John Eric Littlewood was born on 25/05/1931 in Sheffield. John attended Nether Edge Grammar School for Boys, on Union Road, Sheffield, and from there went on to Sheffield University whence he graduated in 1952 with a Class III Honours BA in French. He was awarded a Diploma in Education by Sheffield University in 1955. He became a schoolteacher, which job took him away from Sheffield, first to Skegness where he lived from 1955 to 1967, his chess-playing son Paul being born during this period. Then he moved to Lancashire, settling eventually at Tawd Road in Skelmersdale.

In his time, John represented England in two Olympiads, those of 1962 and 1972. (Brother Norman, who lived all his life in Sheffield, played for England in the Olympiads of 1964 and 1966.) John never won the British Championship, though son Paul managed that feat in 1981, but he won the British Senior Championship in 2006, later tying in that event in 2008.

John died in Skelmersdale on 16/09/2009, about 6 weeks after competing in that year’s British Championship.

When an NCCU Championship for Seniors (age 60 or over) was instituted, the trophy was named in memory of John Eric Littlewood.

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a photograph?

A list of winners can be found here.