John Littlewood (chess player) John Littlewood (chess player) John Eric Littlewood (25 May 1931 – 16 September 2009) was for many years a leading British chess player and took the title of national senior champion in 2006. Perhaps his most famous game was the one he lost against the world champion Mikhail Botvinnik at the Hastings International Chess Congress 1961/2. Littlewood launched a fearsome attack which Botvinnik was able to defend only by means of a tactical finesse. Botvinnik chose to include the game in his autobiographical "Best Games 1947–1970". John Littlewood was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1931, the fourth of his eleven
Laura Ross (chess player) Laura Ross (chess player) Laura Smith formerly "Laura Ross" (born 1988) is an American chess player. She holds the title of Woman FIDE Master. , her FIDE rating is 2217. She is no longer an active player, but she does enjoy playing for fun. Laura also teaches private chess lessons. In 1998 she finished eighth in the World Championship Girls Under 10. Ross was the first US female to head a "Top 100 Players" list of both male and female players, as published by the United States Chess Federation. In April 2002 she became the highest rated 13-year-old, male or