Julian Hodgson

Infobox chess player
playername = Julian Hodgson


caption= Julian Hogdson, 2001
birthname = Julian Michael Hodgson
country = ENG
datebirth = birth date and age|1963|7|25
placebirth = St Asaph, Wales
datedeath =
placedeath =
title = International Grandmaster
worldchampion =
womensworldchampion =
rating =
peakrating = 2640 (2000)

Julian Michael Hodgson (born July 25 1963, St Asaph, Wales) is an English International Grandmaster and former British Champion of chess.

He first came to the notice of the chess world for his phenomenal prowess as a junior - he was London under-18 champion at 12 years of age and won the British Boys under-21 title aged just 14.

Biography

International Master and Grandmaster titles followed in 1983 and 1988 respectively. Tournament successes included 2nd place at the Lloyds Bank Open of 1986, 1st at Benidorm 1986, 1st= at the Geneva Open 1988, 2nd= at Tel Aviv 1988, 1st= at Kecskemet 1988 and 1st at Dos Hermanas 1989. At San Bernardino in 1989, he finished first on tie-break from strong grandmasters Kiril Georgiev and Ivan Sokolov. A frequent visitor to Spain's Seville Open, he shared first place in 1986 and 1988. At Philadelphia's World Open of 1990, he finished second (behind Igor Glek).

Hodgson went on to become a fearsome competitor nationally, bagging the title of British Champion on no fewer than four occasions (1991, 1992, 1999, and 2000). By 2000, he was so at home with the event that he even brought with him his own Executive chair, which was wheeled from board to board for maximum comfort. When not actually playing, his live commentary sessions and evening lectures at the British Championships were always well received by amateurs and masters alike.

Meanwhile, back on the international stage, playing for the English Olympiad team, he won the bronze team medal at Novi Sad in 1990, and an individual silver medal at Manila in 1992. The Manila success followed a notable win earlier in the year, at the colossal open tournament held annually in Cappelle-la-Grande.

In 1997 he won the Canadian Open Chess Championship, and was joint winner of the National Open in Las Vegas. At Oxford in 1998, he shared victory with Jonny Hector, ahead of John Nunn and Emil Sutovsky. In 2000, his Elo rating peaked at 2640 and he finished a half point behind the leaders at the World Open.

Over a number of years, Hodgson played league chess in both the German Bundesliga and British 4NCL. Since 2001, his play has been very limited, due to teaching commitments.

Playing style

Aside from more formal achievements, he developed a sharp, relentless, attacking style of play and against lesser opponents this frequently resulted in devastating quick wins, earning him the epithet "Grandmaster of Disaster".

Julian ("Jules") Hodgson's greatest legacy as a chess player may however lie in his resurrection of an almost forgotten opening system. The Trompowski Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5) had floundered in the doldrums for many years, prior to his adoption and development of the opening. In interviews, he reveals that this was born out of laziness and a reluctance to learn established chess opening theory. It soon became his weapon of choice with the white pieces, leading to a surprising popularisation of the system, the spawning of a whole generation of devotees and ironically, a number of theoretical guides, containing a high quota of Hodgson's own games and analysis. Indeed, his expert treatment of the system once prompted fellow grandmaster Joe Gallagher to write that it should be renamed the Hodgson-Trompowski Attack, a view shared by many other masters. A chess journalist once wrote that Hodgson put the 'romp' into Trompowski.

A related, but more obscure version of the system (1.d4 d5 2. Bg5), has been dubbed by some the Hodgson Attack and by others the Pseudo-Trompowski or Queen's Bishop Attack.

Bibliography

As an author of chess books and magazine articles, his writing style conveys the same enthusiasm as his lectures. He is perhaps most renowned for his "Attack with Julian Hodgson" series of books, but was also a busy contributor to the "Trends" series of chess opening booklets and also the "Foxy Openings" (VHS, later converted to DVD) series. His more major works comprise:

* "Grand Prix Attack: f4 Against the Sicilian", Collier Books, 1985, ISBN 0020114303
* "Chess Traveller's Quiz Book". Cadogan Chess, London 1993, ISBN 1-85744-030-7
* "Quick Chess Knockouts". Everyman Chess, 1996, ISBN 1857440455
* "Attack with GM Julian Hodgson, Vol. 1". Hodgson Enterprises, London 1996, ISBN 0-9529373-0-1
* "Attack with GM Julian Hodgson, Vol. 2". Hodgson Enterprises, London 1997, ISBN 0-9529373-1-X
* "Secrets of the Trompovsky". Hodgson Enterprises, London 1997, ISBN 0-9529373-2-8

References

* [http://chess.about.com/library/ble41gbr.htm List of British Chess Champions (Mark Weeks)]

* [http://www.olimpbase.org Olimpbase - Olympiads and other Team event information]

*British Chess Magazine February 1999, No.2, Vol. 119 - Oxford International Chess Festival pp 74-83.

External links

*chessgames player|id=11751
*fide|id=400076|name=Julian M. Hodgson
* [http://www.chessworld.net/chessclubs/statistics_pgn_rating_chart.asp?username=Hodgson,Julian%20M. Statistics at ChessWorld.net]