Titled Englishmen who left chess

[MJMcCready]

Greetings all, I entered into discussion with a former Beds. team mate about titled players who left chess. It seems as though some put their brains to very good use and have done well, becoming something of an entrepreneur since leaving chess. My playing partner assures me that GM Norwood has done very well for himself but wasn't sure if he still plays, we don't think he does. As we know GM Saddler left for a long while but did return. We can't quite work out what happened to GM James Howell and what he went into, does anyone know? He seemed to be very promising at one point. Hassabis is also another example of someone who left chess and went on to become something of an entrepreneur but correct me if I am wrong but he wasn't titled was he?

Who else did we miss out?

[LawrenceCooper]

Greetings all, I entered into discussion with a former Beds. team mate about titled players who left chess. It seems as though some put their brains to very good use and have done well, becoming something of an entrepreneur since leaving chess. My playing partner assures me that GM Norwood has done very well for himself but wasn't sure if he still plays, we don't think he does. As we know GM Saddler left for a long while but did return. We can't quite work out what happened to GM James Howell and what he went into, does anyone know? He seemed to be very promising at one point. Hassabis is also another example of someone who left chess and went on to become something of an entrepreneur but correct me if I am wrong but he wasn't titled was he?

Who else did we miss out?

Dave Norwood still appears at events like the "Beer and Blitz" organised by Nevil Chan and also plays online (DaveNoGood). He transferred to Andorra so may appear in an Olympiad one day.

James Howell was last spotted at the wedding of Ann Marie & Russell James and is on Facebook. He is married with kids.

Demis Hassabis became a CM but would probably have been an IM or maybe even a GM had he not found something more useful to do with his life! He has played in the ProBiz event at the London Chess Classic.

Searching for England players on the fide rating website will bring up a list which includes inactive ones eg Julian Hodgson (coaching and the London Chess Classic commentary), William Watson, Jonathan Mestel, Dharshan Kumaran (a doctor), Michael Stean, Ray Keene etc

Because of the lockdown it's harder to say who else has left chess or are just inactive eg Hawkins, Parker, Haslinger.

[Nick Ivell]

I think Howell might have gone into accountancy.

If so, a more stable career than that of a jobbing GM.

[Paul Heaton]

I think Howell might have gone into accountancy.

LinkedIn shows this to be correct. After qualifying with Deloitte, he is now at Saatchi. I think he is the only GM to completely drop the game- even guys like Ken Rogoff subscribe to New in Chess etc, turn up at events.

[David Gilbert]

Yes, he's a Senior Finance Manager at M&C Saatchi, the Advertising Agency.

[Joey Stewart]

Stewart Haslinger has not been seen for many years, I guess he might count as AWOL?
I would imagine that if you include titled English women in this list it might be one of the rare instances where women outnumbered men in chess.

[Nick Ivell]

There is no money in chess, unless you are the best of the best. Hardly surprising that accounting might seem more tempting (though I can't imagine anything more dull myself).

Of course there is always coaching, but if teaching was the dream, might as well do a PGCE and have done with it.

[David Gilbert]

Stewart Haslinger has not been seen for many years, I guess he might count as AWOL?

He used to play with his Dad in tow at the Delft Easter Tournament - last time in 2016. By the way it's a really good event and Delft is a great City to visit if anyone's planning to get away next year. It's where I discovered the Dutch don't take milk in tea - indeed they think it's weird! I got a very odd look from my opponent when I brought him an in-game cuppa!

[MJMcCready]

There is no money in chess, unless you are the best of the best. Hardly surprising that accounting might seem more tempting (though I can't imagine anything more dull myself).

Of course there is always coaching, but if teaching was the dream, might as well do a PGCE and have done with it.

Well this was what my friend was saying. Some put their brains to better use. The tricky things is working out who is inactive and who has left the game completely and moved on.

[MJMcCready]

Stewart Haslinger has not been seen for many years, I guess he might count as AWOL?
I would imagine that if you include titled English women in this list it might be one of the rare instances where women outnumbered men in chess.

What happened to his sister Cathy? Does she still play? What about Cathy Forbes as she was once known.

[LawrenceCooper]

Stewart Haslinger has not been seen for many years, I guess he might count as AWOL?
I would imagine that if you include titled English women in this list it might be one of the rare instances where women outnumbered men in chess.

What happened to his sister Cathy? Does she still play? What about Cathy Forbes as she was once known.

Cathy Haslinger stopped playing a long, long time ago. Cathy Forbes hasn't played in a long time but is still in contact with some players, albeit more offline than online.

[Mick Norris]

The only Haslingers with an active ECF rating are Gareth & Mike; I recollect Stewart was unwell at one point

[MJMcCready]

I seem to remember Mandy Haslinger playing in Hitchin once and was sitting on about three chairs and full of tears over the board.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Jonathan Levitt too, though he cropped up in some interview online over lockdown where he spoke about betting on cricket while beating his interviewer in a speed game. I think that Howell might be the only one to have completely kicked the game, though.

Well, it is one thing to stop playing for any one of a number of career or personal reasons, but how can you get to GM level and then lose interest utterly and forever ?

[Richard Bates]

I find this whole thread a bit prurient and distasteful (and in some cases uninformed). People have their reasons for the decisions they take in life. I doubt most who have given up or have largely withdrawn from the game (or at least active play) particularly regret their decision (other than maybe some might wish family or financial reality - the two most common enforced reasons I would think - had allowed different hence many returning in later life).

And best just left at that IMHO.