Paul Anthony Motwani (born 13 June 1962) is of Scottish/Indian descent and became Scotland‘s first International Chess Grandmaster (June 1992). Born in Glasgow but growing up in Dundee, he became World Cadet (Under 17) Champion in 1978-79, shortly after having won the first of his seven Scottish Championship titles.
(Paul in January 1979, after winning the World Under-17 Chess Championship, being lifted up by great school friends Shaun Tierney, Mike Pacione, Andrew Timmons, Gary Clark, Tony Welsh, Mike Holligan, Mike Dickson and Martin Jackson, all at St. Saviour’s RC High School, Dundee. Paul’s main chess teacher there was Mr. Paul Fitzpatrick, and 37 years later the ‘two Pauls’ played again, while their sons watched and laughed!)
Paul (Mo) was a secondary school Mathematics teacher at St. Saviour’s RC High School in Dundee and St. Columba’s RC High School in Perth for a number of years, after studying Mathematics and Physics and taking 1st Class Honours at the University of Dundee. In 1990, in between the two school placements, he took time out to achieve his final Grandmaster norm, as in those days there was a time limit for completing all the GM norm and rating requirements. He duly achieved the final necessary norm in 1992, and starred in a Grampian Television documentary called “The Grandmasters of Dundee” along with his friend Dr. Colin McNab, who also achieved the GM title in 1992.
Paul was a regular member of the Scottish Olympiad team from 1986-2004 and, God-willing, he may soon be able to play again for his first home country.
Paul was a frequent contributor to Scottish Chess (a main magazine of Chess Scotland), The Scotsman newspaper (for whom he wrote hundreds of articles from 1993-2015), and he has written for many other chess publications, too. He has also written five chess books – H.O.T. Chess, C.O.O.L. Chess, S.T.A.R. Chess, Chess Under the Microscope and The Most Instructive Games of the Young Grandmasters.
Paul currently lives in Belgium with his wife Jenny and son Michael.
He has been a teacher at St. John’s International School, Waterloo, from 2005-2017,
where he also ran the very popular Elementary School Chess Club,
contributed lots of Math Tips articles to the weekly newsletter for parents, and presented dozens of super-fun 45 to 60-minute Magic Math Assemblies for students, parents and colleagues to enjoy.
Almost wherever he goes, Paul is known as Mr. Mo, and now, via this website, you are very warmly invited to freely join in the new adventures of Mr. Mo!
You are also welcome to contact Paul, if you wish, using the Contact Form below.
Paul Motwani 