Charles Gilbert

Background

Born in Buninyong, he started playing chess at the age of 10 with his father at the Ballarat Chess Club and later joined the Melbourne Chess Club, winning the Melbourne Chess Club championships first in 1898, then in 1902, 1904, 1905, 1914, 1921, 1931 and 1936.

Career

Watson competed in the 1922 London Championships representing Australia and finished 14th. He had victories over Canadian John Morrison, Italian Davide Marotti, Englishman Henry Ernest Atkins and Hungarian Richard Réti.

Achievements

• He won the Australian Chess Championship in 1922, ending the run of William Samuel Viner who had been champion since 1906. The Championship didn"t return to Melbourne until 1931, when Watson again won the title.