Insurance Chess Club

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   Obituary - David Malcolm

12-Oct-2008

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David Malcolm

David Malcolm joined the Club in the 1960-61 season and served the Club royally, both as player and administrator for nearly half a century, having just embarked upon his 49th season at the time of his death.

Soon after coming down from Liverpool, he was to demonstrate that he was a major force over the board, but for the first season the Tournament Sub-Committee exercised caution and placed him in one of the two sections of the Major. They probably thought their judgment about right when David came only second in his section, but he romped away with the final pool of four, winning by a clear point. In the following season, he won the Championship in emphatic style finishing 1½ points clear of a 10 player field including both defending Champions.

David won the Championship a further six times, seven in all, and would surely have passed, or at least given a severe fright to, Len Durham‘s record of nine championships (since

David Malcolm in typical pose, in play against Legal League in the Bronoswski Trophy competition, 22nd March 2000.

equalled by Tony Paish and David Sedgwick), had it not been for a lengthy absence from the tournament lists due to business commitments - a distinguished career at Royal Insurance which saw him rise to General Manager. However, he remained an active player in the Club‘s match fixtures, frequently occupying board 1 and usually with distinction.

David's record in our speed events also rates among the best: 13 times Lightning Champion, three times Rapidplay (Blitz) Champion. He had participated in this year's Nurse Lightning on 24th September, coming second.

David was also one of a quartet of Club members who briefly dabbled in the intensely difficult game of four-handed chess, and he hosted at his offices and participated in, a match we instigated against Cambridge University, held in 1992 on the centenary of a similar encounter between London and Cambridge a hundred years earlier. On this occasion we were outwitted by the University, but the event did at least rate inclusion in a book called The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants by D.B. Pritchard, published soon afterwards. (You can find the details of these matches encounter here.)

As an administrator David gave over 42 years service on the Committee, having first been elected at the AGM on 28th June, 1965; 10 years as Chairman, from 1970-71 to 1979-80 and, after a brief spell as a Committee "back-bencher", 24 years as President from 1983-84 until his retirement from the Committee in 2007. His wisdom and guidance were particularly valued by all of us on the Committee. His manner, was one of quiet-spoken resolve, laced with Lancashire grit and a dash of dry wit. Both over-the-board and around the Committee table, he led by example. As a mark of this service, David was twice awarded the Rodney James Award for Services to the Club, once on its inauguration in 1997 and again on his retirement from the Committee in 2007.

David's contribution to the life of the Club was immense and we shall all miss him greatly.

IDH