Biography.guide
Home › People › Chess player › John Moles
Portrait of John Moles

John Moles

1949 – 2015

English university lecturer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About John Moles

Lived 1949 – 2015 (aged 66). John Moles was a British chess player and historian.

John Moles (22 September 1949 – 4 October 2015) was Professor of Latin, a lecturer at Newcastle University and previously served as head of the classics department at Durham University.

Moles was the founder of Histos in 1997, an early example of on-line journal of ancient historiography. His first two published books were on chess, and he was twice the Ulster chess champion while at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, going on to become the Irish Champion in 1966 and 1971, with the distinction of being a member of the Chess Olympiad team in 1970 and 1972.

In 2005, Moles was part of the expert panel on Cynicism for BBC Radio 4's In Our Time.

Selected publications

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Employers
Newcastle University, Durham University
Also known as
John L. Moles, J. L. Moles

People in John Moles's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Moles's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Moles?

English university lecturer

When was John Moles born?

John Moles was born on 22 September 1949 in Belfast.

When did John Moles die?

John Moles died on 4 October 2015.

What was John Moles's occupation?

John Moles was a chess player and historian.

What nationality was John Moles?

John Moles was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Moles

· Wikidata: Q28150053

· DBpedia: John Moles

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Moles. https://biography.guide/john-moles/

MLA: "John Moles." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-moles/.

Chicago: "John Moles." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-moles/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC