Keith Arkell
Encyclopedia
Keith Charles Arkell is an English
Grandmaster of chess
.
As a long-time resident of the West Midlands, he has lived in Rednal, Droitwich and Worcester. His brother Nicholas was also a strong player.
FIDE awarded Arkell the title of International Master in 1985, and that of Grandmaster ten years later. He was the 1998 British Rapidplay Chess Champion
, having recorded his peak Elo rating of 2545 just two years earlier.
In the early part of the 2000s, before taking a break from serious chess, he showed that he could perform consistently at a high level; he tied for second place at the 2001 British Chess Championship
, tied for second at the strong Hastings Premier
of 2002/3, took first place at the Wroxham
Masters (2002) and tied for second at Montpellier
(2002). At Gausdal
(2002), he beat GMs Stelios Halkias, Vasilios Kotronias and rising star Magnus Carlsen
, to finish a half a point off first place. His achievements were recognised when he was voted third (2002) and second (2003) in the British Chess Federation's Player of the Year awards.
In subsequent years he limited himself to racking up a long series of first places on the weekend congress circuit, rather than competing in overseas tournaments. However, he then bucked the trend in 2007 and 2008 by touring the USA. His itinerary included the Foxwoods Open in Connecticut, where he finished on 6/9, a point behind winner Alexander Shabalov
. He also won tournaments, shared or outright, at the famous Marshall Chess Club
in Manhattan
, at Saratoga Springs, and at the Blackstone
Open, near Boston
. Another trip took him to Barbados, where he finished runner-up in the Heroes Day Cup with a score of 7½/9. The tournament was claimed by the organiser to be the strongest ever held in the English speaking nations of the Caribbean.
Also in 2008, he tied for first place at the British Championship
with GM Stuart Conquest
, but lost the overall title after a two-game speed chess play-off. His final standing did however qualify him for the title of 'English Champion'. Later that year, he won the Wellington College
International Open with 7½/9, ahead of GM Nick Pert (7/9).
As White
, Arkell prefers Queen Pawn openings
. As Black
, he usually meets 1.d4 with the Nimzo-Indian Defence
and 1.e4 with the Caro-Kann Defence
or French Defence
. When playing the Caro-Kann, he is one of very few Grandmasters who regularly adopts the line 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5!? The leading chess magazine New in Chess
christened this variation the "Arkell-Khenkin Line". He is widely considered to have exceptional skills in the endgame.
Arkell was once married to Woman Grandmaster and International Master Susan Lalic
(née Walker).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Grandmaster of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
.
As a long-time resident of the West Midlands, he has lived in Rednal, Droitwich and Worcester. His brother Nicholas was also a strong player.
FIDE awarded Arkell the title of International Master in 1985, and that of Grandmaster ten years later. He was the 1998 British Rapidplay Chess Champion
British Rapidplay Chess Championships
The British Rapidplay Chess Championships is a rapid play chess congress held in the UK annually since 1986 under the auspices of the English Chess Federation...
, having recorded his peak Elo rating of 2545 just two years earlier.
In the early part of the 2000s, before taking a break from serious chess, he showed that he could perform consistently at a high level; he tied for second place at the 2001 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...
, tied for second at the strong Hastings Premier
Hastings International Chess Congress
The Hastings International Chess Congress is an annual chess congress which takes place in Hastings, England, around the turn of the year. The main event is the Hastings Premier tournament, which was traditionally a 10 to 16 player round-robin tournament. In 2004/05 the tournament was played in the...
of 2002/3, took first place at the Wroxham
Wroxham
Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 1532 in 666 households. The village is situated within the Norfolk Broads on the south side of a loop in the middle reaches of...
Masters (2002) and tied for second at Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
(2002). At Gausdal
Gausdal
Gausdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru...
(2002), he beat GMs Stelios Halkias, Vasilios Kotronias and rising star Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...
, to finish a half a point off first place. His achievements were recognised when he was voted third (2002) and second (2003) in the British Chess Federation's Player of the Year awards.
In subsequent years he limited himself to racking up a long series of first places on the weekend congress circuit, rather than competing in overseas tournaments. However, he then bucked the trend in 2007 and 2008 by touring the USA. His itinerary included the Foxwoods Open in Connecticut, where he finished on 6/9, a point behind winner Alexander Shabalov
Alexander Shabalov
Alexander Shabalov is an American chess grandmaster, the multiple winner of the U.S. Chess Championships; he was the 2007 US Champion. He was born in Latvia, and like his fellow Latvians Alexei Shirov and Mikhail Tal he is known for courting complications even at the cost of objective soundness...
. He also won tournaments, shared or outright, at the famous Marshall Chess Club
Marshall Chess Club
The Marshall Chess Club in New York City is one of the oldest chess clubs in the United States, located in Greenwich Village. The club was formed in 1915 by a group of players led by Frank Marshall. It is a non-profit organization.-History:...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, at Saratoga Springs, and at the Blackstone
Blackstone, Massachusetts
Blackstone is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,026 at the 2010 census. It is formally a part of the Providence metropolitan area. Blackstone is the only municipality in Massachusetts to employ automatic cameras in traffic enforcement.- History :This...
Open, near Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Another trip took him to Barbados, where he finished runner-up in the Heroes Day Cup with a score of 7½/9. The tournament was claimed by the organiser to be the strongest ever held in the English speaking nations of the Caribbean.
Also in 2008, he tied for first place at the British 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...
with GM Stuart Conquest
Stuart Conquest
Stuart Conquest is an English chess Grandmaster.-Chess career:In 1981, at the age of 14 he won the World Youth Chess Championship in the under-16 category. Conquest was British Rapidplay Chess Champion in 1997...
, but lost the overall title after a two-game speed chess play-off. His final standing did however qualify him for the title of 'English Champion'. Later that year, he won the Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
International Open with 7½/9, ahead of GM Nick Pert (7/9).
As White
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
, Arkell prefers Queen Pawn openings
Queen's Pawn Game
In the most general sense the term Queen's Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with the move:It is the second most popular opening move. The name is now usually used to describe openings beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 where White does not follow through with an early pawn...
. As Black
White and Black in chess
In chess, the player who moves first is referred to as "White" and the player who moves second is referred to as "Black". Similarly, the pieces that each conducts are called, respectively, "the white pieces" and "the black pieces". The pieces are often not literally white and black, but some...
, he usually meets 1.d4 with the Nimzo-Indian Defence
Nimzo-Indian Defence
The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:This hypermodern opening was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch who introduced it to master-level chess in the early 20th century. Unlike most Indian openings the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto,...
and 1.e4 with the Caro-Kann Defence
Caro-Kann Defence
The Caro-Kann Defence is a chess opening —a common defense against the King's Pawn Opening characterised by the moves:The usual continuation isfollowed by 3.Nc3 , 3.Nd2 , 3.exd5 , or 3.e5 . The classical variation has gained much popularity...
or French Defence
French Defence
The French Defence is a chess opening. It is characterised by the moves:The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages...
. When playing the Caro-Kann, he is one of very few Grandmasters who regularly adopts the line 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5!? The leading chess magazine New in Chess
New In Chess
New In Chess is a chess magazine that appears eight times a year with chief editors International Grandmaster Jan Timman and Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam. It contains notes by top players and chess prodigies on their own games...
christened this variation the "Arkell-Khenkin Line". He is widely considered to have exceptional skills in the endgame.
Arkell was once married to Woman Grandmaster and International Master Susan Lalic
Susan Lalic
Susan Lalic is an English chess player, holding both International Master and Woman Grandmaster titles. She is five-time British Women's Chess Champion - 1986, 1990–1992, 1998....
(née Walker).
External links
- Keith Arkell at ChessGames.com