After graduating from City College of New York in 1937, he studied medicine in Glasgow, and while a student won the Scottish Championship at Aberdeen 1939, with 7.5/9.
In 1954, he represented USA on third board in a match against the USSR in New York, and lost to Paul Keres (+1–2=0).
[3] In 1955, he played on sixth board and lost to Tigran Petrosian (+0 –2 =0) in another USA vs USSR match in Moscow.
[3] In 1956/57, he beat young Bobby Fischer in New York (Manhattan CC-ch, semi-final), and won group 2 of that event with 4/5.
[5] Pavey died in the Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC, after a long battle with leukemia in 1957.