John Cox

John J. Cox (born 22 May 1962) is a British chess player who holds the title of International Master which he earned in 2005. His peak Elo rating of 2423 was achieved in January 2006.

Cox was among the strong juniors in the 1970s and 1980s and finished tied for first in a British U18 championship. The need to earn a living made Cox leave the chess scene for several years. During this time he also played bridge. He eventually returned to chess after the hiatus. Since the book was written, Cox has largely abandoned the Alekhine because of perceived trouble for Black in the Four Pawns Attack variation. Cox has since taken up 1.e4 e5. The idea of this book was proposed by Cox who believed there was a niche for a book on how to deal with these openings which are common at the club level. Watson also remarked the recommendation of such difficult lines for an amateur audience, but Cox notes that the complex main lines may well appeal to players of club level strength.

Cox's book for Quality Chess, The Berlin Wall which is about the solid Berlin Variation of the Ruy Lopez, received top marks for its writing and thoroughness.