Jonathan Rowson is a Scottish chess Grandmaster and also a chess author
Education
At this time he attended Skene Square Primary School, though he later attended Aberdeen Grammar School where a Maths teacher, Mr Michael Wilson, organised and encouraged the school team Rowson has an interest in Eastern thought and, following a year at Harvard, completed a Doctor of Philosophy thesis on Wisdom at Bristol University, supervised by Guy Claxton.
Career
He made his Scotland debut for the national Primary School team in the match against England in 1988. After taking a year out to study chess in the wake of this success, he went to Keble College, Oxford University where he earned a first class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Doctor Jonathan Rowson is Director of the Social Brain Centre at the Republic of South Africa . After degrees spanning a range of social science disciplines from Oxford and Harvard, Jonathan’s Doctoral research at the University of Bristol featured an analysis of the challenge of overcoming the psycho-social constraints that prevent people becoming ‘wiser’.
He writes for The Guardian’s Behavioural Insights Blog, was formerly a columnist for the Herald newspaper, has authored three books
In addition to winning the British Championship in three consecutive years, Rowson"s best results include sharing first at The World Open in Philadelphia in 2002, at the Hastings Premier in 2003/4, and outright first at the Capo Doctorate"Orso open in Sardinia in 2008. On the November 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating of 2579, making him Scotland"s number one.
Jonathan Rowson vs Kaido Kulaots, DEN-chJ 1996, Sicilian Defense: Najdorf, Amsterdam Variation (B93), 1-0
Jonathan Rowson vs Neil R McDonald, London Agency 1998, Slav Defense: Exchange Variation (D13), ½–½
Jonathan Rowson vs Bogdan Lalic, BCF-chT 9899 (4NCL) 1998, Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (B18), ½–½
Jonathan Rowson vs Nick DeFirmian, 2nd Milk Tournament 2003, Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation, English Attack Anti-English (B90), 1-0.
Views
He successfully defended his British title in 2005 and again in 2006.