Gawain Jones | |
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Gawain Jones at London Chess Classic, 2010
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Full name | Gawain Christopher B. Jones |
Country | England |
Born |
Keighley, West Yorkshire, England |
11 December 1987
Title | Grandmaster |
FIDE rating | 2676 (March 2017) |
Peak rating | 2676 (March 2017) |
Gawain Christopher B. Jones (born 11 December 1987) is an English chess Grandmaster and chess author. He won the British Chess Championship in 2012.
Jones began playing chess at the age of four, competing in his first tournaments at six. In early 1997 he hit the headlines and was featured on the front page of The Guardian newspaper when he became the youngest player in the world ever to beat an International Master in an official tournament game. He has represented England in the World Junior and World Youth Championships on many occasions and since 2008 has been one of England's highest rated players.
An active player on the tournament circuit, he secured his grandmaster title with successful results at the 2nd EU Individual Open Championship in Liverpool in 2006, 2006 European Club Cup in Fügen and 4NCL 2006/7 season. Elsewhere in Europe, he took first place at Porto San Giorgio and La Laguna (both 2007). During his stay in Australasia, there were many more tournament successes, including a first place at the Sydney International 2008 and creditable second places at the Doeberl Cup 2008 and Queenstown Classic 2009.
Jones shared first place with Simon Williams at the London Chess Classic FIDE Open 2010. In 2011, he won the Bunratty Masters in 2011, ahead of Nigel Short, whom he defeated in their individual encounter, and the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Ekurhuleni. Jones won the 2012/13 Hastings International Chess Congress. In December 2014, he won the Challenge Match against Romain Édouard by 4–2; it was a six-game match held cuncurrently with the London Chess Classic. In 2016, Jones won the New Zealand Open in January, and the Dubai Open in April edging out on tiebreak Vladimir Akopian.