Keith Arkell British chess player, grandmaster Date of Birth: 08.01.1961 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Keith Arkell
2. Chess Achievements
3. International Tournaments
4. Chess Style
5. Autobiography and Personal Life

Biography of Keith Arkell

Keith Charles Arkell, a British chess player, was born on January 8, 1961, in Birmingham. He spent most of his life in the West Midlands, residing in Rednal, Droitwich, and Worcester. His brother Nicholas was also a strong chess player.

Chess Achievements

In 1985, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) awarded Arkell the title of International Master. Ten years later, he reached the level of Grandmaster. In 1998, Arkell became the British Rapidplay Chess Champion, achieving his highest Elo rating of 2545. In 2001, he finished second in the British Chess Championship and second in the Hastings Premier tournament in 2002-2003. He secured first place in the Wroxham Masters tournament in 2002 and finished second in Montpellier in the same year. In Gausdal in 2002, Arkell defeated renowned grandmasters Stelios Halkias, Vasilios Kotronias, and a rising chess star, Magnus Carlsen, with just half a point separating him from first place. His achievements were recognized by the British Chess Federation (BCF), ranking him third in 2002 and second in 2003 for the title of "Player of the Year."

International Tournaments

Arkell did not participate in international tournaments until 2007 when he traveled to the United States for chess games. He returned to the United States the following year to compete in the Foxwoods Open in Connecticut, where he finished one point behind the winner, Alexander Shabalov. He also won competitions at the renowned Marshall Chess Club in Manhattan, Saratoga Springs, and the Blackstone Open in Boston. He secured second place in the Heroes Day Cup tournament in Barbados. In 2008, Arkell tied for first place in the British Chess Championship with Grandmaster Stuart Conquest but lost the title after losing two games in the rapid chess playoff. The following year, he won the Wellington College International Open, surpassing Grandmaster Nicholas Pert.

Chess Style

When playing with the white pieces, Arkell prefers to start with the second most popular move, queen's pawn to d4. When playing with the black pieces, he usually responds with the Nimzo-Indian Defense, French Defense, or Caro-Kann Defense. When using the Caro-Kann Defense, Arkell is one of the few grandmasters who consistently plays the move 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5, a variation dubbed the "Arkell-Khenkin Line" by New in Chess magazine.

Autobiography and Personal Life

In 2012, Arkell's autobiography, "Arkell's Odyssey," was published by Keverel Chess Books. He was previously married to Susan Lalic, a Grandmaster and Women's International Master.