Alastair Johnstone receives the President’s Award for Services to Chess
It is with great pleasure that we can announce that club stalwart, Alastair Johnstone, has received the ECF’s prestigious President’s Award for Services to Chess. This is in recognition of nearly 40 years of work and dedication to the club and local chess community.
The following extract from his citation outlines his record of achievement:
“I joined the club in 1987and was elected as club Treasurer the following year. Thirty-seven years later I remain in post. I served as President in the early 1990s when the club constitution stipulated a maximum two year tenancy of the position. In an unofficial capacity I also acted as the club’s Fixtures Co-ordinator for more than thirty years between 1990 and 2023 and have captained five different teams across three different leagues:
· Middlesex II: 1988-95 (7 years)
· Thames Valley B: 2008-16 (8 years)
· Hillingdon League B: 2010-14 and 2023-25 (6 years) winning the DIv.2 trophy three times and the Knock Out Plate.
· Hillingdon 1: 2016-17 (1 year)
· Thames Valley A: 2016-22 (6 years
Over the years I have played almost 950 games in Ealing colours… I have been a regular attendee at League AGMs since the late 1980’s: MCCA from 1988 to 2005; Thames Valley League from around 1990 to date, Hillingdon League likewise. I have been Hon. Treasurer of the Hillingdon League since 2013 and Grading Officer for the Thames Valley League since 2017.
For the past thirty years I have edited and produced the club magazine Chess Knight wich has often run to more than a hundred pages. The magazine serves as a record of the club’s exploits with detailed match cards and reports, player statistics and annotated games together with some fine writing on the game by the likes of David Ebbett and Trevor Bates. I am currently writing a series of articles on the club’s illustrious history dating back to its establishment in 1885”.
Commenting on his success, Alastair said: “I am both honoured and humbled by this award. I would especially like to thank ECF Director of Women’s Chess, Aga Milewska, for her support of the application along with Simon Healeas whose original idea it was to apply and who oversaw the process. I’d also like to thank all the members of Ealing Chess Club who have supported me over the years and look forward to continuing to serve the club in the coming years.”
