	5
17	Michel Boixader	FRA		◊ 0/19	♦ ½/16	◊ 0/29	♦ ½/40	◊ 1/33	♦ ½/44	◊ 1/32	◊ 1/30	♦ ½/23	5
18	Alan K Crombleholme	ENG		◊ 1/46	♦ 0/30	◊ 1/38	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/29	♦ 1/28	◊ ½/6	♦ ½/9	◊ 0/8	5
19	Joseph G Gallagher	ENG		♦ 1/17	◊ 0/1	♦ 1/36	◊ 1/37	◊ 0/4	♦ 1/6	◊ 1/16	♦ 0/14	◊ 0/12	5
20	Jan Havenaar	NED		♦ 1/50	◊ 0/4	♦ ½/21	◊ 1/32	♦ 1/27	◊ 0/23	♦ 1/31	◊ 0/5	♦ ½/22	5
21	Jonathan R Hawes	JCI		◊ ½/24	♦ ½/46	◊ ½/20	♦ ½/29	◊ 1/15	♦ 0/13	◊ 1/44	♦ 1/16	◊ 0/9	5
22	Brian J Valentine	ENG		◊ 1/47	♦ ½/9	◊ ½/13	♦ 0/25	◊ 1/34	♦ 0/14	◊ 1/28	♦ ½/24	◊ ½/20	5
23	Cornelis Van der Gaag	NED		◊ 0/14	♦ 0/38	◊ 1/42	♦ 1/39	◊ ½/24	♦ 1/20	◊ 1/12	♦ 0/6	◊ ½/17	5
24	James M Aitken	SCO		♦ ½/21	◊ ½/54	♦ ½/35	◊ ½/15	♦ ½/23	♦ 1/34	◊ 0/13	◊ ½/22	♦ ½/26	4½
25	Tunc Alankus	TUR		♦ 1/43	◊ 0/3	♦ 1/54	◊ 1/22	◊ 0/9	♦ 0/16	◊ 1/39	♦ 0/8	◊ ½/27	4½
26	Y Fentelais	FRA		♦ 1/35	◊ 0/2	♦ 0/8	◊ 1/48	◊ 0/14	♦ 1/45	◊ 0/15	♦ 1/39	◊ ½/24	4½
27	Leo(?) Helfrich	FRG		1/bye	½/bye	½/bye	♦ 1/33	◊ 0/20	♦ 0/46	◊ 0/8	◊ 1/37	♦ ½/25	4½
28	R La Fuente	ESP		◊ 1/16	♦ ½/45	◊ 1/44	♦ 0/7	◊ ½/13	◊ 0/18	♦ 0/22	♦ 1/33	◊ ½/35	4½
29	George W Livie	SCO		♦ 0/11	◊ ½/43	♦ 1/17	◊ ½/21	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/36	◊ ½/30	♦ 0/34	◊ 1/42	4½
30	Richard W O'Brien	ENG		◊ 1/52	◊ 1/18	♦ 0/2	♦ ½/13	◊ ½/16	◊ 0/4	♦ ½/29	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/41	4½
31	Alan Shaw	SCO		◊ 1/41	♦ 1/34	◊ 0/3	♦ 0/9	◊ 1/38	♦ ½/32	◊ 0/20	♦ 1/35	◊ 0/11	4½
32	I Wirya	INA		◊ ½/13	♦ 1/50	◊ 0/6	♦ 0/20	♦ ½/37	◊ ½/31	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/44	♦ 1/43	4½
33	D Chevalier	FRA		♦ 0/4	◊ 1/53	♦ 0/37	◊ 0/27	♦ 0/17	◊ 1/50	♦ 1/36	◊ 0/28	◊ 1/45	4
34	G Keizer	NED		◊ 1/53	◊ 0/31	♦ 1/51	♦ 0/8	♦ 0/22	◊ 0/24	◊ 1/35	◊ 1/29	♦ 0/15	4
35	M A C La Fuente	ESP		◊ 0/26	♦ 1/42	◊ ½/24	♦ 0/12	◊ 1/40	♦ 1/8	♦ 0/34	◊ 0/31	♦ ½/28	4
36	S Neil	JCI		◊ 0/7	♦ 1/39	◊ 0/19	♦ 0/47	1/bye	♦ 0/29	◊ 0/33	♦ 1/51	◊ 1/48	4
37	(Miss) Claude Santoy	FRA		◊ 1/51	♦ 0/10	◊ 1/33	♦ 0/19	◊ ½/32	♦ 0/15	◊ ½/40	♦ 0/27	♦ 1/50	4
38	J Steenhuizen	NED		♦ 0/3	◊ 1/23	♦ 0/18	◊ 1/50	♦ 0/31	♦ 0/11	◊ 1/48	◊ 1/40	♦ 0/16	4
39	M Baker	ENG		♦ 0/15	◊ 0/36	♦ 1/52	◊ 0/23	♦ 1/48	◊ 1/49	♦ 0/25	◊ 0/26	♦ ½/44	3½
40	Charles Harry Greier	JCI		♦ 0/1	♦ ½/47	◊ 0/12	◊ ½/17	♦ 0/35	1/bye	♦ ½/37	♦ 0/38	◊ 1/51	3½
41	Philip H Le Feuvre	JCI		♦ 0/31	◊ ½/48	◊ 0/46	♦ 1/43	◊ 0/11	♦ 1/42	◊ 1/45	♦ 0/12	♦ 0/30	3½
42	S Manning	JCI		♦ 0/5	◊ 0/35	♦ 0/23	◊ 1/53	♦ ½/51	◊ 0/41	♦ 1/49	◊ 1/46	◊ 0/29	3½
43	R Whitley	JCI		◊ 0/25	♦ ½/29	◊ 0/16	◊ 0/41	♦ 1/50	♦ 1/51	◊ 1/46	♦ 0/11	◊ 0/32	3½
44	Roy Bisson	JCI		½/bye	◊ 1/49	♦ 0/28	♦ 0/16	♦ ½/45	◊ ½/17	♦ 0/21	♦ 0/32	◊ ½/39	3
45	J Illingworth	ENG		♦ 1/49	◊ ½/28	♦ 0/5	♦ 0/46	◊ ½/44	◊ 0/26	♦ 0/41	◊ 1/50	♦ 0/33	3
46	R Quaye	ENG		♦ 0/18	◊ ½/21	♦ 1/41	◊ 1/45	♦ 0/5	◊ 0/27	♦ 0/43	♦ 0/42	◊ ½/49	3
47	L Visser	NED		♦ 0/22	◊ ½/40	♦ ½/48	◊ 1/36	♦ 1/49					3/5
48	D Wunsch	JCI		◊ 0/10	♦ ½/41	◊ ½/47	♦ 0/26	◊ 0/39	1/bye	♦ 0/38	◊ 1/49	♦ 0/36	3
49	(Miss) M Daniel	ENG		◊ 0/45	♦ 0/44	1/bye	◊ 1/51	◊ 0/47	♦ 0/39	◊ 0/42	♦ 0/48	♦ ½/46	2½
50	David Potigny	JCI		◊ 0/20	◊ 0/32	♦ 1/53	♦ 0/38	◊ 0/43	♦ 0/33	◊ 1/51	♦ 0/45	◊ 0/37	2
51	Miss H Chapman	JCI		♦ 0/37	1/bye	◊ 0/34	♦ 0/49	◊ ½/42	◊ 0/43	♦ 0/50	◊ 0/36	♦ 0/40	1½
52	D De Lacy	JCI		♦ 0/30	◊ 0/8	◊ 0/39	1/bye						1/4
53	C Klop	NED		♦ 0/34	♦ 0/33	◊ 0/50	♦ 0/42	1/bye					1/5
54	Ton Slagboom	NED		◊ ½/12	♦ ½/24	◊ 0/25							1/3

Guernsey International, 16-22 October 1983

Aitken's penultimate tournament was the 1983 Guernsey tournament. (From the SCCU Bulletin)... "LLOYDS BANK GUERNSEY INTERNATIONAL (sponsored jointly with the Guernsey Tourist Board) attracted 160 players from 12 countries. Play was from 16 to 22 Oct 1983: 1 Bruno Carlier (NED) 6½/7; 2-7 Robert Bellin (Eng), James Plaskett (Eng), J Hvenekilde (Denmark), H Temmink, J van Baarle (both NED), Neil Carr, Gary Kenworthy (Eng) 5½. Junior trophy: Neil Carr. Ladies: Cathy Forbes (Eng), Yvette Nagel (NED) 4. Veterans: JM Aitken (Scotland), G Noradounguian (France), A Tackels (Belgium), BH Wood (Eng) 4. Junior: Julian M Way (Eng) 3½. Channel Islands prize: J Hawes (Jersey) 4. Holiday Tournament: T Borland (Scotland). The chief organiser and President of the Guernsey Chess Federation set a unique record when he stood in for 2 rounds to make up the numbers, winning both his games and registering the only 100% score."

18th Torbay Open, Torquay, 25-27 November 1983

(1) K Allen (Coventry) 4½/5; (2-3) C Beaumont (Bristol), D C Osbourne (Bristol) 4; (4-9) K B Hills (Coventry), A Boyne (Teignmouth), Neil Crickmore (Plymouth), S Flesch (Exeter), H Karrer (Totnes), G Moore (Dublin) 3½. JM Aitken 2½/5.

Aitken's final tournament was the 18th Torbay Open. By a curious coincidence, in his last game in Torquay (round 5) he played the same opponent that he had faced in the last round at Guernsey the previous month, Steve J Shutler (1959-2008). In Guernsey Shutler had won but in Torquay their game ended in an 18-move draw which left Aitken on 2½/5. Aitken died six days later on Saturday morning at his home in Cheltenham. (The back cover of BCM, January 1984, tells us that this was "on the eve of a Gloucestershire county match" but this was corrected in the February issue, p65, as the county match was scheduled for that afternoon, adding the detail that he was due to play in it.)

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Press Cuttings

"It was reported at the meeting that a number of outstanding chess players would be coming to Cheltenham with the Foreign Office Department, and that these would include Mr. C H O’D Alexander (ex-British champion) and Dr. Aitken. The members welcomed the news that the playing strength of the club would be so strengthened by these outstanding British players." (Gloucestershire Echo, Monday 16 October 1950, reporting on the AGM of Cheltenham Chess Club)

"Biographical note: Dr. J M Aitken whom we hope to welcome shortly as a member of the Cheltenham Club, was born in 1908, in Lanarkshire, learnt chess at eight. Scottish champion 1935. Led Scottish team, Stockholm, 1937. Lud Eagle Club champion, 1934-6-8 [assume it means 1934, 1936 and 1938 - JS]. Best British score, Hastings, 1946. Played for England v U.S.S.R. (London, 1947). Graduate Edinburgh and Oxford, Ph.D. (Edin.). Employee at Foreign Office." (Cheltenham Chronicle - Saturday 9 December 1950)

"Dr. James Aitken died suddenly on Saturday, 3rd December 1983 following a heart attack. Dr. Aitken began playing chess at an early age in his native Scotland and was ten times Scottish Champion, continuing to compete following his move to Gloucestershire where he became a well known figure among chess players in the West of England County matches, congresses and Championships. He was West of England Champion in the 1950's, and for many years gave valuable help in annotating the championship games for the Congress Brochure. He was awarded the British Master title in 1964. Becoming an executive member of the West of England Chess Association in 1955, he was on the sub-committee formed to draw up the constitution for the new West of England Chess Union in 1956, and was a Vice President until elected to the Office of President for 3 years in 1969. In appreciation of his long service to chess in the West of England Chess Union he was then made the first Life Vice President." (Westward Ho - West of England chess bulletin - December 1983)

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File updated

Date	Notes
November 2020 - September 2021	2,269 game entries in total including a few part-games and stubs. This is an amalgamation of around 500 games already in the public domain, added to a 50/100-game scorebook at a time as Geoff Chandler worked his way through 45 scorebooks during November 2020 to September 2021. Geoff's first tranche of 50 games uploaded here on 2 November 2020, with the final scorebook upload on 14 September 2021.
26 October 2020	The PGN file has 478 entries, including 400+ complete games, the remainder being either part-games or stubs. I put this collection together primarily to assist Geoff Chandler in his forthcoming project to input all of Dr Aitken's games from the collection of 45 scorebooks (each containing 50 games) held by Edinburgh Chess Club but thought I might as well make it available on BritBase while we await the completion of this major input project. A secondary purpose is to make the games available to BritBase's volunteer proof-readers who have proved themselves to be an invaluable resource in weeding out errors in existing game databases.
26 October 2020	Very prompt feedback from correspondents led to a number of additions and amendments. Firstly, I've found another game myself - Ventham ½-½ Aitken, County Match 1961. Alan McGowan has pointed me in the direction of the two matches Aitken played against Fairhurst in 1937 and 1938, documented on the Chess Scotland website. Thank you, Alan. The first 1937 match consisted of six games, all of which I have now added to the file. The second match consisted of eight games, starting in December 1937 and continuing well into 1938. I had already collected two of these games (match games 3 and 7) in the initial upload; the other six have now been added. Brian Denman has also been in touch. He has contributed three new games: (1) G.Norman - JMA, County match 1950; (2) JMA - GH James, Jersey 1979; and (3) GH James - JMA, Guernsey 1981. He has also suggested new dates for two games vs Cafferty which had been previously been guessed at. Cafferty - JMA, National Club, previously dated 1957, is now 1962. Finally, Brian points out that game JMA - Cafferty, British Championship 1960, was played on the 18th (not the 19th) of August. So that's 16 new games in total, thus 494 entries all told.
2 November 2020	The file has now grown to 570 - that's 76 more than previously. The additional games are composed of 23 games sent by Andy Ansel, from the period from the 1960s to the 1980s when Dr Aitken played in several WECU (West of England Chess Union) Congresses and 53 from Dr Aitken's own first scorebook, input by Geoff Chandler. Geoff will be sending me the games one scorebook at a time, so that's a batch of around 50 games each time (less the games which are already in the public domain and on BritBase). There are 44 scorebooks-worth still to come! The first scorebook covers the period 1931 to early 1933 when Dr Aitken was a student at Oxford.
3 November 2020	Now a total of 616 games after adding the 46 (new) games contained within Aitken's Book 2. This covers the period up to Xmas 1934. Good work by Geoff! I'm working on finding full names for the players - it's proving reasonably successful so far.
4 November 2020	Now a total of 622 game entries. Gerard Killoran discovered three more games from the 1932/33 Scottish Championship: Aitken 1-0 Combe (rd 4), Page 1-0 Aitken (rd 5) and Hamilton 0-1 Aitken (rd 7). I've added two stubs for the remaining games missing from this event: Stewart-Aitken (rd 2) and Aitken ½-½ Goldberg (rd 6). Geoff Chandler sent me the score of a second game against FG Tims-Collins, dated 2 December 1935.
5 November 2020	Four more games added, played whilst Dr Aitken was engaged on cryptanalysis work at Bletchley Park during the war. One is probably an informal game, dated 30 December 1941, with Aitken losing to Harry Golombek after a terrible blunder. His mind may have been elsewhere - helping win the war seems like the best of excuses! Another is undated – perhaps played around the same time? – and is a win against another celebrated code-cracker, Jack Good. This was played as part of a match at Bletchley Park, with Aitken's Hut 6 playing Good's Hut 8. Plus two games from 1942 referred to as 'Ladder Games' against (David) Bernard Scott (né Schultz), later known as Professor Bernard Scott.
10 November 2020	The upload of Books 3 and 4 scores is imminent: I still have to proof-read and add full names and competition details, etc. But in advance of them, I am pleased to report that we now have the scores of Aitken's two missing games from the 1937 Stockholm Olympiad - a loss to Salo Flohr (Scotland v Czechoslovakia, rd 3) and a loss against Piazzini (Scotland v Argentina, rd 18) and have included these in the download.
10 November 2020	We're now up to 686 games, with another 60 games added from scorebooks 3 and 4 (more or less conforming to 1935-1938). Many thanks to Geoff Chandler for inputting the games. I've concentrated on finding full names for players and also determining the identity of competitions where Aitken hasn't recorded them, via searches of newspapers and BMD records, etc. Thanks also to Alan McGowan and Martin Smith for assisting in tracking down some of this data.
11 November 2020	Added two more games, which I found whilst browsing old newspapers: (1) Aitken 0-1 J.Strachstein, played 07.01.1939 in the Richardson Cup; and (2) A.Burnett ½-½ Aitken, Richardson Cup Final Replay, 25.03.1939.
13 November 2020	Geoff Chandler has now completed input of scorebook 5, which brings us 12 new games, making the total number of game entries now 702. Unless one or two strays come to light, this completes the collection of Aitken's pre-war games.
18 November 2020	Correction to three games played against FJ Camm. I have just learnt from the highly informative West London Chess Club history pages that the player's full name is Frederick Jackson Camm, not to be confused with Frederick James Camm (which was the exact trap I fell into! Apologies).
23 November 2020	Geoff Chandler has now completed books 6 and 7, with a few games from book 8, covering the period 1945-47, bringing us 69 new games. There are still a few mysteries among them as a result of Aitken not always recording names or events clearly, and having somewhat difficult handwriting. Geoff has attempted to iron out the difficulties found amongst the moves while I have concentrated on the names, competitions and dates. This proved more difficult than in the 1930s as the reporting of chess events was much worse in the mid-1940s than it had been in the late 1930s (for obvious and understandable reasons).
26 November 2020	Book 8 now completed, adding another 32 complete games and a running total of 794 game entries. The file is now up-to-date as of 1 April 1948, barring the appearance of the occasional earlier game (as the scorebooks are not always strictly chronological). As always during this post-war period, there are name of players and competitions which are hard to identify, given Dr Aitken's sketchy documentation of some games and difficult handwriting. Any help with this appreciated.
29 November 2020	Book 9 now completed and the running total of game entries is now 825. This brings the file up to May 1949, with all of Aitken's games at the 1948 British Championship (Bishopsgate, London) and 1949 SCCU Championship (Southsea) now included.
4 December 2020	Book 10 now completed and the running total of game entries is now 858, bringing the file up to date to around May 1951. (There are still one or two missing games here and there. Geoff Chandler tells us that Aitken's scorebooks aren't always chronological and he's shared scoresheet scans with me that underline the Doctor's very poor handwriting (anyone would think he was a medical doctor). Only another 35 scorebooks to go... !
16 January 2021	Book 11 now completed and the running total of games is now 960. 45 games have been added since the last update (ranging from Spring 1950 to about the middle of 1951), plus some 61 stubs relating to the nine Guernsey tournaments which Dr Aitken took part in the latter part of his life. Geoff actually sent me these games not long after book 10 but I've been taking my time over Xmas and the New Year, partly because of other domestic matters but also because I was aware that I wasn't holding up the operation. Geoff has now reached the end of his current batch of scorebooks but he cannot take custody of the next batch due to stringent lockdown in Scotland. So there could be a substantial wait before Book 12 is processed and published. Book 11 took a bit of deciphering (something of an irony in that, given Dr Aitken's day job) and there are still a couple more names that need looking at. The 1950/51 batch includes an Aitken win against Jonathan Penrose which he described as "one of my best games".
2 March 2021	Two games contributed by Gerard Killoran, via the English Chess Forum: (1) JMA ½-½ M Fallone, Scottish Championship 1958; (2) JMA 1-0 J Smail, Scottish Championship 1962. Many thanks, Gerard. Running total now 962 games.
4 March 2021	Five more games kindly contributed by Gerard Killoran: (1) JMA 1-0 Dr FHC Marriott, SCO-ch 1955; (2) J Ansell 0-1 JMA, Cheltenham Club ch 1956; (3) G Dickson ½-½ JMA, SCO-ch 1958; (4) DG Horseman ½-½ JMA, Coventry v N Glos League 1959; (5) T McKelvie 0-1 JMA, SCO-ch 1960. Gerard also alerted me to a BritBase error as regards the result of the game M Fallone-JMA from the 1956 SCO-ch, which was a draw. Many thanks, Gerard. Running total now 967 games.
21 April 2021	Aitken lockdown is over! The three-month delay since Book 11 was uploaded was a result of game inputter Geoff Chandler not being allowed to liaise with his Edinburgh CC colleagues who have custody of the scorebooks, but he tells me he has now collected all of the remaining books so the project is no longer in thrall to Covid-19 regulations. 27 games from Book 12 (September 1951 to April 1952) have been added in this latest update, so the running total of game entries is now 994. Note, Dr Aitken's handwriting and scanty recording of match details haven't got any better and my reference sources don't cover this period very well. Consequently we don't have reliable match/tournament details for several of the games. If anyone can help to proof-read the information, particularly anyone who has a copy of the 1951/52 BCF Yearbook (which is likely to have detailed scores of Middlesex county matches and perhaps National Club pairings), then I would be glad to hear from them. Thanks to Geoff for all his hard work, to Alan McGowan for helping with match/tournament details, and also to Ken Norman who sent me the score of his game against Dr Aitken from Paignton 1974. EDIT: game 568 - the name 'Alfred Matlock' amended to 'Alfred Mortlock'. Thanks to Brian Denman for alerting me to this.
24 April 2021	Book 13 has been uploaded. It consisted of 41 complete games from Spring to Christmas 1952, and the running total is now 1026. It now includes all 11 games Aitken played at the 1952 British Championship in Chester. Thanks to Geoff for his swift input work.
27 April 2021	Another game added: Jerry Humphries sent Geoff the score of his game with Dr Aitken from a Cardiff weekender, dated 15 January 1983. Thanks to Jerry for submitting the game. A reminder to anyone else who wishes to submit the score of a close encounter with Dr A, you're welcome to do so - just click where it says 'contact' in the left-hand panel and email me the game. Every game you send will save a few minutes' of Geoff's life!
30 April 2021	Aitken's scorebook no.14 added, with 40 more games up to November 1953. In the spring of this year Dr Aitken moved from London to Cheltenham to work at GCHQ (then often referred to as 'Foreign Office, Cheltenham'). He thus played his last games for the Lud Eagle club and the county of Middlesex, and transferred his affiliation to Cheltenham and Gloucestershire. 1,063 game entries - more good work from Geoff. Some of the competition names are missing from the scorebook and in one game there are only mysterious three-character codes for the players (we assume Aitken must be one of them but it's not certain). My hunch is that this is a correspondence game, possibly played in the County & District (Ward Higgs) Correspondence Championship. Ambitious code-breakers amongst the BritBase readership are invited to see if they can crack the code! Here's the image we're working with... ... can anyone make sense of what appears in the 'White' and 'Black' fields? Geoff thinks it might be some sort of consultation game combination of two or three people's surname initials? Maybe a consultation correspondence game? The date is clear enough: Dec 52 - June 53'. The number at the top is just the number of the game in his series of scorebooks. EDIT (2 May): a few more clues have emerged. We now think the identifiers could H5r and H5l which might be something like Hut 5 (right) vs Hut 5 (left) and perhaps involved two GCHQ departments playing a consultation correspondence game against each other. N.B. Hugh Alexander was head of the Russian crypt section which was known as H5.
2 May 2021	Book 15 added, with 42 more games from the period November 1953 to November 1954. Game entries now 1,099. Aitken's 1954 British Championship games now included. Note that we already had all of Aitken's game scores from the June 1954 Munich FIDE Zonal tournament, but not yet the dates for each round. Geoff tells me these games are in a separate scorebook which he will address in due course, so that we should soon have dates for each round. I have retrospectively added dates of games for the April/May 1951 FIDE West European Zonal.
9 May 2021	Correction made to the result of a game - it had previously been thought that the game Aitken-Golombek, Scotland v England, 26.11.1955, had been adjudicated a win for Aitken by Max Euwe, but Aitken's own scorebook records this as a draw. It has therefore now been recorded as ½-½.
10 May 2021	Books 16 and 17 added, with 62 more games from the period November 1954 to June 1956. Game entries now total 1,161. Aitken's 1955 British Championship games now included. I've now included dates of individual rounds for the 1954 Munich FIDE Zonal tournament.
12 May 2021	Book 18 added, with 41 more games, and replacing eight stubs from the 1956 British Championship with complete scores. Game entries now 1,194. Up to date to 1 June 1957. I've also a little text to Aitken's 1956 Scottish Championship win, above on this page.
16 May 2021	Book 19 added, with 42 more games, up to the early rounds of the Scottish Championship in July 1958. Game entries now total 1,236.
16 May 2021	Book 20 added, with 23 more games, up to end-March 1959. Game entries now total 1,267.
10 June 2021	After a delay while I was working in Gibraltar, I've just uploaded a file with 136 more Aitken games. These are games from books 21, 22, 25 and 26. Which begs the question - what happened to books 23 and 24? Unfortunately they appear to be missing and Geoff is trying to find out what happened to them, and whether there are some loose score sheets that will help fill the gaps. It means that the period between May 1961 and May 1963 is still rather thin on the ground, including the 1961 British Championship and the 1962 West of England Championship where Aitken games are still far from complete. However, the supply picks up again in May 1963 as book 25 begins and we've got a comprehensive haul of Aitken's games up to August 1965. Game entries now total 1,403. More soon as Geoff Chandler's major input project continues. (There are still around 20 more books to be input.)
14 June 2021	Book 27 has been uploaded, with another 38 game entries (which now total 1,441 all told). We're now up to date to the end of May 1966 (with the aforementioned gap between May 1961 and May 1963 which is still being sought out in the Edinburgh CC library). Quite a number of games lack competition details. If anyone can identify the competition in which these games were played, do please let me know.
15 June 2021	One more game score added: Dr RC Nairn ½-½ JMA, Cheltenham v Bon Accord telephone match, 13.12.1961. This one may well be in one of the missing books 23 or 24 if and when they turn up. I found it in GD Campbell's chess column in the Aberdeen Evening Express, 22 December 1961. Game entries now total 1,442 (n.b. 85 of those are stubs, with no moves).
17 June 2021	Book 28 uploaded, with 31 more games, making 1,473 in total. Now up to date to May 1967 (except for the incomplete period May 1961 to May 1963).
11 July 2021	Four more books of games uploaded - scorebooks 29, 30, 31 and 32, with 172 more games from the period 1967 to early 1971. By the end of this period Dr Aitken had retired from work and was starting to play a few more weekend tournaments. 1,635 game entries, with 13 more books to go. Geoff's doing an amazing job. Dr Aitken didn't always identify the competitions he was playing in so if anyone can help with that, it would be appreciated. (It's likely that the unknown competitions were probably club championships but it would still be nice to know the context of these games.)
11 July 2021	A couple of running repairs to the last batch of games uploaded: (1) there are now more moves to the game G.Bennett ½-½ Aitken, West Wales Open, 31.01.1971; (2) I couldn't resist asking Geoff to send me any comments that Dr Aitken had made about his game against me, played in Oxford on 31.07.1971, and he sent me a scan. They were almost illegible but I've added a few of them to the score. I can't believe that was fifty years ago. I remember it like it was... only forty five years ago.
28 July 2021	Running total now 1,713 game entries, with the inclusion of books 33 and 34. This takes us up to May 1972. We now have the moves for Dr Aitken's games in the 1972 Wijk aan Zee Reserve A tournament. Still a dozen or so books to go... keep up the good work, Geoff!
5 August 2021	Running total now 1,753 game entries, with the inclusion of book 35. This takes up to April 1973. Ten scorebooks to go, covering the last ten years of Dr Aitken's life.
16 August 2021	Running total now 1,837 games, with 84 games added from scorebooks 36 and 37, taking us up to December 1974.
20 August 2021	Running total now 1,881 game entries, with 44 games added from scorebook no.38, taking us up to October 1975.
22 August 2021	Running total now 1,924 game entries, with 42 games added from scorebook no.39, taking us up to May 1976.
25 August 2021	Running total now 1,965 game entries. 41 games added from scorebook no.40, taking us up to May 1977.
30 August 2021	Total game entries now 2,040, with the addition of the 100-game scorebook number 41. This takes us up to October 1978.
3 September 2021	Book 42 added - 80 more game entries, making 2,120 in total, up to late 1980.
10 September 2021	Book 43 added - 46 more games, making 2,166 in total, up to July 1981. Two more books to go...
14 September 2021	All done! Geoff has completed the input of the last two books, 44 and 45, bringing to a close a process he began around the end of October 2020. In total, there are 2,268 game entries. However, a reminder that the collection cannot claim to be complete since books 23 and 24 are currently missing from the Edinburgh CC collection. That means that some of Aitken's games from the period between May 1961 and May 1963 are yet to be found and input. There's still hope of finding these two missing scorebooks. Another caveat: names of Aitken's opponents are still somewhat suspect in places, (a) because of his dodgy handwriting and (b) because our interpretations of these names may be wrong. Also, the identification of the competition in which a game was played is sometimes based on only the sketchiest evidence. Errors of this type are inevitable but this is an area where readers can help by telling us when we get it wrong. Feedback always welcome.
24 September 2021	2,268 game entries. No new games, one double removed, but an important update nonetheless: Geoff has been back through the games, checking against the original scorebooks, and identified a considerable number of errors. I have applied amendments. There are rather too many to refer to individually so I would recommend readers completely replace the file already downloaded with the new file found here. Geoff's checking process is not quite complete - he's gone back in time to 1952 so it's possible that further errors may come to light in the 1930s and 1940s. N.B. further amendments made 25 September 2021.
30 September 2021	John Robinson ("Nosnibor" on Chessgames dot net) has helped up solve the mystery of the player M P???t whom Aitken played in Jersey in 1973 and 1979. It was a French player called M Paut. Thanks, John.
30 September 2021	Note that I have now placed the crosstables and tournament info on this page in chronological order, which is hopefully more logical.
21 December 2021	Name amendment to the game played on 13.11.1931 - Joseph Eric Smith rather than John Eric Smith. Joseph Eric Smith played for Oxford in the 1933 Varsity match.
10 April 2022	I have been able to identify the matches which Dr Aitken played on 26.03.1952, 27.03.1952 and 05.04.1952. They were, respectively, Combined Universities v. West London; Combined Universities v Insurance; and Oxford Past v. Cambridge Past. The file has been updated accordingly. As of this date they are game numbers 575, 576 and 578 (these numbers may change if earlier games are added to the collection).
21 June 2022	The event in which Aitken drew with Harold Israel on 14.12.1946 was a 50-board friendly match between Middlesex (whom he represented) and the Civil Service, held at the Ministry of Health in London.
13 October 2022	Added a game which Aitken lost in a simul he gave in February 1955 to the 16-year-old John M Dawson. Aitken scored +18, =7, -5 The venue was the Bristol Royal School for the Blind. Gerard Killoran found the game and posted it on the English Chess Forum. Many thanks, Gerard.
19 May 2023	Added nine more 1961 British Championship games to complete the set for Dr Aitken. These were from the booklet published by Eric Fisher and input by Andy Ansel, for which many thanks.
16 October 2023	Added some match details to the game Aitken-Kooiman, National Club Quarter-Final (Cheltenham v Mitcham), 15.03.1975.
15 December 2023	Date amendment: the game Ron Bruce 0-1 Aitken, Devon vs Middlesex, previously dated 06.04.1949 now corrected to 09.04.1949.
20 December 2023	Date amendment: the game R.Mann ½-½ Aitken, 1964, now pinpointed to the West of England Jamboree, 10.10.1964.
11 March 2024	I've made a change to the dates and event details of the Lud-Eagle Championship play-off match against Otto Friedman. I think the first game was probably played in January 1945 rather than December 1944 and have now designated it as a play-off match (as reported in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, 3 February 1945). The game moves and results are unaffected.
3 October 2024	Added the game MD Bissell 0-1 JMA, Cheltenham Club Championship, probably played around January 1962 (it appeared in the Glasgow Herald, 30 March 1962). And probably to be found in one of the two missing Aitken scorebooks, should they ever reappear.
14 October 2024	Neil Graham, in an email to me (JS) on 13 October 2024, wrote about the game J W Graham ½-½ Dr J M Aitken, British Veterans' Chamionship, 09.08.1978: "The White player was my father John W Graham – he came back from Ayr quite pleased having held Aitken to a draw – he was less pleased when I pointed out (as in Aitken’s note) that he had a simple win next move. I guess that they would have had to adjourn and seal a move when the draw was agreed."