Simon Williams (chess player) explained

Simon Williams
Birth Name:Simon Kim Williams
Country:England
Birth Place:Surrey, England
Grandmaster (2008)
Peakrating:2550 (November 2009)
Fideid:404454

Simon Kim Williams is an English chess grandmaster and author who is best known under the pseudonym and Chess Server Nickname "GingerGM".

Early career

In 1993, he received his first international FIDE rating of 2255. During the same year he finished seventh in the European Under-14 Championship.[1] Williams regularly participated in youth tournaments throughout the 1990s, finishing seventh in the 1997 European Under-20 Championship[2] and finishing second in the Smith and Williamson Young Masters in 1998.[3]

Grandmaster

He became a Grandmaster in 2008, achieving the final norm at the Hastings International Chess Congress 2005/2006 and the 2500+ rating at Hastings 2007/2008.[4] His peak rating so far is 2550, achieved in November 2009. In 2009, he organised the Big Slick International in Purley, London, which comprised an invitational GM tournament and FIDE Rated Open.

National performance

In 2003, he finished seventh at the British Chess Championship.[5] Williams later improved his performance in the tournament, finishing equal second in 2009.[6]

International performance

In 2009, Williams finished equal first at the Southend Chess Congress all-play-all tournament.[7]

He was joint winner with Gawain Jones of the London Chess Classic FIDE Rated Open in December 2010, with a rating performance of 2690.

Blitz and rapidplay

In 2005, he won the British Blitz Championship.

Chess commentary

Williams works as a chess commentator at tournaments and through online streaming. Most notably, he has provided official commentary at the Gibraltar Chess Festival alongside Irina Krush, Elisabeth Pähtz in 2016 and Jovanka Houska in 2017 and 2018. He has covered a number of other tournaments for ChessBase and Chess.com. Williams also maintains a YouTube channel where he uploads blitz chess games with commentary as well as analysis of his previous games. He has also given commentary on the Chess.com Isle of Man tournament.

Chess publication company

In 2008, he founded a chess media publishing company called "GingerGM" with International Master Simon Ansell. The company produces print books, ebooks and DVDs.

Pension company

Williams was director of the company SKW Investments, which was implicated by HM Revenue and Customs in a pension liberation scheme. Williams said his role was "purely administrative", that he "did not understand the responsibilities required" and that he regretted involvement. The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman ordered him to repay roughly £700,000 into the scheme.[8] [9] [10]

Works

Books

DVDs

Other publications

Checkmate Show

In 2017 and 2020, Williams filmed two seasons of a show named Checkmate with Anna Richardson as co-host. Each season showcased a prestigious tournament with both male and female competitors, including Richard Rapport, Ju Wenjun, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Arkadij Naiditsch, and Nigel Short. The show was later released on DVD format in 2018 and 2021.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: European Under-14 Championship Results . 365chess.com.
  2. Web site: European Under-20 Championship Results . 365chess.com.
  3. Web site: Smith and Williamson Young Masters Results . 365chess.com.
  4. News: Hastings 2007/08 – a Grandmaster is Born . . 5 January 2008 . 18 November 2010.
  5. Web site: 2003 British Chess Championship Results . 365chess.com.
  6. Web site: John Saunders (chess player) . Saunders . John . 2009 British Chess Championship Results . British Chess Game Archive.
  7. Web site: Southend Chess Club | Easter Congress | 2009 Jack Speigel Memorial . 17 September 2014 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000219/http://southendchess.awardspace.biz/club/2008/JackSpeigelMem.html . dead .
  8. Web site: English chess body pressed to drop grandmaster in pensions row. Financial Times. Cumbo. Josephine. 8 January 2020. 11 April 2024.
  9. Web site: Pensions investigation: Complex deals are designed to 'liberate' cash. The Times. Mostrous. Alexi. 20 July 2019. 11 April 2024.
  10. Web site: Simon Williams Ordered To Pay Back Nearly $900,000 To Pension Scheme. Chess.com. Svensen. Tarjei J.. 16 October 2023. 11 April 2024.
  11. Web site: The Jobava London System - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  12. Web site: The Killer Dutch Rebooted - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  13. Web site: The Iron English: Botvinnik Variation - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  14. Web site: The Black Lion - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  15. Web site: Grandmaster Gambits: 1. e4 - Part 1 - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  16. Web site: Grandmaster Gambits 1. e4 - Part 2: Aggressive Lines - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  17. Web site: Best of British - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  18. Web site: The Best Chess Moves of All Time - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  19. Web site: The Killer Colle-Zukertort System - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  20. Web site: The Harry Attack: Fighting Kingside Fianchettos after 1. d4 - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  21. Web site: The British Grand Prix Attack - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  22. Web site: Lifetime Repertoires: Modern Reti - Part 1 - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.
  23. Web site: The Killer Barry Attack - Chessable . 2024-02-01 . www.chessable.com . en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Simon Williams (chess player)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.