Tony Miles - England’s Chess Gladiator

Tony Miles was a phenomenon in English chess. From anearly age it was apparent that he had no respect whatsoever forthe vaunted Soviet School of chess and held their grandmastersin scant esteem. At the very start of his career victories came inquick succession against such renowned opposition as Bronstein,Geller, Smyslov and Spassky. The culmination was a victory at thehead of the British Chess Federation team in the European TeamChampionship at snow bound Skara in Sweden against the reigningworld champion Anatoly Karpov. For the very first time in anyanthology of Tony Miles’ games this win appears here with Tony’sown profound notes. This was an historic win with Miles using theiconoclastic 1...a6 to defeat the champion’s habitual 1e4.Amongst Tony’s exploits were winning the Junior WorldChampionship, becoming the UK’s first FIDE grandmaster in overthe board play and leading the BCF team to silver medals behindonly the USSR in the prestigious Chess Olympiads. Miles also wonnumerous first prizes in international tournaments.He feared no-one and his will to win was legendary, asexemplified by the front jacket photograph of this book. Taken atthe Tilburg 1985 tournament, this shows Miles in play on a form ofstretcher against grandmaster Djinjihashvili. Although sufferingfrom terrible back pain, Miles insisted on competing, even fromthis unorthodox position, the only one in which the pain subsided.Characteristically Miles went on to win shared first prize in theevent.Tony Miles died tragically early in November 2001. This book is a memorial to him, written by a Grandmaster rival who faced him many times over the board.Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships