BCN wishes Happy Birthday to IM Byron Anthony Jacobs (25-vi-1963)
Byron originates from Sir John Betjeman’s favourite town (Slough) and attended Slough Grammar and then The University of Sussex (Falmer).
He was Standard London under-16 champion in 1979. He was 3rd= in the 1982 Danish U-18 International. He was 3rd= in the 1988 Guernsey Open. His last recorded event in Megabase 2020 was in 1998.
Byron became a FIDE Master in 1983 and an International Master and in 1988 achieved a peak rating of 2390 in July 1987 at the age of 24.
Having given up competitive chess Byron became a successful poker player and commentator and has written on the subject.
Byron is a director of Brighton based First Rank Publishing and is specialist chess typesetter and Chief Advisor for Everyman Publishing and others and was pivotal in Brighton based, Chess Press.
Byron was the typesetter for British Chess Magazine from 2011 – 2012.
IM Byron Jacobs (front, fourth from left) at a Lloyds Bank eventIM Byron Jacobs (seated, second from left)IM Byron Jacobs (standing, second from left)) at a Lloyds Bank Masters
Byron is an accomplished chess author with many titles to his name :
The Times Winning Moves (1991 with Ray Keene)The Complete King’s Indian (1992 with Ray Keene)Winning with the Benko (1995)The Caro-Kann Advance (1997)Analyse to Win (1997)The Benko Gambit by Andrew Kinsman & Byron Jacobs (1999)Starting Out in Chess (1999)Mastering the Opening (2001)French Classical (2001)Nimzo-Larsen Attack (2001)An Opening Repertoire for White (2003)
GM Paul Motwani has just played a brutal double check in the 1990 Scottish Lightning Championship. Photograph by Alistair MulhearnPaul Motwani plays Bent Larsen at the 1990 Watson, Farley and Williams International Chess Challenge. The game was a 3.Lb5 sicilian which was drawnPaul Motwani during a simultaneous displayGM Paul Motwani demonstrates one of his games
Colin McNab and Paul Motwani in post mortem analysisC.O.O.L. ChessH.O.T. ChessS*T*A*R* ChessThe Most Instructive Games of the Young GrandmastersChess Under the Microscope
“Natasha Regan was born in 1971 in London, the elder daughter of two Australian doctors. She studied Maths at Cambridge University, earned a half blue for chess, and edited the chess magazine “Dragon”. She debuted in the English Women’s chess Olympiad team in Manila, 1992.”
From Gambit Publications :
“Natasha Regan is a Women’s International Master from England who achieved a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University. While pursuing a successful career as an actuary in the insurance industry, she has raised a family and maintained a strong interest in chess and other board games, including Go.”
WIM Natasha Regan, photographer unknownWIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography, King’s Place Rapidplay, 2013
Natasha Regan, Lloyds bank Open, Unknown photographerChess For Life. Gambit. ISBN 978-1910093832.Game Changer. New In Chess. ISBN 978-9056918187.WIM Natasha Regan, courtesy of John Upham Photography at the Keith Richardson Memorial, 2017
BCN wishes many Happy Returns to IM Jovanka Houska ! (10-vi-1980)
From Wikipedia :
Jovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is an eight-time winner of the British Women’s Chess Championship.
Jovanka Houska, photographer unknown
Jovanka was born in London and became a Women’s International Master in 1999, a Woman’s Grandmaster in 2000 and an International Master in 2005. Her peak rating was 2443 in July 2010 at the of 30.
Jovanka Houska, photographer unknown
She plays for 4NCL Wood Green and her brother is IM Miroslav Houska. Her father Mario plays for Slough.
Jovanka Houska and family membersIM Jovanka Houska, courtesy of John Upham Photography
Dangerous Weapons : Caro-KannStarting Out : The ScandinavianPlay the Caro-KannOpening Repertoire : The Caro-KannThe Mating Game
IM Jovanka Houska, courtesy of John Upham Photography
Dharshan Kumaran (born 7 June 1975) is an English chess grandmaster.[1] He won the World Under-12 Championship in 1986, the World Under-16 Championship in 1991, and finished 3rd equal in the World Under-20 Championship in 1994. He currently works as a neuroscience research scientist at DeepMind.[2]
Jonathan Levitt , Jon, (born in 1963) is a British chess player . In 1984 he became a FIDE International Master and in 1994 a FIDE Grand Master.
GM Jonathan Levitt, photograph by Cathy Rogers
Levitt wrote chess anecdotes on the (no longer existing) chess portal kasparovchess.com . He also has a chess column in “Oxford Today”. Levitt is also known for his talent tests and he is also a chess teacher. Moreover, he is a master in endgame studies. He takes chess photos, some of which can be seen in Wikipedia.
Jonathan Levitt in play with Michael Adams, Lloyds Bank, 1990, Philidor, 1/2-1/2
Levitt is also the author of several chess books: “Secrets of Spectacular Chess”, “Genius in Chess”, “Advice on Improving Your Game”. He also makes chess videos for the internet.
“Jonathan Paul Levitt was born in Southwark (London), England. Awarded the IM title in 1984, he is now a GM (1991) and a composer of problems. Winner of the Staunton Memorial in 2005. His notable works as an author include “Secrets of Spectacular Chess” and “Genius in Chess”.”
Jonathan achieved a peak rating of 2495 in January 1989 at the age of 26 and lives in Ipswich.
He shared 1st place the GLC Masters in 1986 with 10.5/15 with Neil McDonald :
Jonathan Levitt, ? and Neil McDonald at the 1986 GLC Masters
GLC Masters crosstable, 1986
and was first equal with Jonathan Speelman in the Third Staunton Memorial in 2005 :
Third Staunton Memorial, 2005GM Jonathan Levitt, photographer unknown
“Grandmaster (2012).
Won a double GM norm during the 13th European Individual Championship (2012) where he scored 6/11 and followed with another norm at the Caissa GM event in September 2012, gaining his GM title on 23 September 2012 at the age of 21 years 3 months and 21 days. (1)
Won the 3rd 4NCL Congress in July 2015. (2)
Son of Tamas Fodor Sr.”
Tamas plays for 4NCL Cheddleton, Wood Green (in the London League) and Hendon.
For the 1979 Spassky vs the BCF Junior Squad simultaneous display this was written : “Rating 213. World No.1, 13 year old. First Evening Standard under-10s, 1975. First under-14s, 1976. First under-21s, 1978.
British Men’s Lightning (10 seconds per move) champion 1978 – the youngest National Men’s Champion in chess history. Bronze medallist world under-17 championship 1979.
In simuls Nigel has beaten Korchnoi and Petrosian. World Nos. 2 and 4. Now he plays Spassky, World No.3.”
Nigel Short plays Joel Benjamin at Lloyd’s Bank, 1976. 1-0, Maroczy BindAnatoly Karpov plays Nigel Short, London, Philips & Drew, French Winawer, 1/2-1/2, Stewart Reuben looking on
Nigel ShortNigel analyses with Viktor Korchnoi, unknown date and venue
Nigel Short
Nigel Short Simultaneous display at the 2012 London Chess Classic, courtesy of John Upham PhotographyNigel Short : Chess Prodigy (1981)Nigel Short’s Chess Skills (1989)New Ideas in the French Defence (1991)Nigel Short
We focus on the British Chess Scene Past & Present !
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