Leonard Barden is one of the World’s leading chess writers. The former British champion has contributed daily or weekly columns to the Guardian, Financial Times, and London Evening Standard for over 60 years, as well as contributing many articles to specialist magazines. He has frequently appeared on television and radio, has written 18 instructional books on the game, and currently has articles syndicated worldwide.
Leonard Barden’s writing speciality is chess puzzles, presented in an interesting way with human interest stories to match the positions.
Barden is a former England international, and the only chessplayer ever to have partnered the legendary Bobby Fischer in a consultation game, which took place on BBC radio. He is a renowned talent-spotter and was the first journalist to forecast in print that Garry Kasparov, then aged only 11, would become world champion.
Barden has also helped several of England's own sub-teen talents, including Gawain Jones and David Howell who went on to become grandmasters and British champions.