Jon Speelman
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| Jon Speelman | |
|---|---|
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| Full name | Jonathan Simon Speelman |
| Country | England |
| Born | 2 October 1956 Marylebone, London, England |
| Title | Grandmaster(1980) |
| FIDErating | 2499(September 2024) |
| Peak rating | 2645 (July 1988) |
| Peak ranking | No. 5 (July 1988) |
Jonathan Simon Speelman(born 2 October 1956 in Marylebone, London)[1]is a British chess player and author. He was awarded the title ofGrandmasterin 1980.
Early life and education
[edit]Speelman was educated atSt Paul's School, LondonandWorcester College, Oxford,where he read mathematics.[2]
Career
[edit]A winner of theBritish Chess Championshipin 1978, 1985 and 1986, Speelman has been a regular member of the English team for theChess Olympiad,an international biennialchess tournamentorganised byFIDE,theWorld Chess Federation.
He qualified for twoCandidates Tournaments:
- In the 1989–1990 cycle, Speelman qualified by placing third in the 1987interzonal tournamentheld inSubotica,Yugoslavia.After beatingYasser Seirawanin his first round 4–1, andNigel Shortin the second round 3½–1½, he lost toJan Timmanat the semi-final stage 4½–3½.
- In the following 1990–93 championship cycle, he lost 5½–4½ in the first round to Short, the eventual challenger forGarry Kasparov's crown.
In 1989, Speelman beat Kasparov in a televised speed tournament and then went on to win the event.
On 7 December 1990, Speelman was featured in an experimental interactiveBBC2broadcast calledYour Move,which was hosted byRob Curlingand commentated by chess writerWilliam Hartston.In the groundbreaking one-off episode, Speelman was pitted against the audience, who would use a special telephone line to submit their moves, with the move played by the viewers being decided by a democratic vote.[3]Speelman won the match. The broadcast went for approximately three hours, about double the time that it had been scheduled for.[4]
Writing
[edit]He has written a number of books on chess, including several on theendgame,among themAnalysing the Endgame(1981),Endgame Preparation(1981) andBatsford Chess Endings(co-author, 1993).
Among his other books areBest Games 1970–1980(1982), an analysis of nearly fifty of the best games by top players from that decade, andJon Speelman's Best Games(1997). Today he is primarily a chess journalist and commentator, being the chess correspondent forThe ObserverandThe Independentand sometimes providing commentary for games on theInternet Chess Club.[citation needed]
Bibliography
[edit](partial)
- Speelman, Jonathan (1981).Analysing the Endgame.Batsford (London, England). 142 pages.ISBN978-0-7134-1909-2.
- Speelman, Jonathan (1981).Endgame Preparation.B.T. Batsford (London, England). 177 pages.ISBN978-0-7134-4000-3.
- Speelman, Jon (1982).Best Chess Games, 1970-80.Allen & Unwin (London, England; Boston, Massachusetts). 328 pages.ISBN978-0-04-794015-6.
- Speelman, Jonathan;Tisdall, Jon;Wade, Bob.(1993).Batsford Chess Endings.B.T. Batsford (London, England). 448 pages.ISBN978-0-7134-4420-9.
- Speelman, Jon (1997).Jon Speelman's Best Games.B.T. Batsford (London, England). 240 pages.ISBN978-0-7134-6477-1.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^"Birthday of GM Jonathan Speelman".
- ^The Spectator,Volumes 258–259, Issue 8306, 1987, p. 92: "Jon was educated at St Paul's School, London, and went on to Worcester College, Oxford, where he gained a second in mathematics."
- ^1990: INTERACTIVE CHESS on Your TELEVISION! | Your Move | Retro Gaming | BBC Archive,retrieved13 June2023
- ^"Your Move - UKGameshows".www.ukgameshows.com.Retrieved13 June2023.
External links
[edit]- Jonathan S. Speelmanrating card atFIDE(World Chess Federation)
- Jonathan Speelmanplayer profile and games atChessgames.com
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