January marks the start of the 40th year of international competition for Leigh-born chess grandmaster Nigel Short - and he is still making all the right moves.

Nigel burst onto the scene nationally as a mere nine-year-old with a startling performance in the Jersey International Chess Tournament.

He went on to qualify for the British Championship at 11 and he reached his peak in 1993 when he played chess legend Gary Kasparov for the world title in London, which resulted in a huge upsurge in chess participation in Britain.

Nigel was taught to play at the age of five and when he could not find enough opponents amongst family and friends, his father formed Atherton Chess Club for his benefit. The Atherton Club became one of the strongest clubs in the country.

He attended St Philip’s Primary School, Atherton and Bolton School, was paying income tax on his winnings at 12 and left school at 16 to become a chess professional.

Now living in Athens with his Greek born wife Rea, son and daughter, Nigel has won his last two international tournaments in the Isle of Man and Burma and his career has taken him to more than 100 countries.

An accomplished and humorous writer and commentator, he has a worldwide following and is perhaps better known abroad than in Britain.

At the height of his fame, he was a depicted as a Spitting Image puppet, made the television news bulletins on a number of occasions and even received a visit from Princess Diana to wish him luck in his world championship contest. Famously, he answered the door still in his dressing gown.

Nigel’s father David, is secretary of Lichfield Chess Club and a former president of the Birmingham Chess League. His mother, Jean, lives in Pennington, Leigh.