Matthew Sadler (chess player)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Sadler is an International Grandmaster
(1993) of chess, and a chess writer.
Sadler won the British Championship
in 1995 at the age of 21 and again in 1997 (jointly with Michael Adams). He represented England in the 1996 Chess Olympiad, scoring 10½/13 and winning a gold medal for the best score on board four (England finished fourth), and also played in 1998 scoring 7½/12. He made 7/9 on board four for England at the European Team Championship
in Pula
in 1997; this was the best individual score by the five-man English team and helped it win the gold medal in a major senior event for the first (and to date only) time in English chess history.
He was widely tipped to reach the heights scaled by such leading players as Michael Adams and Nigel Short
but has since taken the decision to cease playing professionally, opting for a career in IT in Holland.
For several years, he was the book reviewer for New in Chess magazine and also wrote books and articles for other chess magazines. In 2000, his book Queen's Gambit Declined (published by Everyman) was awarded the British Chess Federation's book of the year award. Sadler has a French mother, speaks French perfectly and is also qualified to play in closed French events.
Nowadays a resident of Amersfoort
in the Netherlands, Sadler returned to chess in 2010 to play in a rapidplay tournament held in nearby Wageningen
. He won the event with a maximum score of 7/7, finishing ahead of strong grandmasters Jan Timman
, Friso Nijboer
and Daniel Fridman
. In August 2011 Sadler continued the strong play by winning the XIII Open Internacional D'Escacs de Sants scoring 8½/10 ahead of several strong grandmasters counting Jan Smeets. Right thereafter in October 2011 Sadler went on to win the Oslo Chess International 2011 in front of ten other grandmasters, amongst them Sergei Tiviakov
, Jon Ludvig Hammer
and Sergey Volkov all being 2600+ players. Sadler won with the very strong 8/9 points and a performance rating of 2849. The gain in rating points is expected to bring Sadler back to the fourth rank amongst the English players, only close behind Luke McShane
, Nigel Short and Michael Adams.
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
(1993) of chess, and a chess writer.
Sadler won the British Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
in 1995 at the age of 21 and again in 1997 (jointly with Michael Adams). He represented England in the 1996 Chess Olympiad, scoring 10½/13 and winning a gold medal for the best score on board four (England finished fourth), and also played in 1998 scoring 7½/12. He made 7/9 on board four for England at the European Team Championship
European Team Championship
The European Team Championship is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9...
in Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
in 1997; this was the best individual score by the five-man English team and helped it win the gold medal in a major senior event for the first (and to date only) time in English chess history.
He was widely tipped to reach the heights scaled by such leading players as Michael Adams and Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
but has since taken the decision to cease playing professionally, opting for a career in IT in Holland.
For several years, he was the book reviewer for New in Chess magazine and also wrote books and articles for other chess magazines. In 2000, his book Queen's Gambit Declined (published by Everyman) was awarded the British Chess Federation's book of the year award. Sadler has a French mother, speaks French perfectly and is also qualified to play in closed French events.
Nowadays a resident of Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
in the Netherlands, Sadler returned to chess in 2010 to play in a rapidplay tournament held in nearby Wageningen
Wageningen
' is a municipality and a historical town in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specializes in life sciences. The city has 37,414 inhabitants , of which many thousands are students...
. He won the event with a maximum score of 7/7, finishing ahead of strong grandmasters Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
, Friso Nijboer
Friso Nijboer
Friso Nijboer is a Dutch chess player. He achieved the title of Grandmaster in 1996.Nijboer won the Vlissingen Chess Tournament in 2002 and 2005, and won the 3rd Nancy Chess Festival in 2005. He participated in six Chess Olympiad with an overall performance of +18 −14 =21.-Friso Nijboer vs...
and Daniel Fridman
Daniel Fridman
Daniel Fridman is a German chess master who originates from Latvia. He was Latvian champion in 1996 and German champion in 2008.-Early chess career:...
. In August 2011 Sadler continued the strong play by winning the XIII Open Internacional D'Escacs de Sants scoring 8½/10 ahead of several strong grandmasters counting Jan Smeets. Right thereafter in October 2011 Sadler went on to win the Oslo Chess International 2011 in front of ten other grandmasters, amongst them Sergei Tiviakov
Sergei Tiviakov
Sergei Tiviakov is a naturalised Dutch chess Grandmaster.Tiviakov won the Dutch Chess Championship in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, in Plovdiv, he won the European Individual Chess Championship with 8.5/11....
, Jon Ludvig Hammer
Jon Ludvig Hammer
Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer is a Norwegian chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster , the tenth Norwegian to do so...
and Sergey Volkov all being 2600+ players. Sadler won with the very strong 8/9 points and a performance rating of 2849. The gain in rating points is expected to bring Sadler back to the fourth rank amongst the English players, only close behind Luke McShane
Luke McShane
Luke James McShane is an English chess player. A former World Youth Champion and prodigious talent in chess, he has become one of England's leading players and a member of the Olympiad team. He has also been a trader in London's financial sector.- Early career :McShane won the World Under-10...
, Nigel Short and Michael Adams.
External links
- Biography of Matthew Sadler Everyman Chess