Winston Williams (chess player)
{{Short description|English chess and xiangqi player (1958–2020)}}
{{Infobox chess player
|country = Singapore
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1958|2|20}}
|birth_place = London, England
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2020|7|29|1958|2|20}}
|death_place = Bradford, England
|title = Candidate Master (2011){{cite web|url=https://ratings.fide.com/profile/5800250|title=Williams, Winston}}
|peakrating = 2225 (July 1988){{cite web|url=https://www.olimpbase.org/Elo/player/Williams,%20Winston.html|title=Williams, Winston}}
|FideID = 5800250
}}
Winston Williams was an English chess and xiangqi player.
Career
He was born in London and moved to Singapore, attending the Anglo-Chinese School and helping them win the Singaporean National Schools Team Championship. In 1974, he drew with grandmaster Paul Keres in a simul, and defeated Max Fuller in a simul against the Singaporean junior squad. In 1975, he defeated grandmaster Alexander Kotov in a simul. He graduated from University of Bonn, Germany, (Engineering). He joined the Singapore Police Force as an Inspector of Police.
He won the non-Chinese section of the World Xiangqi Championship in 1990 and 1991.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18630317.obituary-bradford-chesstival-founder-winston-williams-well-loved-local-international-chess-scene/|title=Obituary: Bradford Chesstival founder Winston Williams was well loved on local and international chess scene|date=August 6, 2020|first=Emma|last=Clayton}} He held the rank of Federation Master in xiangqi.{{cite web|url=https://www.wxf-xiangqi.org/images/Player_Titled_List/20221209_WXF_Official_list_of_titles20221209-.pdf|title=世界象棋联合会国际等级称号棋手名单}}
He moved to West Yorkshire in 2003. He founded Bradford's "Chesstival in the Park", a festival first held in 2013 that featured exhibition tournaments and simuls held by grandmaster Gawain Jones, Sue Maroroa, and Malcolm Pein. The festival was credited with contributing to the chess scene in Bradford.
Death
He died by suicide on July 29, 2020, after falling from a building. He had been diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome and suffered from depression.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19098121.founder-bradford-chesstival-winston-williams-took-life-city-centre-inquest-hears/|title=Founder of Bradford Chesstival Winston Williams took his own life in city centre, inquest hears|date=February 18, 2021|first=Felicity|last=Macnamara}} The Singaporean Chess Federation held a tournament in his memory.{{cite web|url=https://chess-results.com/tnr988273.aspx?lan=1&turdet=YES|title=Winston Williams Memorial Tournament 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Winston}}
Category:Chess players from London
Category:Chess Candidate Masters
Category:Sportspeople from Bradford
Category:English chess players