Duncan Suttles

Canadian chess player

Duncan Suttles (born 21 December 1945) is a chess grandmaster. Canada's second grandmaster after Abe Yanofsky, Suttles was recognized internationally for the originality of his strategic play in the mid 1960s and 70s. He retired from competitive chess in 1985.

Born in San Francisco, Suttles moved to Canada at age 8 when his father began teaching at the University of British Columbia. Mentored by Elod Macskasy, he was of national master strength by his mid teens, which was unusual for Canadian chess at that time. Suttles was 15 when made his first appearance in the Closed Canadian Chess Championship at Brockville, 1961, scoring 3/11. Suttles won the British Columbia Championship in 1963 and 1966. In his second Closed, he scored 8½ from 15 games at Winnipeg 1963, finishing just above the middle of the strongest and youngest field yet seen in a Canadian final. Suttles tied for 3rd–5th places in the 1964 Canadian Open Chess Championship in Toronto, and as the top junior, qualified for the 1965 World Junior Chess Championship. He took part in the Gijon International Chess Tournament (1965), placing 2nd behind Luis Bronstein. At home in Vancouver for the 1965 Canadian Championship, Suttles scored 8/11, finishing second behind eight time champion Abe Yanofsky. As a dual citizen (he became a Canadian citizen in 1966), Suttles was also eligible for the US Championship in New York City in 1965–66, where he finished last with 2½/11; Bobby Fischer won. Suttles attended the University of British Columbia and represented the school in inter university chess competition. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and began to study for a doctorate, but eventually quit the program to work in private industry. He married his wife Dobrila in 1968.

Suttles represented Canada at the Junior World Chess Championship, Barcelona, 1965. He scored 1½/4 playing in a strong preliminary group which included the eventual winner, Bojan Kurajica. He did win the B final, however, ahead of Raymond Keene. He represented Canada in the qualifying Interzonal event for the World Chess Championship at Sousse, 1967, scoring 9½/21 for 15th place. Suttles won the Canadian Chess Championship held at Pointe Claire 1969, after a playoff match against Zvonko Vranesic in Toronto, which Suttles won 2½–1½.

Gyozo Forintos vs Duncan Suttles, Tel Aviv Olympiad 1964, Modern Defence / Queen's Pawn Game (A40), 0–1 White responds in quiet and unusual fashion, but the game soon intensifies to Black's advantage. Milan Matulovic vs Duncan Suttles, Sousse Interzonal 1967, Modern Defence, Averbakh Variation (A42), 0–1 The strong Yugoslav Grandmaster is seemingly perplexed by Black's unusual strategy. Bent Larsen vs Duncan Suttles, Sousse Interzonal 1967, Modern Defence (B06), 0–1 Larsen was the Chess Oscar winner for 1967, so this win was perhaps the biggest so far for the young Canadian. Hans Joachim Hecht vs Duncan Suttles, Belgrade 1969, Modern Defence (B06), 0–1 Another Modern win over a strong European; the game was decided after a very long endgame. Duncan Suttles vs Borislav Ivkov, Belgrade 1969, Modern / Hungarian Opening (A00), 1–0 One of the first games for the new variation, which turns out successfully for White. Larry Evans vs Duncan Suttles, San Antonio 1972, Modern Defence (B06), 0–1 The five time US champion gets schooled in the new ways. Ken Rogoff vs Duncan Suttles, Canadian Open, Ottawa 1973, Modern Defence (B06), 0–1 Two young stars debate leading edge opening ideas. Duncan Suttles vs Kevin Spraggett, Canadian Open, Ottawa 1973, Sicilian Defence, Closed Variation (B26), 1–0 Spraggett was one of the best young Canadians at this stage; he would go on to become Canada's top player. Walter Browne vs Duncan Suttles, U. S. Open, Chicago 1973, Modern Defence (B06), 0–1 The rising star Browne, an eventual six time American champion, learns painfully about Suttles's ability to exploit weak squares. Duncan Suttles vs Pal Benko, Hastings 1973–74, Modern / Hungarian Opening (A00), 1–0 Benko himself first introduced this variation in the early 1960s, but Suttles shows a few new twists. Karl Robatsch vs Duncan Suttles, Nice Olympiad 1974, Modern Defence (A41), 0–1 Suttles shows that he is still one of the world's best with the Modern. Lubomir Kavalek vs Duncan Suttles, Nice Olympiad 1974, Pirc Defence (B08), 0–1 Suttles subtly undermines Kavalek's classical opening with an impressive pawn roller at the end. Duncan Suttles vs Bent Larsen, Canadian Open, Montreal 1974, English Opening (A13), 1–0 Suttles takes on the four time world championship candidate, this time on home soil. Duncan Suttles vs Samuel Reshevsky, Lone Pine 1975, English Opening (A26), 1–0 Reshevsky was the epitome of orthodoxy in chess, so this game is a fascinating clash of styles. Duncan Suttles vs Tony Miles, Vancouver 1981, Modern/Hungarian Opening (A00), 1–0 Miles, after losing this game, would go on to use the variation himself with success. Yasser Seirawan vs Duncan Suttles, Vancouver 1981, English Opening (A21), 0–1 Seirawan was one of the world's top young players, and he would develop a style that resembled Suttles's. Pal Benko vs Duncan Suttles, Boston 1964, Modern Defence, 1–0 Although Suttles loses the game due to an oversight at the end, it is a wonderful encounter full of tactics and playing like one long combination. Lawrence Day chose it as his favourite for the book, Learn from the Grandmasters.