I learned the moves of chess at the age of eight, and raised my rating
every year until giving up the serious game at the age of eighteen.
Another eighteen years later I returned to it and have since continued an
active player. I hold the ECF (English Chess Federation) title of County
Master. In 2002-3 and 2007-8 I was North Essex Challenger, in 2010 highest
placed Somerset player in the East Somerset Congress and in 2011 shared
first prize in the Major section of that congress. In 2017 I won (once
jointly) the Major sections of two Bristol Congresses. In 2018 I won a
prize at the Wiltshire Open Congress. In 2022 and 2023 I represented England at over-65's level in the European Seniors Team Chess Championships. I play actively in the Bristol League for Downend and Fishponds "C" and online for Jurassic Coast (4NCL Division 1).
At correspondence chess, I have entered three tournaments each of three
stages: the Open Championship of the British Federation for Correspondence
Chess, the Bernard Partridge Memorial Tournament (an international - North
Sea - “stars barred” event) and a thematic tournament organized by the
ICCF (International Correspondence Chess Federation). In each of these I
have reached the final. I hold the EFCC (English Federation for Correspondence Chess) title of Candidate Master. My current rating is over 2200.
Minutes Secretary to the ECF (1995-97, 2002, 2010 (part)).
Secretary (1996-2000), Publications Officer (1994-2000), Publicity Officer (2001-3, 2006-8) and Editor (1998-9, 2008-12) for the BFCC (British Federation for Correspondence Chess).
Captain (1999-2004, 2008-11) of Colchester “A” team, which plays in the North Essex League.
I have published a series of nine Chess Studies articles in the BFCC Information Circular. I have also published elsewhere on chess (see my publications list).