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Birthday of GM Daniel King (28-viii-1963)

August 28, 2022

GM Daniel King, courtesy of John Upham Photography

We offer best wishes to GM Daniel King on his birthday

Daniel John King was born on Wednesday, August 28th 1963 (the same day as the Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech) in Beckenham, Kent.

He attended Langley Park School whose motto is “Mores et Studia” meaning “good character and learning” or “morals and study”.

Daniel has a brother Andrew (AJ King) who is also a strong player.

Daniel became an International Master in 1982 and a Grandmaster in 1989.

Daniel King
Daniel King

His peak FIDE rating (Felice) was 2560 in July 1990 at the age of 27.

Daniel plays for Guildford in the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) and has played for Guildford in local leagues.

This was written (by Leonard Barden) about Daniel who was 15 just prior to the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display :

“Langley Park School, Shortlands and Bromley. Rating 201. British under-14 co-champion, 1977. 2nd Lloyds Bank junior international, 1979.”

Danny was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion for the 1983-84 and 1985-86 seasons.

According to Test Your Chess With Daniel King, Batsford, 2004 :

“Grandmaster Daniel King has been a professional chess player for 20 years. During that time he has represented his country on many occasions including an historic match victory over the Soviet Union in Reykyavik, 1990. Besides his chess career, Daniel has built up a reputation as a commentator on TV and radio,

Jonathan Speelman and Daniel King share headphones at the 2013 FIDE Candidates event in London, courtesy of John Upham Photography
Jonathan Speelman and Daniel King share headphones at the 2013 FIDE Candidates event in London, courtesy of John Upham Photography

and has reported on four World Championship matches and several Man vs Machine events, including the controversial Kasparov vs Deep Blue encounter in New York, 1997. He is an award-winning author of 15 books, including Winning with the Najdorf, Mastering the Spanish, and Kasparov vs Deep Blue for Batsford. ”

On April 8th, 2020 New in Chess released Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire which is Daniel’s most recent book.

According to British Chess (Pergamon, 1983) by Botterill, Levy, Rice and Richardson :

1977 British Under 14 Champion
1979 Lloyds Bank 6/9 (aged only 16)
1980 First Ilford Open
1981 Represented England in Glorney Cup scoring 4.5/5
1981 Fourteenth equal British Championship
1981 IM norm Manchester 5.5/9
1981 Second equal Ramsgate Regency Masters 6.5/9 IM norm with a round to spare
1982 First Equal Guernsey 6/7
1982 First Hamar IM norm and title
1982 Second equal Molde
1982 Second equal Hallsberg Junior
1982 Third equal Phillips and Drew Knights
1982/3 Tenth equal Ohra, Amsterdam 5/9
1982/3 Fifth European Junior
1983 Fourth equal Gausdal
1983 First Portsmouth Open

In the same article Daniel gave the following game as his favourite up to 1983:

Streatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten, Mark Hedben, Daniel King, Nigel Povah (Captain), Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team !
Streatham & Brixton becoming BCF National Club Champions in 1989. The team was Tony Kosten, Mark Hedben, Daniel King, Nigel Povah (Captain), Joe Gallagher and Julian Hodgson : quite a strong team
Daniel King (seated, second from left)
Daniel King (seated, second from left)

Here is his Wikipedia entry

At the Lloyds Bank Masters : Front (l-r) : Joel Benjamin, Ian Wells, Rear : Peter Morrish, Stewart Reuben, Richard Beville, Gary Senior, Richard Webb, John Hawksworth, Andrew King, Nigel Short, Mark Ginsburg, Daniel King, David Cummings, Erik Teichmann, John Brandford and Micheal Pagden
At the Lloyds Bank Masters : Front (l-r) : Joel Benjamin, Ian Wells, Rear : Peter Morrish, Stewart Reuben, Richard Beville, Gary Senior, Richard Webb, John Hawksworth, Andrew King, Nigel Short, Mark Ginsburg, Daniel King, David Cummings, Erik Teichmann, John Brandford and Micheal Pagden
Mastering the Spanish, Batsford, 1993
Mastering the Spanish, Batsford, 1993
Kasparov v. Deeper Blue: The Ultimate Man v. Machine Challenge. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8322-9., 1997
Kasparov v. Deeper Blue: The Ultimate Man v. Machine Challenge. Batsford. ISBN 0-7134-8322-9., 1997
How to Win at Chess: The Ten Golden Rules (Cadogan Chess Books), 2000
How to Win at Chess: The Ten Golden Rules (Cadogan Chess Books), 2000
Kasparov Against the World: The Story of the Greatest Online Challenge. KasparovChess Online. ISBN 0970481306., 2000
Kasparov Against the World: The Story of the Greatest Online Challenge. KasparovChess Online. ISBN 0970481306., 2000
Winning With the Najdorf. Sterling Pub Co Inc. ISBN 0713470372., 2002
Winning With the Najdorf. Sterling Pub Co Inc. ISBN 0713470372., 2002
How Good Is Your Chess?. Dover. ISBN 048644676X., 2003
How Good Is Your Chess?. Dover. ISBN 048644676X., 2003
Test Your Chess With Daniel King, Batsford, 2004
Test Your Chess With Daniel King, Batsford, 2004
How To Play Chess. Kingfisher. ISBN 0753419181., 2009
How To Play Chess. Kingfisher. ISBN 0753419181., 2009
Chessbase Fritz Trainer
Chessbase Fritz Trainer
Chessbase Tutorials
Chessbase Tutorials
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire
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