Jonathan Mestel
Encyclopedia
Andrew Jonathan Mestel is Professor of applied mathematics
at Imperial College London
who works on magnetohydrodynamics
and biological fluid dynamics
. He holds Ph.D on the thesis "Magnetic Levitation of Liquid Metals" at University of Cambridge
.
A distinguished chess player, he was the first person to be awarded chess Grandmaster titles by FIDE in both over-the-board play and problem
solving. He is also close to Grandmaster strength at contract bridge
.
He announced his arrival on the international chess scene by winning the World Cadet Championship
in 1974 at Pont-Sainte-Maxence
. The same year, he nearly won the British Chess Championship
, figuring in a seven-way play-off at Clacton, but failing to clinch the title at the last hurdle. Playing in Tjentiste in 1975, he took the bronze medal at the World Junior Championship
, finishing behind Valery Chekhov
and Larry Christiansen. There followed a string of British Championship successes, where he took the title in 1976, 1983 and 1988. His victory at Portsmouth
in 1976 was remarkable for a start of nine consecutive wins, a record for the competition.
Along the way, Mestel was awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title in 1982 and became a Chess Solving Grandmaster and the World Chess Solving Champion
in 1997. With fellow GM John Nunn
, he is a medal-winning member of the British Chess Solving Team.
Between 1976 and 1988, he was a frequent member of the English Chess Olympiad
squad, winning three team medals (two silver and one bronze). In 1984, he earned an individual gold medal for an outstanding (7/9, 78%) performance on his board. Other notable results for English teams occurred in 1978 at the World Student Olympiad in Mexico and at the 1983 European Team Championship
in Plovdiv
. Both of these events yielded gold-medal winning performances, the latter being exceptional for the highest percentage score (6/7, 85%) on any board. As a player of league chess, he has been a patron of the 4NCL
since its earliest days and represented The Gambit ADs in the 2008/9 season.
In international tournaments, his best early result was second equal at London
1977, with Miguel Quinteros
and Michael Stean
, after Vlastimil Hort
. There were also good results at Esbjerg
, where he won the North Sea Cup
in 1979 (with Laszlo Vadasz) and finished with a share of second in 1984 (after Nigel Short
, with Lars Karlsson). At Marbella
in 1982, he was the co-winner of a zonal tournament, with Nunn, Stean and John van der Wiel
. At Hastings
, there were good results in 1977/78 (a share of fifth in a strong field) and in 1983/84, when he shared third place (after joint winners Karlsson and Jon Speelman
).
Aside from his mainstream academic and chess activities, he wrote the mainframe computer game Brand X with Peter Killworth
, which was later rewritten for Windows
and released commercially as Philosopher's Quest.
Better known by his middle name, Jonathan, he is the son of astronomer Leon Mestel
and has been married since 1982 to Anna O´Donovan. They have one son, David Mestel, born February 1992.
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
who works on magnetohydrodynamics
Magnetohydrodynamics
Magnetohydrodynamics is an academic discipline which studies the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. Examples of such fluids include plasmas, liquid metals, and salt water or electrolytes...
and biological fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
. He holds Ph.D on the thesis "Magnetic Levitation of Liquid Metals" at University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
A distinguished chess player, he was the first person to be awarded chess Grandmaster titles by FIDE in both over-the-board play and problem
Chess problem
A chess problem, also called a chess composition, is a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, that presents the solver with a particular task to be achieved. For instance, a position might be given with the instruction that White is to move first, and checkmate Black in two...
solving. He is also close to Grandmaster strength at contract bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
.
He announced his arrival on the international chess scene by winning the World Cadet Championship
World Youth Chess Championship
The World Youth Chess Championship is a chess competition for girls and boys under the age of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.The first predecessor of the youth championship was the Cadet Championship. It started off unofficially in 1974 in France for players under 18. The 1975 and 1976 editions were also...
in 1974 at Pont-Sainte-Maxence
Pont-Sainte-Maxence
Pont-Sainte-Maxence is a town in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise....
. The same year, he nearly won the British Chess Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
, figuring in a seven-way play-off at Clacton, but failing to clinch the title at the last hurdle. Playing in Tjentiste in 1975, he took the bronze medal at the World Junior Championship
World Junior Chess Championship
The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament organized by the World Chess Federation ....
, finishing behind Valery Chekhov
Valery Chekhov
Valery A Chekhov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Junior Chess Champion ....
and Larry Christiansen. There followed a string of British Championship successes, where he took the title in 1976, 1983 and 1988. His victory at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in 1976 was remarkable for a start of nine consecutive wins, a record for the competition.
Along the way, Mestel was awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title in 1982 and became a Chess Solving Grandmaster and the World Chess Solving Champion
World Chess Solving Championship
The World Chess Solving Championship is an annual competition in the solving of chess problems organised by FIDE via the Permanent Commission of the FIDE for Chess Compositions ....
in 1997. With fellow GM John Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
, he is a medal-winning member of the British Chess Solving Team.
Between 1976 and 1988, he was a frequent member of the English Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
squad, winning three team medals (two silver and one bronze). In 1984, he earned an individual gold medal for an outstanding (7/9, 78%) performance on his board. Other notable results for English teams occurred in 1978 at the World Student Olympiad in Mexico and at the 1983 European Team Championship
European Team Championship
The European Team Championship is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9...
in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
. Both of these events yielded gold-medal winning performances, the latter being exceptional for the highest percentage score (6/7, 85%) on any board. As a player of league chess, he has been a patron of the 4NCL
4NCL
4NCL is an acronym, standing for Four Nations Chess League; the four nations being England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The league is however truly international, with players from as many as 27 different countries taking part....
since its earliest days and represented The Gambit ADs in the 2008/9 season.
In international tournaments, his best early result was second equal at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
1977, with Miguel Quinteros
Miguel Quinteros
Miguel Quinteros is an Argentine chess grandmaster.He won the Argentine Chess Championship at the age of 18 and in 1969 took eighth place at the Mar del Plata Zonal tournament...
and Michael Stean
Michael Stean
Michael Francis Stean is an English chess grandmaster and author.-Junior career:He learned to play chess before the age of five, developing a promising talent that led to junior honours, including the London under-14 and British under-16 titles.There was more progress in 1971, when he placed third...
, after Vlastimil Hort
Vlastimil Hort
Vlastimil Hort is a chess Grandmaster of Czech nationality. During the 1960s and 1970s he was one of the world's strongest players and reached the Candidates stage of competition for the world chess championship, but was never able to compete for the actual title.Hort was born in Kladno,...
. There were also good results at Esbjerg
Esbjerg
Esbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...
, where he won the North Sea Cup
North Sea Cup
The North Sea Cup is the only professional ice hockey league in the Netherlands and Belgium and the highest level of competition organized by the Nederlandse IJshockey Bond and sanctioned by the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation...
in 1979 (with Laszlo Vadasz) and finished with a share of second in 1984 (after Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
, with Lars Karlsson). At Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
in 1982, he was the co-winner of a zonal tournament, with Nunn, Stean and John van der Wiel
John van der Wiel
John van der Wiel is a Dutch chess grandmaster. He was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1982.He was the European Junior Champion in 1978 and the champion of the Netherlands in 1986. He was a participant in the Chess Olympiads of 1980, 1982 and 1984...
. At Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, there were good results in 1977/78 (a share of fifth in a strong field) and in 1983/84, when he shared third place (after joint winners Karlsson and Jon Speelman
Jon Speelman
Jonathan Simon "Jon" Speelman is an English Grandmaster chess player, mathematician and chess writer.-Early life and education:He was educated at Worcester College, Oxford, where he studied mathematics, earning a doctorate.-Career:...
).
Aside from his mainstream academic and chess activities, he wrote the mainframe computer game Brand X with Peter Killworth
Peter Killworth
Professor Peter D. Killworth was an English scientist known for both his work on oceanography and the study of social networks. A prodigious writer, his published output exceeded 160 scientific papers over the course of his career...
, which was later rewritten for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and released commercially as Philosopher's Quest.
Better known by his middle name, Jonathan, he is the son of astronomer Leon Mestel
Leon Mestel
Leon Mestel is a British astronomer and astrophysicist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Sussex. His research interests are in the areas of star formation and structure, especially stellar magnetism and astrophysical magnetohydrodynamics. He has won both the Eddington Medal and the Gold...
and has been married since 1982 to Anna O´Donovan. They have one son, David Mestel, born February 1992.