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John Nunn
JohnNunn10 (A).jpg
Nunn in 2010
Full name John Denis Martin Nunn
Country England
Born (1955-04-25) 25 April 1955 (age 70)
London, England
Title Grandmaster (1978)
International Solving Grandmaster (2004)
World Champion WC Problem Solving 2004, 2007, 2010
WC (Seniors over-65) 2022, 2023
FIDE rating 2568 (June 2025)
Peak rating 2630 (January 1995)
Peak ranking No. 9 (January 1985)
Scientific career
Thesis Some problems in algebraic topology (1978)
Doctoral advisor John Hubbuck

John Denis Martin Nunn, born on April 25, 1955, is an amazing English chess player. He's a Grandmaster, which is the highest title in chess. John Nunn has won the world championship for solving chess problems three times! He's also a talented writer, publisher of chess books, and a mathematician. He used to be one of the top ten chess players in the world.

Early Life and School

John Nunn was born in London, England. From a young age, he showed incredible talent in chess. In 1967, when he was just 12 years old, he won the British Under-14 Chess Championship.

Two years later, at 14, he became the London Under-18 Champion. Then, at only 15, he went to Oriel College, Oxford University. He studied Mathematics there. John Nunn was the youngest student at Oxford in many, many years!

He finished his first degree in 1973. Later, in 1978, he earned a special degree called a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in mathematics. After that, he taught math for a few years. In 1981, he decided to become a full-time professional chess player.

Chess Career Highlights

In 1975, John Nunn became the European Junior Chess Champion. This was a big step in his chess journey. He earned the top title of Grandmaster in 1978.

He also won the British Chess Championship in 1980. John Nunn has won gold medals for his country at the Chess Olympiads. These are big team chess tournaments.

In 1989, he finished sixth in the first-ever 'World Cup' series. This tournament featured the top 25 players globally. His best performance in the World Chess Championship cycle was in 1987. He played a close match but didn't quite make it to the final Candidates Tournament.

John Nunn also won the famous Hoogovens tournament three times. He won in 1982, 1990, and 1991.

Hoogovens Schaaktoernooi vierde ronde. Nunn (koploper) in aktie, Bestanddeelnr 931-9184
John Nunn playing chess in 1982

His highest Elo rating was 2630 in 1995. This rating shows how strong a player is. In 1989, his rating of 2620 put him among the world's top ten players. He was ranked ninth globally!

John Nunn has mostly stopped playing in big tournaments now. However, he still plays in faster chess games.

Chess Books and Writing

Besides being a strong player, John Nunn is known for writing excellent chess books. Many people think he is one of the best chess authors today. He has written many books, including:

  • Secrets of Grandmaster Chess (which won an award in 1988)
  • John Nunn's Best Games (which won an award in 1995)

He is also the director of a company called Gambit Publications. This company publishes chess books. A chess historian named Edward Winter said that John Nunn is very smart. He writes books that are helpful for both new players and experts.

Even the famous chess player Magnus Carlsen has talked about John Nunn. Carlsen said that John Nunn is so smart, it might have kept him from becoming world champion. He believed Nunn's huge understanding and love for learning might have distracted him from focusing only on chess.

Solving Chess Problems

John Nunn is also very good at chess problems. These are puzzles where you have to find the best moves to win. He has created some problems himself. He has also been part of the British team that solves these problems. He even wrote a book about it called Solving in Style.

He won the World Chess Solving Championship three times: in 2004, 2007, and 2010. Winning this championship also helped him earn the title of Grandmaster in problem solving. He is one of only a few people to have both the regular chess Grandmaster title and the problem-solving Grandmaster title.

Computers and Chess

John Nunn has been interested in computer chess for a long time. In the 1980s, he started writing about games played by computers. He also helped create a chess magazine.

He wrote some of the first books that used special computer databases called chess endgame tablebases. These databases have every possible move for certain chess endings. John Nunn used them to find new strategies for players. He is known for being a leader in using these computer tools to understand chess endings better.

Senior Chess Championships

Even as he got older, John Nunn continued to play well. He finished third in the World Senior Chess Championship (for players over 50) in 2014. He also came second in the European Senior Chess Championship in 2015.

In 2022, he won the World Senior Chess Championship (for players over 65) in Italy. He won it again in 2023!

Famous Games

Here are two of John Nunn's most famous chess games:

Øst-Hansen vs. Nunn, Teesside 1974
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6 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white king {{{square}}} black queen 4
3 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 3
2 {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king 2
1 {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 1
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Final position
  • Jacob Øst-Hansen vs John Nunn, Teesside 1974: This game was very exciting! John Nunn sacrificed some of his pieces to attack his opponent's king. He ended up checkmating the king in a thrilling finish.
Beliavsky vs. Nunn, Hoogovens 1985
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8 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 7
6 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black bishop 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black queen {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 4
3 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn 3
2 {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white queen {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 2
1 {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} white king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king 1
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Final position
  • Alexander Beliavsky vs John Nunn 1985, Wijk Aan Zee 1985: This game is sometimes called "Nunn's Immortal Game." It's considered one of the best games of the 1980s.

Books Written by John Nunn

  • John Nunn's Chess Course (2014)
  • 1001 Deadly Checkmates (2011)
  • Understanding Chess Middlegames (2011)
  • Nunn's Chess Endings, volume 1 (2010)
  • Nunn's Chess Endings, volume 2 (2010)
  • Understanding Chess Endgames (2009)
  • Grandmaster Chess Move by Move (2005)
  • Learn Chess Tactics (2004)
  • Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games (2004, with Graham Burgess and John Emms)
  • Endgame Challenge (2002)
  • Understanding Chess Move by Move (2001)
  • Secrets of Minor-Piece Endings (2001)
  • John Nunn's Best Games (2001)
  • Learn Chess (2000)
  • 101 Brilliant Chess Miniatures (2000)
  • Nunn's Chess Openings (1999, with Joe Gallagher, John Emms, and Graham Burgess)
  • John Nunn's Chess Puzzle Book (1999)
  • Complete Najdorf: Modern Lines (1999)
  • Secrets of Practical Chess (1998)
  • The Complete Najdorf 6. Bg5 (1997)
  • Secrets of Grandmaster Chess (1997)
  • The King-Hunt (1996, with William Cozens)
  • Beating the Sicilian 3 (1995, with Joe Gallagher)
  • Secrets of Pawnless Endings (1994, 2002)
  • New Ideas in the Pirc Defence (1993)
  • Secrets of Rook Endings (1992, 1999)
  • The Complete Pirc (1989)
  • Solving in Style (1985, 2002)
  • The Benoni for the Tournament Player (1982)
  • Tactical Chess Endings (1981)

Personal Life

John Nunn is married to Petra Fink-Nunn. She is also a chess player from Germany. They have a son named Michael.

Astronomy Hobby

As John Nunn played less competitive chess, he found a new passion: astronomy. He loves studying stars and planets. He shares this hobby with another famous chess player, Viswanathan Anand. John Nunn has written articles and given talks about astronomy for chess news websites.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: John Nunn para niños

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