My friend Jimmy Adams, who has died aged 79, was a writer on chess known for his witty personality and encyclopedic knowledge. Editor of Chess magazine from 1991 to 2010, in which role he brought every game and player to life with his enthusiastic, almost tabloid-like style, he was also a Fide master, the third highest ranking behind international master and grandmaster, a title he was awarded at the age of 67.
Jimmy was born in Islington, north London, to James, a delivery driver, and Ivy (nee Soule), a shopkeeper, and attended Highbury county grammar school for boys. As a youngster he discovered the children’s novel John and the Chess Men in his local library, and quickly graduated to borrowing adult books on the game, with which he taught himself.
