Craig Van Tilbury, American guitarist and chess master, died of a heart attack he was , 53

Craig Van Tilbury  was an American guitarist and FIDE Chess Master, known musically for his touring and guest work with artists such as Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Joey Dee and the Starliters, The Young Rascals, and The Shirelles, died of a  heart attack he was , 53. He was a founder of the St. Croix band, Green Flash ^[1] and had played or substituted in several Tampa Bay area bands. He is best known in the world of chess for having played in 10 Chess Olympiads.^[2]

(July 30, 1957 - August 13, 2010)

Biography

Van Tilbury was born on July 30, 1957 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Jack and Constance Van Tilbury.^[3] The family later moved to Arlington, VA near Washington, D.C.. He developed an interest in rock and blues music at an early age and was inspired by guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.^[4]
In 1978, Van Tilbury moved to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to establish residency and play chess competitively.^[5] In 1984 he won a gold medal for the individual score on Board 1 in the Thessaloniki, Greece Olympiad. In 1977 he won the Washington, D.C., Open and also the Jamaican Open in 1981.^[6] In recent years he played top board for the British Virgin Islands.
Van Tilbury had daughter Annabelle with long-time girlfriend and singer Annie Waddey in 2009.



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