John McGill passed away

[Alex_Moiseyev]

A post from Tom Watson.

SAD NEWS. JOHN MCGILL DIED TODAY AGED 88. HIS BROTHER ADAM PHONED BRIAN KILGOUR WHO THEN PHONED ME. IT WILL BE A CREMATION BUT NO SERVICE. I FIRST MET JOHN IN 1963 BUT LAST SAW HIM MARCH 2020. A GREAT PLAYER AND A GOOD MAN.

From Hugh Devlin:

GMI John McGill (1936-2024) East Kilbride, Scotland.
I only met the “great” John Mc Gill once. That was at the “Home Internationals” held at Morecambe, England, in 1984 - a series of matches between teams representing Scottish, English, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and a team representing the Chanel Islands.
John was a “legend” on the Checkers circuit. A multiple times Scottish Champion, English Champion, and four times British Champion, and the first player to hold all these titles simultaneously.
We all knew of his exploits at the 3rd International Match between Britain and America in 1973, where he scored 3-2 + 15 draws against that powerful American team that included Long, Hellman, Levitt, Lowder. Fuller, amongst others.
His games were followed very closely during this event. I was making my team debut here without knowing at the time that John was making his last public appearance at any checker’s event. We never got to play a game but on the last evening I went over to the table he was sitting at just to say hello. John asked me to join him and as it turned out he knew a lot about me, not just as a player but also regarding my professional career. I was very surprised.
John told me that he had developed a neurological condition that would limit his ability to travel and attend draughts events. He was 48 years old and as I now know he still had another 40 years ahead of him. He had a kind and warm personality, a wonderful person and so humble.
A few weeks after I returned home, I received a letter from John to say he enjoyed meeting me, and enclosed a few draughts magazines. We exchanged many letters over the next couple of years, with John often enclosing some new ideas he had about 3 Move Openings and proposed improvements in published play. When John showed you something, you could be very sure it was solid. He was a prolific analyst. His “cooks” were legendary, and Tom Watson and later Wiliam Docherty would become his pupils.
John was very generous with his time to those learning the game, and even at the peak of his career, he submitted a “beginners page” to the early SDA publications. Not many Grandmaster players have shared so much with so many.
I extend our condolences to John’s family and friends. Today the Checkers World has lost a giant. Rest In Peace John.

From William Docherty:

It was with extreme sadness that I learnt of the passing away of my great friend and mentor, John McGill.
John passed away peacefully at his home in East Kilbride at the grand old age of 88.
I first met John in 1981 at the Glasgow TUC draughts club where players would meet on a Saturday evening to train and play club tys.
Following a game I was playing against Willie Ferguson, where John as a spectator had reacted with surprise and interest to a move that I had played, he informed Brian Kilgour, my trainer, that I could begin training sessions with him at his home in East Kilbride.
This kicked off a session of weekly 3 move training sessions between 1981 and 1984 where John took me on an amazing trip through life, learning the beauties of our game.
John McGill was not only a great champion of draughts : I would say among the creme de la creme that the UK has ever produced, but he was also a great analyst, contributing very frequently to the EDA with his amazing analysis (non assisted by programs at this period in time of course). Richard also features many lines of John's analysis in his books ; proof again of the calibre of the man!
Indeed he was probably even one of the best that Scotland has ever seen too.
He was however a very generous man ; sharing his ideas on life with me, but also checkers lines he had cooked up. he would always annotate my games from the early years, giving me the lessons to carry forward.
While John was heavily handicapped, you would never hear him complain about his condition...he was always of an apaising and positive disposition.
Adam, his Brother who took care of his brother until the end really does merit high appraisal for looking afetr John.
In the latter years, I would try to visit John at any occassion I was in the UK or Glasgow, and the last time I saw him was about 1 year ago.
He had already been bed ridden for over a year or so, and I felt he was getting 'fed up'. But again, no complaints came from the great man!
I was able just recently to inform John that he had been awarded the title of GMI...I cannot say what effect this had on him, but I felt he deserved this award and he had to know that his great contribution to checkers was recognized even by the players who had never had the good fortune to cross, his path.
I truly have lost a great friend, and Scotland has lost a true legend of the draughts board.
Rest in peace my dear friend John ; it truly was an honour and a priviledge to have shared some precious moments with you on this planet.

[Richard Pask]

John McGill: one of the all-time greats without a doubt.

I only met him once, at the 1984 Home Internationals, where we had 2 draws.

His performance in the 1973 International Match vs. the USA is an apt reflection of his ability.

He will be sorely missed.