Norman Macleod (chess problemist)
Alasdair Macleod Norman ( born December 6, 1927 in Glasgow, † 2 October 1991 in Ross-on -Wye ) was a Scottish chess composer.
Chess
Norman Macleod was in 1983, having learned at the age of twelve years of chess from the Children's Encyclopaedia. When he taught his brother Iain chess, Macleod already invented new rules. In high school Macleod won every tournament. In his last school year 1944 Macleod chess club president of the school.
Macleod regularly visited the Glasgow Chess Club, which was close to the school. There he played with DM MacIsaac, the chess columnist for the Glasgow Herald, and William Albert Fairhurst. Here learned Macleod also know Comins Mansfield, who also belonged to the club. Macleod was repeatedly club champion in a row and won twice the second place in the Scottish Cup. On the third board behind Fairhurst and James Macrae Aitken Macleod participated in the Chess Olympiad in Munich in 1958, where he scored 7 of 16 points. During a trip to the United States in 1964 Macleod won the championship of Maryland. Nevertheless stayed for Macleod chess games only pastime he preferred the composition.
During a trip to Paris Macleod Nicolas Rossolimo met.
1980 Macleod was appointed by the FIDE to the International referee for two Züger Three Züger and More Züger. In 1984 the title was followed as an International Master of chess composition. The published 1992 FIDE album by the late Macleod reached the criteria for the Grandmaster title for chess composition. This was then given to him on 3 September 1993 posthumously. PCCC President Klaus Wenda cared personally about the actual name it.
From 1979 to 1981 Macleod was president of the committee of the British Chess Problem Society ( BCPS ).
Macleod used from the early 1980s, the Forsyth notation to manage him as a clerk sent problems in a computer database. He developed a chess solving program, which he later compiled in two versions for the Sinclair QL. Because of the complexity of the task and technical limitations, however, the software for longer problems was inappropriate. Macleod was also the first program developer for composing chess problems. His program generated by the trial and error method, all positions of the given material and certain then move sequences that led to Matt or stalemate. Hardware limitations and complexity Macleod allowed to edit only items with three stones. The program was a forerunner of modern endgame database generators.
In the late 1980s, Macleod was a member of the Committee of the BCPS establishing the journal The Problemist. CG Rains, a former member, assisted in the implementation of this idea. With the support of Paul Valois Brian Stephenson later took over the magazine to the present day.
In his last months, Norman Macleod illness could not move well. Nevertheless, he worked until recently in the chess composition for the journal The Problemist. To the meeting of the Permanent Commission for Chess Composition ( PCCC ) in Benidorm in the summer of 1990 led to the British Macleod release team. When BCPS meeting in March 1991 Macleod was already seriously ill, but again took part in all the events. The solvent tournament he played from the bed.
Overall Norman Macleod has created more than 1000 chess compositions. The following example won the 1st prize in a Yugoslav magazine.
Solution: 1 KD5? C1D! 2 Sxc1 Qxb2 other will not work due to opening of the second row. therefore 1 Ke4 -f3! T5 - h4 with the preliminary design of the white king turns the defense of black. 2 Kf3 - g2 d3xe2 3 K g2 -f3 c2 - C1S Black can not take back his features. 4 Kf3 -e4 Th4 - h5 Switchback ( Return of the King on its original box ) 5 Ke4 -d5 - b4 Da3 Now does the main plan. 6 KD5 - c6 - e7 Db4 The discovered check is inevitable. 7 KC6 - b5 Qe7 - b7 8 Lh1xb7 matt
Occupation and Private
Norman Macleod was the son of Murdoch and Mary Macleod. He had a three years younger brother named Iain, who supported him until recently in its activities.
Macleod attended the High School of Glasgow, where he had no difficulty with the subject matter by his phenomenal memory. In fifth grade ( roughly equivalent to the German grade 12 class) managed Macleod seven of the highest final degrees. During the school year he attained level of competence in many occupations. However, In addition to a phenomenal memory Macleod was later on also by distraction.
Norman Macleod was friends with the Summoner Tom Shepherd and joined the Magicians Association of The Magic Circle before he left school. Magic stopped next to his other interests and pastimes that Macleod had at this time, until his death Macleods interest.
After school Macleod studied at the Glasgow Science University, where he almost failed due to lack of motivation. After Macleod went to the Army Education Corps of National Service and brought it to the sergeant. In the Ministry of National Insurance Macleod worked briefly at the suggestion of his father. Finally Macleod found a job at the State Department to him by CHOD Alexander was taught, who was a veteran of the cryptographic Military Intelligence branch of GCHQ at Bletchley at this time. Macleod was finally positioned for GCHQ in Cheltenham. Little is known about Macleod's activities in secret, but evidence points to research in the field of computer technology, research and development towards. 1983 Macleod left the secret service. Later, he developed training software in C for a commercial organization.
Daphne Maines worked in 1954 in the British Embassy in Washington. Norman Macleod she met there when he was arrested by the police for drunkenness. The two came together and got married, which meant that Macleod to Timperley, near Daphne's family moved. 1957 was awarded the couple a daughter named Fiona and 1961 another daughter named Heather. Fiona is now married to David ion, resulting in three daughters emerged. Heather and John Parrott have a daughter and two sons.
Macleod had surgery in November 1990 after a cancer had been found. In the hospital, he was visited by many chess friends. However, the cancer returned and fell upon other parts of the body. When Macleod could not move, a radiotherapy Cheltenhamer hospital was performed. He was then transferred to the Dilke Memorial Hospital in Forest of Dean. After three weeks Macleod was dismissed and subsequently had to be moved by hoist between bed and wheelchair. Nevertheless Macleod tried to make the most of his life.
On October 2, 1991 Norman Macleod died in the presence of his entire family.
Other Interests
Other Interests Macleods were bird watching, color photography - the images developed Macleod home - bookbinding, brewing, wine making, fishing, bridge, music, Bible and Theology - Daphne's brother Noel suspected that Macleod was particularly interested in ceremonies -, Cooking and predictable gambling (about horse racing).
Macleod knew about the life and works of many musicians data communication, and his wife visited many concerts and performed with her the Bach Choir of Cheltenham at. He owned a large collection of sound recordings and acquired expertise over many pieces of music on. Macleod example, had six versions of The Magic Flute, which he compared with each other and analyzed. In Macleod's last months of life he and his brother a lot won in horse betting money related to the expansion of the CD collection.
Beginning of the 1970s was a member of the Masonic Lodge Macleod Cheltenham Masonic Lodge and became the Worshipful Master.