
John Healy’s devastating autobiography The Grass Arena (New
in Chess) was first published in 1988 to great critical acclaim. It won
the J.R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography, and was made into a multi-award-winning
film. It gained many fans, and some establishment sceptics, all astonished that
a man who had left school at 14 and spent fifteen brutal, alcoholic years living
rough on the streets of London, could write such a fine and compelling work.
Twenty years on it has lost none of its power to grip, or its elegance and verve.
After a decade out of print, Penguin is delighted to be publishing it as a Modern
Classic for the first time.
John Healy, brought up in a poor Irish immigrant family in Kentish Town, was
a child when he discovered that drink offered a release from his violent and
unpredictable father. Stints in the army, the boxing ring and military prison
couldn’t save him from spiralling into alcoholism and homelessness. For
fifteen years he dossed, drank and fought in the grass arena – the parks
and open spaces of London – with beggars, thieves, prostitutes and killers.
Healy tells of darkly funny schemes to purloin the next drink with his fellows
– The Dipper or The Sham – which turn in an instant into desperate
accounts of murder over prostitutes or a bottle, or the begging of money. The
only respite comes from the police cells and prison, where he is treated with
casual brutality and contempt and kicked back onto London’s streets. Here,
racked by meths, homelessness and dog-end cigarettes, the premature and ugly
death of the vagrant looks inevitable.
On one occasion in prison, though, something remarkable happens. Healy learns
chess... and becomes hooked. He gives up alcohol, plays obsessively and becomes
a tournament champion. He finds himself in a new arena where the conflicts are
subject to unfamiliar, middle-class rules, but where the old school tie cannot
hide the seething aggression and mania of competitive chess players. He realises
that he has given up one addiction for another, and his search for peace of
mind, and friendship, has to continue.
Recently we published an article on the new film coming out about Healy, Barbaric
Genius
What brutal style comes out of such a route to becoming a chessplayer?? What
kind of chess player was John Healy? For this we have prepared a series of games
played by this enigmatic character, for you to decide. The following are annotated
by Healy himself.
1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Bg4 3.Ng5 Bxg5 4.hxg5 Bxd1 4...Ne6 5.f3 Qxg5 6.Qxg5+ Nxg5 7.fxg4 5.Nf5 Ne6 6.f4 Bxc2 7.Kf2 Bxf5 8.Rh1 f6 9.g6 Bxg6 10.Qxg6+ Ng7 11.e6 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
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John Healy | - | Gerry Hayes | - | 1–0 | 1992 | | Hampstead 1992 | |
Please, wait...
A crushing attack. Healy misevaluates his opponent's resources, as 4...Ne6
would not have saved Black. White would still have some crushing resources,
none of which is 5.f3?! Can you find the correct way to continue the attack?
The line given does not devalue the beauty of the finishing attack.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 e6 4.Nd2 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.f4! Be7 7.Nh3 0-0 8.Ng5 h6 9.h4 hxg5? 10.hxg5 Ne4 11.Qh5 f5 12.g6! Nf6 13.Qh8# 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
John Healy | - | D. Hayter | - | 1–0 | 1990 | D00 | Camden Chess Club | |
Please, wait...
Was his opening the best in the world? Kramnik might disagree, but his opponent
could not resist the attack!
1.e4 | 1,185,008 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 959,510 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 286,503 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
1.c4 | 184,834 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,892 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,600 | 54% | 2428 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,954 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,911 | 50% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,791 | 48% | 2379 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,250 | 54% | 2406 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,081 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
1.d3 | 969 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 670 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 466 | 54% | 2382 | --- |
1.c3 | 439 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 289 | 56% | 2420 | --- |
1.a4 | 118 | 60% | 2461 | --- |
1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 93 | 66% | 2506 | --- |
1.Na3 | 47 | 62% | 2476 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.h4 Bb7 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.c3 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.Bxh7+ Kxh7 12.Qh5+ Kg8 13.Nf3 f6 14.Ng5 fxg5 15.hxg5 Rxf4 16.Qh8+ Kf7 17.g6+ Kxg6 18.Qh5# 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
John Healy | - | E Kass | - | 1–0 | 1993 | D02 | Hardiman Championship | |
Please, wait...
This game truly speaks for himself. Pure devastation! If anyone had to describe
the 'ultimate in coffehouse chess', well, this would be it.

The brilliant coffeehouse attacker in action, exhibiting
his skills in a simultaneous