Purdy began his chess career at age 16. He soon decided to become a full-time chess writer and player. Initially an over-the-board (OTB) player, he soon began to mix OTB play with correspondence play. He was a four-time winner of the Australian Chess Championship, in 1935, 1937, 1949, and 1951. He also won the New Zealand Chess Championship in 1924/25. In Auckland in 1952, Purdy drew a hard-fought match with Ortvin Sarapu, at the time by far the best player in New Zealand. They were thus declared Australasian co-champions.[4]
Purdy founded and edited the magazine Australasian Chess Review (1929–1944), which became Check (1944–45), and finally Chess World (1946–1967). He was described by Bobby Fischer as being a great chess instructor. Some of his writings are still in print. A famous remark of his is "Pawn endings are to chess what putting is to golf."[5]
He was married in 1934 to Anne Crakanthorp (1915–2013), the daughter of two-time Australian Chess Champion Spencer Crakanthorp. The marriage produced two children, John (1935–2011) and Diana. John Purdy followed in his father's (and grandfather's) footsteps in winning the Australian Chess Championship in 1955 and 1963. Diana, also a chess player, married leading New Zealand player Frank Hutchings in 1960.[7]
Death
On 6 November 1979, Purdy collapsed while playing chess at a tournament at the Chess Centre of New South Wales and died later that day in the Sydney Hospital. He was survived by his wife, daughter and son John, who twice won the Australian Chess Championship.[8]
Published works
Purdy, C.J.S. (2003). C.J.S. Purdy on the Endgame. Thinker's Press. ISBN1-888710-03-9. A collection of articles from his chess publications.
Purdy, C.J.S. (1972). How Fischer Won: World Chess Championship, 1972. E. J. Dwyer. ISBN978-0855742089.
Purdy, C.J.S. (1950). Guide To Good Chess. Horwitz.
^The Times, 26 May 1906, p.1 - As Edward Winter has demonstrated in his article on Purdy, his year of birth was incorrectly given as 1907 in several issues of his magazine Chess World and editions of his Guide to Good Chess, as well as in chess reference books up to the time of his death. The (London) Times (Births announcements) of 26 May 1906, p.1 reports—"PURDY - On the 27th March, 1906, at Port Said, to Emily and J.S. Purdy M.D., F.R.G.S., Surg.-Capt. New Zealand Militia, a son (Cecil John Seddon)"
Dunne, Alex (1991). The Complete Guide to Correspondence Chess. Thinker's Press. ISBN0-938650-52-1.
Further reading
J. Hammond and R Jamieson, C.J.S. Purdy: His Life, His Games and His Writings, Belmont Printing Co. Melbourne 1982
C.J.S.Purdy, Frank Hutchings and Kevin Harrison, How Purdy Won: The Correspondence Chess Career of a World Champion, Castle Books 1983, ISBN0-7255-1439-6