William John Donaldson

William John Donaldson (born September 24, 1958), known as John Donaldson, is an American chess player, author, journalist and chess official. Like many of his contemporaries, he began playing in the aftermath of the World Chess Championship 1972 between Fischer and Spassky. He joined the Tacoma Chess Club in September 1972, and is still involved with the game almost 50 years later.

John Donaldson
Donaldson in Turin, 2006
Full nameWilliam John Donaldson
CountryUnited States
Born (1958-09-24) September 24, 1958
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
TitleInternational Master (1983)
FIDE rating2416 (December 2021)
Peak rating2460 (January 2004)

FIDE awarded him the title of International Master in 1983. He has captained the U.S. national team on 25 occasions, including six Chess Olympiads from 1986 to 1996.

In 1990, Donaldson was elected to the Policy Board of the United States Chess Federation. He also became an editor of the magazine Inside Chess, published by Yasser Seirawan. After the magazine folded, he moved to San Francisco, where he became chess director of the San Francisco Mechanics Institute. He is constantly writing and producing chess books, mostly biographies of historical chess figures. He qualified to play in the 2002 and the 2003 U.S. Chess Championship. He has achieved two norms for the title of Grandmaster, at Lindsborg 2002[1] and at Stratton Mountain 2003.[2]

On December 9, 2006, Donaldson was named US zone president in FIDE, replacing Robert Tanner, who resigned on December 4, 2006.

Personal

Donaldson received a BA in history from the University of Washington. He married Elena Akhmilovskaya, a member of the Soviet women's team, during the 28th Chess Olympiad (Thessaloniki 1988). Later, while the tournament was still going on, the couple traveled to the United States. They divorced approximately a year later.

Books
  • The Life and Games of Frank Anderson. Moravian Chess, 2009 ISBN 978-80-7189-608-1
  • The Unknown Bobby Fischer. ISBN 1-879479-85-0
  • Alekhine in Europe and Asia. ISBN 1-879479-12-5
  • Elmars Zemgalis: Grandmaster without the Title. Pomeranian Press, 2001. ASIN B0006RZ3N6
  • Olaf Ulvestad: An American Original. ISBN 1-888710-11-X
  • Legend on the Road (about Bobby Fischer's 1964 simul tour) ISBN 1-879479-15-X
  • Donaldson, John; Minev, Nikolay (1994), Akiba Rubinstein: Uncrowned King, International Chess Enterprises, ISBN 1-879479-19-2
  • Donaldson, John (1995), Essential Chess Endings for Advanced Players, Chess Digest, ISBN 0-87568-263-4
  • A Strategic Opening Repertoire. International Chess Enterprises, 1998.
  • The Meran Defense Chess Enterprises, 1987.
  • How to Win Quickly at Chess Summit Publishing, 1991.
  • Legend on the Road. International Chess Enterprises, 1994.
  • ICON (Inside Chess Opening Novelties: Sicilian Alapin). International Chess

Enterprises, 1994.

  • ICON (Inside Chess Opening Novelties: Sicilian Accelerated Dragon. International Chess Enterprises, 1995.
  • Essential Chess Endings for Advanced Players. Chess Digest, 1995
  • ICON (Inside Chess Opening Novelties: KID Bayonet Attack. International

Chess Enterprises, 1996.

  • A Strategic Opening Repertoire. International Chess Enterprises, 1998
  • Two Masters from Seattle. ChessBase, 2002.
  • Milan Vukcevich: A Gentleman of Chess. 2003.
  • Olaf Ulvestad: An American Original. Thinkers Press, 2002.
  • Imre Konig. The Chess Player, 2005.
  • The Life and Games of Frank Ross Anderson. Moravian Chess, 2009.
  • Second US Junior Championship-Cleveland 1947. 2011.
  • A Legend on the Road: Bobby Fischer’s 1964 Simultaneous Tour (3rd edition revised and enlarged). Kindle, 2015.
  • Bobby Fischer and His World. Silman-James Press, 2020.
  • A History of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club: volume 1: The First 100 years (1854-1953). Edited by John Donaldson; researched by Steve Brandwein and John Donaldson. 2002.
  • A History of the Mechanics' Institute Chess Room, volume 2: 1954-2002. Edited by John Donaldson; researched by Steve Brandwein and John Donaldson. 2003.
  • A Strategic Opening Repertoire (2nd edition, revised and enlarged) (with Carsten Hansen). Russell

Enterprises, 2007.

  • Akiba Rubinstein: Uncrowned King (with Nikolay Minev). International Chess Enterprises, 1994.
  • Akiba Rubinstein: The Later Years. International Chess Enterprises, 1995.
  • Dutch Defense: New and Forgotten Ideas. Thinkers’ Press, 2003.
  • Akiva Rubinstein: The Later Years (2nd edition, revised and enlarged). Russell Enterprises, 2005.
  • Akiva Rubinstein: Uncrowned King (2nd edition, revised and enlarged). Russell Enterprises, 2006.
  • Alekhine in the Americas (with Nikolay Minev and Yasser Seirawan). International Chess Enterprises, 1992.
  • Alekhine in Europe and Asia (with Nikolay Minev and Yasser Seirawan). International Chess Enterprises, 1992.
  • Semi-Slav: Non Meran Variations (with Jeremy Silman). Summit Publishing, 1988.
  • The Classical Dragon (with Jeremy Silman). Chess Enterprises, 1991.
  • Accelerated Dragons (with Jeremy Silman). Cadogan Chess, 1993.
  • The Exchange Variation of the Slav (with Jeremy Silman). Chess Enterprises, 1994.
  • Gambits in the Slav (with Jeremy Silman). Chess Enterprises, 1993.
  • The Slav versus 1.d4 (with Jeremy Silman). Chess Enterprises, 1996.
  • Accelerated Dragons (2nd edition, revised and enlarged) (with Jeremy Silman). Everyman Chess, 1998.

References
  1. Crowther, Mark (December 30, 2002). "TWIC 425: Lindsborg Rotary Open". London Chess Center. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  2. Crowther, Mark (June 16, 2003). "TWIC 449: CCA International". London Chess Center. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
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