Tag Archives: Birthdays

Birthday of IM Adam Hunt (21-x-1980)

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We offer IM Adam Hunt best wishes on his birthday.

Adam Ceiriog Hunt was born on Tuesday, October 21st, 1980 in Oxford and his mother’s maiden name was Williams. The UK Number one single was “Woman in Love” by Barbara Streisand. Adam shares his birthday with Kim Kardashian.

(Ceiriog was the bardic name of John Ceiriog Hughes (1832–87)

Adam attended The Cherwell School and The University of Sussex to study general biology.

Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt, Nick Pert and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters
Jeremy Morse, Adam Hunt (12), Nick Pert (11) and Nigel Short at the Lloyds Bank Masters

Adam became an International Master in 2001 and then a FIDE Trainer in 2016. According to Felice and Megabase 2020 his attained his peak FIDE rating of 2466 in January 2008 at the age of 28.

Adam Hunt in 1998 Cathy Rogers
Adam Hunt in 1998 Cathy Rogers

In 2004 Adam was living in Headington, Oxfordshire and in 2007 he moved to Ipswich in Suffolk and was married in 2019. Recently, Adam and his partner became parents to Henry.

Most recently Adam has played for 4NCL Blackthorne Russia, prior to that Bettson.com, Midlands Monarchs and Perceptron Youth with Witney being his original team.

He is Director of Chess at Woodbridge School in Suffolk and is the brother of IM Harriet Hunt

With the white pieces is (almost exclusively) an e4 player playing the main line of Ruy Lopez (8.c3) and favouring the Fischer-Sozin against the Najdorf.

As the second player Adam plays the Sicilian Najdorf and a 50:50 mixture of the King’s Indian and Grünfeld Defences.

Adam is the brother of IM Harriet Hunt

Chess Strategy: Move by Move, Adam Hunt, Everyman, 2013
Chess Strategy: Move by Move, Adam Hunt, Everyman, 2013
IM Adam Hunt
IM Adam Hunt

Birthday of IM Simon Knott (19-X-1958)

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We offer best wishes to IM Simon John Bradley Knott on his birthday

Simon was born on Sunday, October 19th 1958 in Lambeth, London to Simon Harold John Arthur Knott and Josephine Whowell.

Simon attended Trinity College, Cambridge.

He became a FIDE Master in 1990 and an International Master in 2001. According to Felice and Megabase 2020 his peak FIDE rating was 2401 in October 2002 at the age of 43.

Simon was Southern Counties (SCCU) champion in the 1995-96 and 2001-02 seasons.

Simon plays for Hertford and Barbican in the Four Nations Chess League.

As white Simon plays the Queen’s Gambit via a 1.Nf3 or 1.c4 move order. There are zero 1.e4 games!

As the second player he plays the French Winawer and the Grünfeld Defence.

Simon Knott (front, keeling)
Simon Knott (front, keeling)
IM Simon Knott
IM Simon Knott

Birthday of GM John Shaw (16-x-1968)

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BCN offers birthday greetings to GM John Shaw

John K Shaw was born on Wednesday, October 16th, 1968. On this day Americans Tommie Smith (gold 19.83 WR) and John Carlos (bronze) famously give the Black Power salute on the 200m medal podium during the Mexico City Olympics to protest racism and injustice against African-Americans.

John was born in Irvine, North Ayrshire in Scotland.

He became a FIDE Master in 1994 at the age of 26. Five years later in 1999 he became an International Master and finally a Grandmaster in 2006 at the age of 38.

He won the Scottish Championship in 1995 (with IM Steve Mannion and GM Colin McNab), outright in 1998 and in 2000 with AJ Norris.

Not that many years previously (1988) John had a rating of 1700 at the age of 19 and therefore he falls into that rather rare category of GMs who were not strong players as juniors.

According to Felice and Megabase 2020 his peak FIDE rating was 2506 in January of 2002.

FIDE Rating profile for GM John Shaw
FIDE Rating profile for GM John Shaw

John’s FIDE federation is Scotland and is currently ranked fifth in that country.

In 2005 John was interrogated by ChessBase upon his return from Gibraltar.

He acquired his three GM norms at Gibraltar 2003, Calvia Olympiad 2004 and 4NCL Season 2005/6.

According to ChessBase (in 2005) :

“IM John Shaw has written two books for Everyman Chess and co-edited Experts vs. the Sicilian. He has represented Scotland on many occasions, recently in the Olympiad in Calvià, where he obtained his second GM-norm. As John has once had 2500 in Elo, it is his hope that he will complete his Grandmaster title in 2005 with a third GM-norm.

Together with Jacob, John constitutes two thirds of the new chess publisher Quality Chess Europe which has published Experts vs. the Sicilian by ten different authors and Learn from the Legends – Chess Champions at their Best by Romanian GM Mihail Marin.”

John plays / has played for 4NCL Alba and his peak ECF grading was 240B in July 2009.

With the white pieces almost exclusively plays 1.e4 and the Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation.

As the second player John has a wide repertoire versus 1.e4 essaying the Sicilian La Bourdonnais (Löwenthal) and against 1.d4 the Slav is the weapon of choice.

A writer of chess books, John is the Chief Editor of the publishing house Quality Chess and has written the following (amongst others) :

starting out : the ruy lopez
starting out : the ruy lopez
starting out : the queen's gambit
starting out : the queen’s gambit
Quality Chess Puzzle Book
Quality Chess Puzzle Book
The King's Gambit
The King’s Gambit
Playing 1.e4
Playing 1.e4
Grandmaster versus Amateur by John Shaw
Grandmaster versus Amateur by John Shaw
Experts on the Anti-Sicilian (Grandmaster Repertoire Series)
Experts on the Anti-Sicilian (Grandmaster Repertoire Series)

Birthday of IM Michael Hennigan (08-x-1970)

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We send best wishes to IM Michael Hennigan.

Michael Thomas Hennigan was born on October 8th, 1970 in Hammersmith, London. His mother’s name was Donnelly.

Michael attended the City of London School.

Michael became World Under-18 Youth Champion in 1988 in Aguadilla (Puerto Rico).

He became a FIDE Master in 1990 and an International Master title in 1991 and in the same year was British Under-21 Champion at Eastbourne and was British Champion in 1993 in Dundee beating Dharshan Kumaran in the play-off.

In 1995 he was 1st= in the Arnold Cup in Gausdal with Igor Rausis

His peak FIDE rating (according to Felice and Megabase 2020) was 2465 in July 1994 at the age of 24.

He played for North West Eagles in the Four Nations Chess League.

Michael married WIM Rita Zimmersmann and settled in London. Rita subsequently became Rita Atkins.

Michael stopped playing in 2010 but has recently in 2020 started playing online chess on the chess.com platform.

Michael is a Senior Director with FTI Consulting

With the white pieces Michael used to be an e4 player but in 2020 has switched to 1.g3 to get back into the swing of things.

As the second player he plays the Sicilian Four Knights and the King’s Indian Defence.

Stuart Conquest vs Michael Hennigan at 4NCL,, photo by Meri Grigoryan
Stuart Conquest vs Michael Hennigan at 4NCL,, photo by Meri Grigoryan