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Craig Laird

Number of games in database: 213
Years covered: 1975 to 1999
Last FIDE rating: 2297
Highest rating achieved in database: 2340
Overall record: +79 -81 =53 (49.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games.

Repertoire Explorer
Most played openings
B00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening (16 games)
A46 Queen's Pawn Game (16 games)
B32 Sicilian (12 games)
A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4 (11 games)
A53 Old Indian (10 games)
A40 Queen's Pawn Game (8 games)
A80 Dutch (7 games)
A07 King's Indian Attack (7 games)
D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav (6 games)
A04 Reti Opening (6 games)

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FIDE player card for Craig Laird

CRAIG LAIRD
(born Mar-15-1953, 72 years old) New Zealand (federation/nationality Australia)

[what is this?]
Craig Laird, born in Wellington, New Zealand was awarded the FM title in 1982. He was New Zealand Champion in 1977-78. He was one of the players who tied for 1st in the 1986 Australian Championship, however, it was Ian Rogers who won the subsequent play-off.

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 page 1 of 9; games 1-25 of 213  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. A Carpinter vs C Laird  1-0541975South Island ChampionshipA31 English, Symmetrical, Benoni Formation
2. C Laird vs C Purdy  1-0261976Peninsula OpenA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
3. L Aptekar vs C Laird 1-0231977Labour Weekend TtB00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
4. C Laird vs A Carpinter  ½-½3619774th Winstones TtA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
5. C Laird vs B R Anderson  ½-½701977New Zealand Championship 1977/78A46 Queen's Pawn Game
6. K Jensen vs C Laird  0-1411977New Zealand Championship 1977/78C44 King's Pawn Game
7. C Laird vs Chandler ½-½131977New Zealand Championship 1977/78B30 Sicilian
8. P Clemance vs C Laird  0-1311977New Zealand Championship 1977/78B00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
9. C Laird vs E M Green  1-0361977New Zealand Championship 1977/78E04 Catalan, Open, 5.Nf3
10. C Laird vs E Torre  ½-½181978Zone 10 ChB43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3
11. R Maninang vs C Laird  ½-½561978Zone 10 ChB00 Uncommon King's Pawn Opening
12. Chandler vs C Laird  1-0301978Asian Grandmasters CircuitB05 Alekhine's Defense, Modern
13. P W Stuart vs C Laird  0-1641978New Zealand Championship 1977/78A16 English
14. C Laird vs P Garbett  ½-½801978New Zealand Championship 1977/78A45 Queen's Pawn Game
15. R Perry vs C Laird  0-1311978New Zealand Championship 1977/78C50 Giuoco Piano
16. C Laird vs O Sarapu  1-0571978New Zealand Championship 1977/78A40 Queen's Pawn Game
17. C Laird vs R W Smith  ½-½591978New Zealand Championship 1977/78A40 Queen's Pawn Game
18. V Small vs C Laird  1-0581978New Zealand Championship 1977/78C26 Vienna
19. R Mascarinas vs C Laird  1-0561978JakartaA16 English
20. C Laird vs E Torre  0-1401978JakartaB45 Sicilian, Taimanov
21. Chandler vs C Laird 0-1581978JakartaC67 Ruy Lopez
22. C Laird vs K Shirazi 0-1261978JakartaE10 Queen's Pawn Game
23. C Laird vs H Suradiradja  1-0581978JakartaB30 Sicilian
24. O'Kelly vs C Laird  1-0721978JakartaA53 Old Indian
25. C Laird vs M Sharif  ½-½501978JakartaC30 King's Gambit Declined
 page 1 of 9; games 1-25 of 213  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Laird wins | Laird loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-09-08  whiteshark: I'm a bit confused:

New Zealand champion in 1977/78, but playing for Australia 1986: http://www.olimpbase.org/players/aa...

Mar-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: Don't know what happened to Craig Laird. He moved from New Zealand to Australia sometime around the end of the 1970's but he seems to have dropped off the face the Earth after the 1990's.
Mar-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eric Schiller: I lived at his place in London for a while in the 80s.
May-19-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <Benzol> we don't keep track of chess players as we should! I never met him -I started chess again the year after he was NZ Champ - I saw his photo in the NZ Chess mag but that is all.

Some people just like to 'disappear' though...

May-19-09  mack: <Some people just like to 'disappear' though...>

If anyone can, Lord Lucan.

Feb-02-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <Eric Schiller> knew him! Paul Spiller (I think) said he is still in Australia and occasionally plays or watches chess...
Feb-09-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jonathan Sarfati: Why are there no games from the NZ champs that he won deservedly although surprisingly?
Feb-09-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <Jonathan Safarti> I don't know but I have numerous back issues of NZ Chess so I could find some and hopefully upload them.
Feb-09-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jonathan Sarfati: <Richard Taylor:> That would be good. Maybe Peter Stewart's database might have them?
Feb-10-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: <Jonathan Sarfati> I don't know. He might have some games. He would be the one whose magazines (and also Smith's) I would look to. He's getting on now though but he still seems alert!
Feb-10-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <Why are there no games from the NZ champs that he won deservedly although surprisingly?>

<Jonathan> <Richard> I have been following this conversation for the last two days. Now I can tell you that <Richard> is indeed in possession of the New Zealand Chess Magazine that had most of Craig's games from the 1977 - 78 championship in it. There are two games that didn't appear, his round 7 game against Paul Garbett which he won and his round 11 game against Vernon Small which he lost. The remaining games of Craig's I have taken the liberty to upload and they should appear in due time. Thankyou <Richard> for the loan of your magazines. I will upload the other games from this championship in the not too distant future. Cheers guys.

:)

Feb-13-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: Correction to my last post. Craig Laird drew his round 7 game against Paul Garbett.

This could be it : C Laird vs P Garbett, 1978

Feb-16-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: <Richard> <Jonathan> The games thanks to <cg> have now appeared.
Feb-16-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Thank you for your contribution to the site <Benzol>
Feb-19-14  ozmikey: Nice to see the resurgence of interest in Craig in the last month or so!

There's an important achievement to add to the bio, by the way: he tied for the Australian Championship in 1986, along with Ian Rogers (who won the subsequent playoff) and one other, who I think might have been Chris Depasquale.

Feb-22-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jonathan Sarfati: Thanks guys. It goes some way to presenting a better picture of a former NZ champ. His win was most surprising given the strong field, but it was not a fluke because he prepared very well for every opponent, many years before ChessBase.

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