Competitor

First major success winning the London and British junior championships in 1964 aged 16.

I won the Hastings challengers in 1965/1966 and was selected for the English team at Havana 1966. I think I was the youngest player ever to represent England in the Olympiad.

In 1972, having won the British chess championship I switched from studying for a Ph D to becoming a full time chess professional , both playing and writing. The goal was to become a Grandmaster.

Most sensational result beating Botvinnik in Hastings Premier 1966/67. Other notable scalps ( from formal competitions) include: Jan Timman, William Lombardy, Svetozar Gligoric, Efim Geller, Robert Hubner, Lothar Schmid, Klaus Darga, Simeon Furman, Bagirov, Kovacevic ( last person to defeat Fischer before his victorious world championship campaign) Jan Donner, Jonathan Penrose, John Nunn, Jon Speelman, Tony Miles...

Tournaments won:

Hastings Challengers 1965/66
Silver medal 1967 Junior world championship
Bronze Medal 1967 world students
Slater Masters 1968
Bronze Medal 1968 Olympiad
International Master 1971 Englands first for ten years
British champion 1971/72
First prize Woolacombe international 1973 and Johannesburg 1973
First Prize Capablanca Masters 1974
Grandmaster 1976
Bronze Olympiad Medal 1976
First Prizes Alicante 1977, Sydney 1979, Dortmund 1980, Barcelona 1980, Lloyds Masters 1981, Valletta 1985
Bronze medal European championship 1980 and gold medal European Union championship Berlin 1980

Overall winner of 22 national championships in the following categories: junior, individual, school, university, club and team.

I was undefeated in the British championships of 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1972 resulting in 47 consecutive championship games without defeat.

I was also undefeated in the Olympiads of 1968, 1970 and 1976.