James Plaskett
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Harold James Plaskett (born March 18, 1960) is one of the best chess-players in Britain. He was British Chess Champion in 1990, and has written several chess-related books.
In 1990 he published an experimental, 256 page form of autobiography: COINCIDENCES. Information about the subject is provided only via selected coincidences he encountered. His website is www.jamesplaskett.com
He now lives in Playa Flamenca, Alicante Province, Spain. Married (1995) to writer Fiona Pitt-Kethley, with one son, Sacha.
He organised and led a 1999 National Geographic expedition to Bermuda to follow up reports of a giant octopus near the island, but was unsuccessful in filming it.
In 1999 and again in 2000, Plaskett made it to the studio stage of the British version of the quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, although on neither occasion did he succeed in making it into the contestantīs chair and consequently won no money.
But Plaskett drew on his experiences on the show to write a vigorous defence of Charles Ingram, his wife, Diana, and Tecwen Whittock, who all three acquired global notoriety in April 2003 when they were found guilty by a London court of conspiring to help Ingram win the $1.6 million top prize on the show by coughing to signal the right answers.
This essay is visible at www.portia.org/chapter14/frame14.html.
It led to journalist Bob Woffinden, who had a long time interest in miscarriages of justice, publishing a two page article in the October 9th 2004 edition of the British newspaper The Daily Mail entitled - Is The Coughing Major Innocent?
On November 20th 2004, Plaskett made a third appearance as a contestant on the UK show, and then on January 20th 2005 got on again. In neither instance did he succeed in gaining access to the hot seat and so won no prize.