David's Biography:
updated 27 Apr 03

Name: FM David Wei-Liang Howell
Date of Birth: 14 November 1990

Date
Event / Achievement
July 1996
Started learning basic chess moves from his father.
August 1996
Joined Eastbourne Chess Club.
September 1996
First tournament - Sussex Under-11 Open (won 3 out of 6 games).
July 1997
Defeated WGM Susan Lalic at UK Chess Challenge simultaneous display, Nottingham (aged 6).
August 1998
British Under-8 champion, Torquay.
April 1999
Youngest ever to win the IAPS under-13 championship, Aldro School, Godalming.
August 1999
British Under-9 and Under-10 champion, Scarborough.
29 August 1999
Defeated GM Dr John Nunn at the Mind Sports Olympiad Rapidplay (5 minutes each on the clock).  World Record - youngest ever player to defeat a grandmaster in an organised game.  Appeared on BBC Breakfast TV, Good Morning America and Blue Peter.
11-12 Dec 1999
Youngest ever to win the London Junior Under-14 Chess Congress, beating GM Nigel Short's record.
28-30 Jan 2000
Youngest ever player to qualify for a national championship (and the youngest ever qualifier for the British Championship).
2-10 Oct 2000
European Under-10 Championship – 2nd prize (silver medal), Halkidiki, Greece.
2 Jan 2001
Youngest ever Briton to beat a grandmaster in classical chess, Hastings International Tournament (opponent was GM Colin McNab; beating GM Luke Mcshane's record).
31 Aug-9 Sept 2001
European Under-12 Championship – 1st equal (bronze medal). Achieved FIDE Master (FM) title, Halkidiki, Greece.
1 March 2002
Youngest ever player to draw a formal organised game with a World Champion - Vladimir Kramnik, Einstein Cup exhibition match, London. Appeared on CBBC and Richard & Judy Show (Channel 4).
18 May 2002 
World Circular Chess champion, Lincoln.
13 Aug 2002
Open air exhibition match versus Russian WGM Alexandra Kosteniuk, Broadgate, City of London.
15-24 Nov 2002
World Under-12 Championship – 3rd prize (bronze medal), Crete.
5-15 April 2003
Youngest Westerner to win an international master tournament - 1st prize in First Saturday IM Tournament, Budapest.  David's first International Master (IM) norm.
25 April 2003
Best Young Chess Player award, Britain's Brilliant Prodigies, produced by Carlton TV and Children in Crisis.
25 June 2003
Defeated GM Jon Speelman in exhibition rapidplay game, Regents Place, Euston.  Event sponsored by British Land.
28 June 2003
Drew with world's youngest-ever Grandmaster, Sergei Karjakin, in exhibition rapidplay game, Somerset House, London, promoting the Art of Chess exhibition.
21 July -1 Aug 2003
Achieved 2nd IM norm at the British Championship, Edinburgh.
25 -31  Aug 2003
Invited to play in the Staunton Memorial Anniversary tournament against 3 strong grandmasters, held at Simpson's-in-the-Strand, London.  David drew 2 games out of 6.
27 Jan - 5 Feb 2004
GibTelecom Masters, Gibraltar. David achieved his third and final IM norm.
Jan 2007 Final GM Norm Sweden
   
19 Jan 2008

Won 20 Seconds Chess, London

21-24 Mar 2008 Won Jack Speigel Memorial, Southend
   
June 2008 David retains English Chess Federation Player of the Year award
19-27 Jul 2008

Won 27th Open Internacional d’Escacs d’Andorra, Andorra

   
Aug 2008 World U20 Turkey 3rd= 9/13
Aug 2008 Wins Barcelona tournament
Sep 2008
5th=   7/10 EU Chess Championships Liverpool 2008
   
3-11 Oct 2008

Won 8th Winterthur Chess Week Master Open, Switzerland

12-25 Nov 2008

38th Chess Olympiad, Dresden, Germany

29-30 Nov 2008

Won British Rapidplay Chess Championships, Halifax, England

16 Jan - 1 Feb 2009

71st Corus Chess GM Group C, Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands

3-9 Jul 2009

37th Greek Team Championship, Chalkidiki

   
David will be playing in the following invited tournaments:
27Jul - 7 Aug 2009

British Championships, Torquay

8-17 Aug 2009

7th Howard Staunton Memorial, London

18-26 Sept 2009

Inventi Chess GM Tournament 2009, Antwerp, Belgium

16-29 Oct 2009 World Junior Chess Championship, Mar del Plata, Argentina
8-15 Dec 2009

London Chess Classic