Nick Blake

Some very sad news to report, with the death on 8 April of the much-loved former Stirling chess club member Nick Blake, aged just 22. Along with his brother Jonathan, Nick was a very active player from the middle part of the 2000s, encouraged by his father John who was club secretary at the time.

Nick was always keen, and his chess understanding and ability developed steadily, as shown by an increase in grading strength. By the 2012-13 season he was 1230 regular and 1398 allegro, with the grades having jumped by around 100 and 200 respectively since the previous year. The particular prowess at fast chess was evident to anyone who played Nick during this period, as he developed an efficient style that won him plenty of games.

There was a marked – and very encouraging – leap forward in the first few months of 2012. Prior to that, Nick had played in quite a few external tournaments with some good results but without much overall success (although as a young junior he had won the S1-2 section at the 2006 Glasgow Congress with a 7/7 score, and had come joint-second with 4/5 in the secondary tournament at the Edinburgh Congress in 2007). Now, though, he began winning prizes in stronger company: first place in the Minor section of the Lothians Allegro in January 2012 (another 100% score, 5/5 this time), then first in the Minor at the Perth Congress later that month (scoring 4½/5 and having beaten club colleague David Brodie in the last round). In the Knights section at Edinburgh that same spring he came joint-second with 4/5, and he was also joint-second in the Stirling club allegro that May. These were all excellent results, achieved against experienced players and indicating definite progress.

Just before this, Christmas 2011 had seen Nick win the club’s festive tournament, the Keddie Cup, for the third time in four seasons. This was a remarkable and unprecedented sequence, and it’s safe to say that he gave a lot of thought to how best to tackle the Keddie’s notorious handicapping system – to the extent that there began to be murmurings and mutterings about possible rule changes to prevent him winning it year after year! In the three years in which he took home the trophy – 2008, 2009 and 2011 – Nick had a 100% score each time (including beating his brother Jonathan in the 2008 final and his uncle Gerry in the 2009 one), and he was without doubt the most accomplished Keddie player the club has produced.

He also played in plenty of league matches during these years, for the Cs and occasionally the Bs, and in the allegro league there was even a spell when the club fielded a third team (as opposed to the two of recent seasons), with this extra foursome, Stirling Douglas, seeing Nick playing alongside his father and brother. The progress of 2012 petered out, however: another big interest, bowls, began to be the priority (partly because the timings often seemed to clash), and while Nick scarcely played any more competitive chess he became an equally respected – and equally missed – member of the Alloa East End Bowling Club. Had he continued with the chess – and continued to make progress as in that sequence of tournaments in 2012 – then Nick would certainly have become at least a B team regular, and quite possibly graduated to the As in due course. As it was, there was always quiet hope that he would return to the game some day – something which, sadly, will now never happen.

The club sends sincere condolences to John, Fiona, Jonathan and the rest of the Blake family.

Nick, left, meets his brother Jonathan, 2006.

Nick, right, meets his brother Jonathan, 2008.

Nick receives the Keddie Cup.