Remembering Jonathan Hawkins (1983-2025): Adult improver, two-time British champion

A late bloomer, a beloved coach

Jonathan Hawkins (1983–2025) was an English grandmaster whose career followed an unconventional path. Born in Consett, County Durham, he developed largely outside elite junior structures and progressed steadily through the national ranks. He gained the International Master title in 2010 and completed his Grandmaster title in 2014, achieving his final norm at the Dubai Open. At his peak, he reached a 2592 Elo rating (February 2018).

Hawkins first secured major national recognition by winning the British Rapidplay Championship in 2014. In 2014, he tied for first place at the British Chess Championship in Aberystwyth after a closely contested event that saw him and David Howell becoming co-champions after scoring 8½/11 points. A year later, he claimed the British title for a second time, getting clear first place ahead of Howell, Nicholas Pert and Daniel Gormally.

Among his best international results was his shared victory at the 2013 Vienna Open, along with numerous appearances in strong open tournaments, mostly in the United Kingdom.

Justin Tan 0-1 Jonathan Hawkins

British Chess Championship 2014 – Round 4

A notable feature of Hawkins’ career was the pace and timing of his development. Rated around 1800 in his late teens, he improved gradually through structured study and regular tournament play. His progression from club level to grandmaster was documented in his book Amateur to IM: Proven Ideas and Training Methods, which set out his training methods and annotated games from his climb to IM level. The book became widely read among players seeking insight into long-term improvement.

Referring to the book, GM Luke McShane shared on Hawkin’s obituary for The Spectator:

With lucid explanations, the book expounds on a clear credo: “I am convinced a careful study of the endgame sparked the biggest leap forward in my game”.

Hawkins met his wife, Angela Eyton – also a chess player and coach -, at the 2012 British Championships held in North Shields, and they remained closely connected to the domestic chess scene. Following his successes in the national chess scene, Hawkins and Eyton focused more on training work. Among the players he coached was Bodhana Sivanandan, one of England’s leading young talents.

Hawkins was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, neuroendocrine carcinoma, in 2025. The illness progressed rapidly, and he passed away on 22 December, only months after the diagnosis. Jonathan and Angela married shortly before his passing.

Tim Wall, from the Durham County Chess Association, had this to say about his friend:

It is incredibly tragic and weird for a lot of us who are older than him. We have lost the brightest chess star to come out of the region.

I remember when he came back to play in the County Durham Congress, not a difficult tournament for him at all, but he just wanted to see his friends from back home. That is the type of man that Jonathan was, humble, down to earth, and just a lovely bloke.