Tony Miles
| Tony Miles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Full name | Anthony John Miles |
| Country | England |
| Born |
23 April 1955 Birmingham, England |
| Died | 12 November 2001 (aged 46) |
| Title | Grandmaster (1976) |
| Peak rating | 2635 (1 January 1996) |
Anthony John Miles (23 April 1955 – 12 November 2001) was an English chess Grandmaster, the first Englishman to earn the Grandmaster title in over-the-board play.
Miles was an only child, born 23 April 1955 in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham, and attended King Edward's School, Birmingham. He was married and divorced twice, and had no children. Miles' first wife was Jana Hartston, who was formerly married to William Hartston.
He learned the game of chess early in life and made good progress nationally, taking the titles of British under-14 Champion and under-21 Champion in 1968 and 1971, respectively.
In 1973, Miles won the silver medal at the World Junior Chess Championship at Teesside, his first important event against international competition. Both he and compatriot Michael Stean defeated the tournament winner Alexander Beliavsky, but were unable to match the Soviet player's ruthlessness in dispatching lesser opponents. Miles went on to win this prestigious title the following year in Manila, while a mathematics undergraduate of the University of Sheffield.
Taking the decision to pursue the game professionally, Miles did not complete his studies, but, in 1975, was awarded an MA by the University in respect of his chess achievements.
In 1976, Miles became the first UK-born, 'over-the-board' chess grandmaster, narrowly beating Raymond Keene to the accolade. The naturalised, German-born Jacques Mieses was awarded the GM title in 1950, while Keith Richardson had been awarded the GM title for correspondence chess earlier in the 1970s. For his achievement, Miles won a £5,000 prize, put up by wealthy businessman and chess backer Jim Slater.
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Wikipedia