He is 41, from England, and one of the best players of the 20th century. His name is Nigel David Short, and he just won the European Union Chess Championship.

Short’s chess resume reads impressively: first as wunderkind, then as candidate for world champion, and finally and perhaps most prominently, as a chess author over the last decade.

When he was only 14, he became English champion. Five years after, he was already a Grandmaster. His biggest chance to change chess history came in 1993. That year he played against Kasparov for Chess’ World Championship, but could not defeat the Russian colossus.

For his exploits at the chessboard, he became incredibly famous across the globe, but especially in his homeland. Ten years ago, he began to toggle between the chessboard and the keyboard, writing the chess column for the newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph.

In a short time, flocks of avid chess fans were captivated by his writing style. Not only did he analyze chess games in his column, he used the space as a platform to criticize the corruption within the world of chess. His favorite target has always been the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Whether or not you agree with his opinions, you cannot accuse him of insincerity. He writes exactly what he thinks, no matter who he might offend.

Of course, such sincerity attracts its share of detractors. Short’s enemies are both great in number and stature. That’s precisely why he was fired from The Daily Telegraph last year. Fortunately for him, another prestigious English newspaper came to his rescue, The Guardian, for which he now writes.

His style remains unchanged with sincerity ever his calling card. Reading his column is a joy–his analyses surpass excellence. Thus, his chess column is arguably the best in the world.

Apart from his journalistic pursuits, he still takes his place across from the best players on the planet. And as he showed in the EU tournament, he still makes a cagey and formidable foe.

Today, we present his last game in the championship, the game that brought him victory. It was not easy, though. His rival, English Grandmaster Mark Hebden, had good chances in the middle of the game, but at one point, Short’s countryman seemed exhausted and succumbed on the 59th move.