Profiles
David Kingston-Smith
Treasury
I have played chess all my life – my earliest memory is playing my father when I was 4 or 5. Of course he let me win. Later I played for my school – Smithills Grammar in Bolton – in the North West Schools League and gained a sports “blue”. The team was very successful, coached by a dedicated and inspirational teacher, Mr Evans, who not only gave us a thorough grounding in tactics and opening theory but played us at blindfold chess when taking us to away matches in his car. His driving did not seem to be affected! We beat Cheadle Hulme School in my final year to win the North West Schools Cup.
I then forgot all about chess until the mid-1980s, when John Saunders ran a simul at the Treasury. I was hooked and joined the Treasury Chess Club – then called “COMPOST” for some obscure reason – as a member of their Third team. Asked to join the Seconds after a few games, I took over as captain after the team had just been demoted to Division 5 of the Civil Service London League. With one short break I have held this position ever since.
I’m probably one of the least “active” captains in the League in terms of live games played per season, having a number of other interests including sailing. However, I do play Internet chess at letsplaychess.com and have come first in both the tournaments in which I’ve participated. I have two chess experiences which particularly stand out, the first being when my son, Nick, was selected for the England Junior Team at the age of 12 and the second when I lifted the shield when Treasury II were promoted from Division 5 to Division 4 of the League. Of course there have been a number of promotions (and of course the occasional demotion) since, but I remember being struck by the history represented by this handsome trophy. My main satisfaction is seeing my team do well and in particular when players develop their skills to the point where they become contenders for First Team selection.
The chess player I most admire from the past is Bobby Fischer; not just his attacking style and combinational flair, but his courage in taking on the Soviet chess machine in the 70s when it was at its mightiest. My desert island book would be “My 60 Memorable Games” by Fischer. For my own play, I enjoy the early part of the middle game because at this point your positional structure is established, you should have a reasonably clear view of your opponent’s strategy and therefore decide what your own will be. My message to young players just starting out is simple – “have fun."