Fairhurst William Albert (21.08.1903 – 13.03.1982)

British International Master (1952) and civil engineer. He was awarded the CBE for his services to engineering.

Many considered Fairhurst a chess prodigy after he beat Boris Kostić in a match in 1922 and he dominated Scottish chess by winning eleven national champion titles from 1932 to 1962. He also won the British championship in 1937 and the first Commonwealth championship 1951, ahead of Daniel Yanofsky.

Fairhurst was also a participant in seven Olympiads for Scotland from 1933 to 1968 and for New Zealand in 1974, where he settled for the last decade of his life.