Early Years
Suttles was born in San Francisco, California, but moved to Canada at a young age, spending his formative years in Vancouver. He was of National Master strength by his mid-teens, which was unusual for Canadian chess at that time. His early mentor was mathematician and master Elod Macskasy.
Suttles made his first appearance in the Closed Canadian Chess Championship at Brockville, 1961, at age 15, and scored 3/11. Suttles won the British Columbia Championship in 1963 and 1966. In his second Closed, he scored 8½ from 15 games at Winnipeg 1963, finishing just above the middle of the strongest and youngest field yet seen in a Canadian final. Suttles tied for 3rd–5th places in the 1964 Canadian Open Chess Championship in Toronto, and as the top junior, qualified for the 1965 Junior World Chess Championship. At home in Vancouver for the 1965 Canadian Championship, Suttles scored 8/11 and finished second, behind eight-time champion Daniel Yanofsky. As a dual Canadian-American citizen, Suttles was also eligible for the United States Championship, New York 1965-66, in which he finished last with 2½/11, an event won by Bobby Fischer.
Suttles attended the University of British Columbia, and represented the school in interuniversity chess competition. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics, and began doctoral-level studies, but did not complete his PhD.
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