Education
As a child he moved with his family from Egypt to New Zealand, then to Tasmania, Australia, before they settled in Sydney when he was 12, where he was educated at Cranbrook School.
As a child he moved with his family from Egypt to New Zealand, then to Tasmania, Australia, before they settled in Sydney when he was 12, where he was educated at Cranbrook School.
Purdy earned the Grandmaster of Correspondence Chess title in 1953. He was also an influential chess magazine writer, editor, and publisher. He began his chess career at the age of 16 and soon decided to become a full-time chess writer and player.
Initially an over the board (OTB) player, he soon began to mix OTB play with correspondence play.
They were thus declared Australasian co-champions. The marriage produced two children, John (1935–2011) and Diana.
Purdy founded and edited the magazine Australasian Chess Review (1929–1944). This became Check (1944-1945), and finally Chessworld (1946–1967).
He was described by Bobby Fischer as being a great chess instructor.
Some of his writings are still in print. He is somewhat famous for saying "Pawn endings are to chess as putting is to golf."
In 1976 he was awarded the Order of Australia for services to chess. Death
However Australian grandmaster Ian Rogers reports that Purdy"s last words were "I have to seal a move", and that Purdy "wasn"t even winning in the final position — Cecil wouldn"t have mistaken a drawn position for a winning position.".