John Purdy (chess player)
| John Purdy | |
|---|---|
_11_February_1951.jpg) |
|
| Country | Australia |
| Title | Australian Master |
| FIDE rating | 2143 |
| John Purdy | |
|---|---|
| Judge, Family Court of Australia | |
|
In office 1984 – 25 September 2005 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Spencer Purdy 25 September 1935 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 27 August 2011 (aged 75) Taree, Australia |
| Resting place | North Ryde |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Relations | C J S Purdy (father), Spencer Crakanthorp (maternal grandfather) |
| Alma mater | North Sydney Boys High, The University of Sydney Law Extension Committee |
| Profession | accountant, barrister, administrator, judge |
John Purdy (25 September 1935 – 27 August 2011) was an Australian chess player and Family Court judge.
John Spencer Purdy was born on 25 September 1935 in Sydney, New South Wales. His father was C J S Purdy, an Australian chess International Master, inaugural World Correspondence Chess champion, and "one of the world's greatest English-language chess writers and teachers". His mother was Nancy née Crakanthorp and held the lease of Greenwich Baths on Sydney Harbour. His maternal grandfather, Spencer Crakanthorp, was twice Australian chess champion and Spencer's father, Lawrence, had been a leading Australian player.
John attended North Sydney Boys High where his friends encourage him to take up chess at age 13. Less than two years later, in 1951, he was the Australian Junior Chess Champion. Purdy won the title in the last round with 9½ points when John Bailey, the NSW Junior Champion could only manage a draw to finish on 9 points.
In 1955 he became the youngest person to win the Australian Chess Championship. However, that year he failed to qualify for the junior world chess championship finals in Antwerp (the title was won by Boris Spassky). He represented Australia in the British championship in 1955.
He won the Australian title for a second time in 1963. That year, he represented Australia in the Asian Zonal championship in Jakarta (won by Bela Berger). Also in 1963, he won the first Doeberl Cup in Canberra.
Purdy served as President, Australian Chess Federation in 1971–72.
In 2003, Purdy suffered an aortic dissection in Lismore and spent weeks at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney. Although rehabilitation allowed him to return to his professional life, he was unable to continue playing chess. His latterday interests became golf, swimming, reading and bridge.
Purdy qualified as an accountant and then worked for the Printing and Allied Trades Employers' Association from 1956 to 1973.
...
Wikipedia