Raymond Keene is an International Chess Grandmaster and was awarded the lifetime title in 1976. Over the years he has won numerous International and Grandmaster level tournaments on four Continents and has been 8 times a member of the British Olympiad Chess Team. Among his awards are Junior World Champion Silver Medal ('67) Olympiad Bronze Medal ('76) Individual Gold Medal, European Team Championship ('80) Team Gold Medallist at the West European Teams ('70 and '74), Team EEC Gold Medal and Absolute British Chess Champion (1971).

Raymond Keene is a master organiser as well as chess player and is a key figure in organising Mind Sports competitions covering 40 different disciplines. In August 1997 he co-organised the first Olympiad for Mind Sports, attracting over 2000 competitors from 58 different countries with 16 World Champion titles to be won. In 1984 Raymond, with only 8 days notice, stepped in and organised the major Mind Sport event "USSR v the Rest of the World Chess Match" in London's Docklands after two Continental venues pulled out of the event.

Raymond has lectured and given displays and performances on Chess and Thinking in 60 different countries. He currently lectures on Mental Literacy and Strategic Thinking using chess to point up the difference between strategy and tactics, long and short term thinking, the need for sacrifice at key moments and the blend of Local and Global Approach.

A language graduate with honours from Cambridge Raymond is author of over 100 books and publications on chess and thinking. He is currently Chess correspondent for The Times and The Spectator and has been Chess commentator for Thames TV and Channel 4 with over 200 chess programmes to his credit.