Combe played in the British Chess Federation Congress in London in 1932, finishing in a tie for fourth place with a score of 7½/11 in the First Class Section B tournament.
The Scots were outclassed and finished last of the 15 teams, but Combe was one of their better performers, scoring 5/12, including a win against the future Belgian champion Paul Devos.
[3] In this tournament, his only international appearance, Combe famously blundered a piece and resigned after four moves (an Olympiad record) against the Latvian master Wolfgang Hasenfuss.
[5] He gave up chess for several years thereafter to concentrate on his law studies at the University of Aberdeen, where he graduated with distinction in 1938.
Combe's next Scottish Championship was in Aberdeen in 1939; he finished in a tie for second place behind the visiting American student Max Pavey.
In one of the most unexpected results in the history of the championship, Combe won the tournament ahead of several strong masters, including Gerald Abrahams, William Winter, Harry Golombek and Stuart Milner-Barry.