Nigel Short's Birthday

(THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY CHATGBT AND COINTAINS VALID FACTS BY WIKIPEDIA)

Nigel Short, born on his birthday today, is a prominent figure in the world of chess. His journey in the game began at a young age, as he participated in the British Championship for adults at the age of twelve. In that tournament, he defeated the national champion, Jonathan Penrose. At the age of fifteen, Short became the Junior World Championship runner-up, with Garri Kasparov taking the title.

Short excelled further in his chess career, representing his country and winning the Baku tournament in 1983. The following year, he attained the title of Grandmaster. In 1985, he reached the Candidates Tournament in Montpellier and secured a shared 10th place.

In 1986, Short finished second behind John Nunn in the First Open German Individual Championship held in Krefeld. He achieved victories in Wijk aan Zee in both 1986 and 1987. In 1988, Short won the Euwe Memorial in Amsterdam, triumphing over Kasparov. However, in the second round of the Candidates Matches in 1988, held in London, he was defeated by his compatriot, Jonathan Speelman.

During the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship in 1993, Short made an impressive run. He defeated Jonathan Speelman and Boris Gelfand in the earlier rounds and then surprisingly defeated Anatoli Karpov in the semifinals. This ended the series of World Championship matches between Kasparov and Karpov that had been ongoing since 1984. In the Candidates' final, Short emerged victorious against Jan Timman, earning the right to challenge Kasparov for the World Chess Championship.

However, due to both players' refusal to accept the FIDE's conditions for the World Championship match, the FIDE disqualified them and organized a replacement championship. In response, Short and Kasparov founded the Professional Chess Association (PCA) in 1993 as a rival organization to the FIDE. The PCA organized the 1993 World Chess Championship, which Kasparov won with a score of 12.5:7.5 against Short. The PCA dissolved due to financial reasons after hosting the 1995 World Chess Championship.

Short continued to achieve notable successes in his career. He won the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2004 and secured the European Union Championship in Liverpool in September 2006. Additionally, he clinched the Commonwealth Chess Championship again in Mumbai in November 2006. Short also contributed to the chess community by writing regular chess columns in British newspapers, including The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph.

In 2007, Short faced a complaint filed by Surab Asmaiparaschwili before the FIDE Ethics Commission. Short had criticized Asmaiparaschwili for his role as a member of the arbitration panel in the World Championship match between Kramnik and Topalov. The commission ruled that Short's statements were largely protected by freedom of speech but criticized him for using the word "Dunderhead."

Short's achievements continued in subsequent years. He won the Commonwealth Chess Championship again in Nagpur in 2008. In June 2009, he emerged victorious at the Sigeman Tournament in Malmö, followed by a remarkable performance with 8 points out of 10 games at the Staunton Memorial in London in August. In September of the same year, Short won a match against Zahar Efimenko in Mukachevo with a score of 3.5:2.5 (+2 =3 -1).

He has claimed the British Championship title three times, in 1984, 1987, and 1998. As of March 2016, Short held an Elo rating of 2671, ranking him 72nd in the FIDE World Rankings and making him the third-highest-rated English player.

In October 2018, Short was elected as one of the Vice Presidents of FIDE after announcing his candidacy for the presidency in May 2018.

Nigel Short is married to a Greek woman and has two children, a daughter born in 1991 and a son born in 1998.