Malcolm Pein | The Chess King Extraordinaire
Malcolm Bernard Pein (born August 14, 1960) is a prominent British chess player, organizer, author, and journalist, holding the title of International Master.
Chess Career
Pein achieved the title of International Master (IM) in 1986. For over three decades, he has played a significant role in British chess as a player, coach, journalist, publisher, organizer, fundraiser, and entrepreneur .
Pein's chess journey began with his first tournament win in 1965, followed by becoming the British Junior Champion in 1977. Among his notable victories in tournament play are wins against Jon Speelman, Vishy Anand, and Lev Psakhis.
In 1992, Pein acquired Chess & Bridge Limited and established a chess shop on Euston Road, London, later relocating it to Baker Street in 2010 .
Pein served as a consultant to IBM for the famous Kasparov vs Deep Blue match in 1997 and was the Match Director for the 2002 Brains in Bahrain match between Vladimir Kramnik and the computer program Fritz, acting as the ‘voice’ of the program in Version 5.32 .
In 2009, Pein initiated, fundraised, and organized the London Chess Classic, the UK's first world-class elite all-play-all tournament since 1986. This tournament, held annually until 2019, was the strongest UK chess tournament by rating. The 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and managerial issues .
In 2010, Pein founded Chess in Schools and Communities, a UK-registered charity aiming to enhance children's educational outcomes and social development through chess. As the charity's CEO, Pein has overseen the teaching of chess to over 250,000 children by the end of 2020 .
Journalism and Publications
Pein began his journalistic career as a chess correspondent for Today and The European newspapers. In 1987, he started writing for The Daily Telegraph, becoming their full-time correspondent in 1988. Over 33 years, he has written more than 11,000 daily chess columns. Additionally, he owns and serves as the executive editor of CHESS magazine, a monthly publication with an international readership .
Pein has also consulted on and devised chess sequences for various television and film productions, including X-Men, Holby City, the Apple TV series Slow Horses, and the docudrama Rematch, based on the 1997 Kasparov vs Deep Blue match, sold to Disney+ and HBO Europe as of March 2024.
Roles and Contributions
Pein represents the English Chess Federation (ECF) to FIDE and was elected ECF's International Director in October 2015 . Although he ran unsuccessfully for FIDE Deputy President in 2018, Pein expressed interest in running for president in the 2022 FIDE Elections .
Since October 2015, Pein has captained the England Open team, leading them to notable successes, including victories at the 2016 Olympiad in Baku against China and Azerbaijan, and a bronze medal finish at the 2019 European Team Chess Championships in Batumi, Georgia .
