Simon Williams

Simon Kim Williams (born 30 November 1979) is an English chess grandmaster and author who is best known under the pseudonym and Chess Server Nickname "GingerGM". Early career In 1993, he received his first international FIDE rating of 2255. During the same year he finished seventh in the European Under-14 Championship. Williams regularly participated in youth tournaments throughout the 1990s, finishing seventh in the 1997 European Under-20 Championship and finishing second in the Smith and Williamson Young Masters in 1998. Williams vs. Simons, Scarborough 1999 Williams competed in the 1999 British Chess Championship, held in Scarborough and won by Julian Hodgson. By the time of the tournament's later rounds, Williams had been eliminated from contention for the championship. He, therefore, chose to play the Hammerschlag (1.f3 e5 2.Kf2) in a game against Martin Simons, a very unusual and "inferior" opening which needlessly exposes White's king to immediate attack. Williams won the game, and it has since been noted as successful use of a disadvantageous opening. Playing an intentionally disadvantageous opening could be considered showboating and fall under rules of poor sportsmanship, especially in a round-robin tournament.