Champions
of Past Eras

James Wyllie
(The Herd Laddie)

Andrew Anderson
(1799-1861)

Robert Martins
(1822-1904)

John McKerrow
(1816-1910)

Jullian Janvier

Robert D Yates
(1857 - 1885)

Richard Jordan
vs. James Ferrie

Strickland

Drummond

Searight

Freeman

Barker

Christie

R. Jordan

A. Jordan

Stewart

Buchanan

Tanner

Banks

Checkers Champion George Buchanan

1876-1910

George Buchanan, known as "Wee George",  was born in Glasgow on February 12, 1876. He was the son of Mary and William Buchanan, and his father was a watch-glass maker.
“Wee George” was introduced to the game of checkers early in life and quickly displayed a great potential in the mind sport. He learned the game easily and began his playing career in 1891 at the age of 15. He acquired the name “Wee George” because the small youth was considered to be champion material in the game and was small in stature for his age.
Within three years of first showing on the checkers ‘circuit’, he was a regular player in top board with the strong South Side Draughts Club, located in Glasgow. In 1894, George Buchanan played for the victorious Scottish team against England in the checker tournament for the championship title. During the match games of the tourney, English player J. A. Kear, Sr. has been noted to say "By Jove, that boy can play!"
Buchanan chose his profession as lapidarian, and worked as a stonecutter who also polished or engraved precious stones. But when he wasn’t focused on his job, “Wee George” proved to be a very talented checker player who possessed a remarkable memory and who displayed great skill in analysis, blindfold, cross-board, and simultaneous play.
By the turn of the century, George Buchanan could be considered one of Scotland's top four players along with Richard Jordan, James Ferrie, and James Stewart. In 1905, he was a checker master on the British team and represented Great Britain against the USA in the first International Match, but his greatest achievement was probably the hat trick of Scottish Championships in 1905, 1906 and 1907.
Unfortunately, George Buchanan's health began to fail soon afterwards, and he succumbed to either silicosis or tuberculosis at a young age of 34 on August 5, 1910 died at his home in Cathcart.

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