Gawain Jones Fronts The "Friendly" London Towers
Alongside the London Lions, there's a second team from the UK capital playing in the inaugural season of the PRO Chess League. It's the London Towers, who are boasting an impressive roster as well.
So far three grandmasters and three international masters have signed up. Let's have a look at this team of friends:
1. GM Gawain Jones: Gawain, England's number-four grandmaster, is at the top of the London Towers lineup. The 2012 British Champion recently joined the good English tradition of becoming a chess author as well. His two-volume book on the Sicilian Dragon got excellent reviews. He also used to write a column for the now defunct e-magazine, ChessVibes Training.
2. GM Nick Pert: Nick gained fame in 1998 by winning the World Under-18 Championship held in Oropesa del Mar. He also won the 2010 Guernsey Festival tournament. Nick graduated at Warwick University with a degree in mathematics and statistics.
3. GM Keith Arkell: Keith is one of the older players in the league; he's also one of the nicest. He became an international master in 1985 and a grandmaster ten years later, but recently he achieved a world title! He won the 2014 European Senior Chess Championship in Porto. One of his victims was his good friend, GM Mark Hebden.
Keith Arkell | Photo: John Saunders.
The roster of the Towers also includes IMs Richard Pert (Nick's twin brother), Simon Ansell and Thomas Rendle.
It's going to be a fierce rivalry between the two teams in London. All eyes will be on this matchup in Europe's West division as they face off against each other in week two of the PRO Chess League.
The PRO Chess League welcomes the London Towers!
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