William Winter (chess player)

William Winter (1898–1955) was a British chess player. He won the British Open Chess Championship in 1934 and the British Chess Championship in 1935 and 1936, defeating a number of the world's top players, including Aron Nimzowitsch and Milan Vidmar. He was a widely respected author of chess books and was a nephew of Sir James M. Barrie, the writer of Peter Pan. Winter was also a Communist; his draw with Mikhail Botvinnik in the last round at Nottingham 1936, in a distinctly favourable position, was regarded very suspiciously (see the game). Winter has the distinction of being the only British Champion to have served time in prison (for his political activities). His memoirs were serialised in CHESS magazine in the late 1950s.

Books by Winter

• Chess for Match Players, originally published in 1936 by Lawrence & Wishart; re-published in 1951 by Carroll and Nicholson and in 1965 by Dover Publications.