Anthony Miles – "The Maverick"

Anthony "Tony" Miles (1955–2001) was the first English-born player to become a Chess Grandmaster (in 1976). He led the "English Chess Explosion" that produced Nigel Short and John Nunn.

He refused to follow the rules. While others played the Ruy Lopez, he played 1...Nc6 or 1...a6. He believed he could outplay anyone if he got them out of their preparation.

In 1980, against the unbeatable Anatoly Karpov, Miles played 1.e4 a6!?. Karpov, confused by the lack of respect, played passively. Miles seized the initiative and won a historic victory.

Yes, he was a prolific tournament winner, especially in "Open" tournaments where his fighting style allowed him to crush lower-rated players and overtake GMs.

He secured the GM title in 1976, winning a £5,000 bounty from a wealthy patron for being the first Brit to do so.

His victory over Anatoly Karpov with 1...a6 is arguably the most famous opening shocker in chess history.

He won the World Junior Championship in Manila, signaling to the world that British chess had arrived.

He won the super-strong Tilburg tournament, proving he was one of the top 10 players in the world at his peak.

He defeated former World Champions Vasily Smyslov and Boris Spassky in tournament play, showing he feared no reputation.

He won the British Championship in Torquay with an impressive score, asserting his dominance over his local rivals.

He was a master of large Open tournaments (Swiss systems), where he would take huge risks to win every game and take first prize.

He even beat the "Magician of Riga" Mikhail Tal, out-calculating the greatest attacker in history.

He played the English Defense (1.d4 e6 2.c4 b6) and 1...Nc6 frequently, revitalizing these lines.

Even late in his career (1995), he defeated the young Vladimir Kramnik, showing his style could still work against the new computer generation.

Miles was open about his mental health issues, which affected his career but never diminished his genius or love for the game.

He contributed serious theory too, notably the Miles Variation in the Queen's Indian Defense (4.Bf4).

He once famously accused Garry Kasparov of arranging a draw, showcasing his outspoken and sometimes controversial personality.

He was also a strong correspondence player, using the time to analyze his wild ideas deeply.

He won the prestigious Capablanca Memorial in Cuba in 1994, 1995, and 1999.

He had a fierce rivalry with his compatriots Nigel Short and John Nunn for the top spot in England.

Like Shirov, he played endgames tactically rather than following rigid rules, often tricking opponents in simplified positions.

His game annotations and articles were hilarious, filled with wit and sharp criticism of bad moves.

He often played 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 (Trompowsky) or similar sidelines to get opponents out of book by move 2.

Tony Miles proved that you don't need to memorize 30 moves of theory to be a Grandmaster; you just need to understand chess and fight.