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Tony Miles
TonyMiles.jpg
Full name Anthony John Miles
Country England
Born (1955-04-23)23 April 1955
Birmingham, England
Died 12 November 2001(2001-11-12) (aged 46)
Birmingham, England
Title Grandmaster (1976)
Peak rating 2635 (January 1996)
Peak ranking No. 9 (January 1986)

Anthony John Miles (born April 23, 1955 – died November 12, 2001) was a famous English chess player. He was the first Englishman to become a Grandmaster, which is the highest title a chess player can achieve.

Early Life and Chess Beginnings

Tony Miles was born in Edgbaston, a part of Birmingham, England. He was an only child. He went to King Edward's School, Birmingham.

Tony started playing chess when he was young. He quickly became very good. He won the British under-14 Champion title in 1968. Later, in 1971, he became the British under-21 Champion.

First International Success

In 1973, Tony Miles won a silver medal at the World Junior Chess Championship in Teesside. This was his first big international tournament. The next year, he won this important title in Manila. At the time, he was studying math at the University of Sheffield.

Tony decided to become a professional chess player. He did not finish his university studies. However, in 1975, the university gave him a special MA degree for his amazing chess achievements.

Becoming a Grandmaster

In 1976, Tony Miles made history. He became the first person born in the UK to earn the Grandmaster title in over-the-board chess. He just barely beat another English player, Raymond Keene, to this achievement. For becoming a Grandmaster, Tony won a £5,000 prize. This money was given by a rich businessman and chess supporter named Jim Slater.

Anthony Miles 1976
Miles in Amsterdam, 1976

Tony had many great results in the late 1970s and 1980s. He became a world-class player. He won games against very strong opponents. These included former World Chess Champions like Vasily Smyslov, Mikhail Tal, and Boris Spassky.

Famous Wins

In 1980, at the European Team Chess Championship, Tony played against the reigning World Champion, Anatoly Karpov. Tony won the game while playing with the black pieces. He used a very unusual opening called the St. George Defence. He beat Karpov again three years later in Bath.

Tony won the British Chess Championship only once, in 1982. This event took place in Torquay.

Peak Performance

Tony's best time as a chess player was in the mid-1980s. In 1984, he set a European record for playing chess blindfolded. He played 22 games at once without looking at the boards. He won 10 games, lost 2, and drew 10.

In January 1986, Tony reached his highest world ranking. He was ranked World No. 9 with a rating of 2610. During this time, he had a friendly rivalry with John Nunn to see who was the best player in the UK. Other strong English players like Nigel Short and Jon Speelman also joined the competition. This was a very strong period for English chess.

Tony played for England at the Olympiads in 1984 and 1986. He helped the team win silver medals at both events.

Anthony Miles Tilburg 1985
Miles playing in Tilburg (1985) while lying down due to back pain

After some health issues in 1987, Tony moved to the United States. He continued to play chess there and had some good results. In 1991, he played in the Championship of Australia. Later, he moved back to England and played for his home country again.

He tied for first place at the strong Cappelle-la-Grande Open in 1994, 1995, and 1997. In 1995, he surprised everyone at the PCA Intel Rapid Chess Grand Prix in London. He beat very strong players like Vladimir Kramnik.

Tony won the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba four times (1994, 1995, 1996, and 1999). His last tournament win was the 2001 Canadian Open Chess Championship.

The Miles Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Bf4) in the Queen's Indian Defence is named after him. This is a special way to start a chess game.

Personality

Tony Miles was known for having strong opinions. He sometimes disagreed with chess authorities and other English players. He was also known for his sharp and witty comments. He often wrote articles where he shared his thoughts on other chess players.

Death

Tony Miles passed away on November 12, 2001, from heart failure. He had diabetes, which contributed to his death. There was a moment of silence at the European Team Championships in León, Spain, to remember him.

Notable Games

  • Karpov vs. Miles, Skara 1980. St. George Defence: 0–1. This is the famous game where Tony Miles beat World Champion Karpov using the unusual 1.e4 a6 opening.
  • Miles vs. Spassky, 1982. Queen's Indian Opening: 1–0. In this game, Tony used a strong attack to win against Boris Spassky, who was one of the world's best players.
  • Karpov vs. Miles, Bath 1983, Caro–Kann: 0–1. Another win for Tony against World Champion Karpov, again with the black pieces.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tony Miles para niños

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