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Stefán Kristjánsson
Stefán Kristjánsson (8 December 1982 – 28 February 2018) was an Icelandic chess grandmaster and professional poker player. Stefán began playing chess at the age of 11 and earned his international master title in 2002, at age 19. He won the Reykjavík Chess Championship twice, in 2002 and 2006. He achieved the required norms for his grandmaster title by 2006 and was awarded the title in 2011, after reaching a rating of 2500. He represented Iceland at five Chess Olympiads and four European Team Chess Championships. Stefán did not compete regularly after attaining his grandmaster title. Outside of chess, he was also a successful poker player and gained fame in the Icelandic poker community. He died in 2018 at the age of 35, becoming the first Icelandic grandmaster to die. Chess career Stefán was born on 8 December 1982 in Reykjavík. He began playing chess at the relatively late age of 11, at his elementary school Melaskóli. He showed talent and progressed quickly. His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Team Chess Championship
The European Team Championship (often abbreviated in texts and games databases as ''ETC'') is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of European nations whose chess federations are located in zones 1.1 to 1.9. This more or less accords with the wider definition of Europe used in other events such as the Eurovision Song Contest and includes Israel, Russia and the former Soviet States. The competition is run under the auspices of the European Chess Union (ECU). Championship history The idea was conceived in the early 1950s, when chess organisers became aware of the need for another international team event. Consequently, a men-only Championship was devised and held every four years, with the intention of filling in the gaps between Olympiads. More recently, the Championship has grown in importance and popularity and is regarded as a prestigious tournament in its own right, providing for male and female participants. The first Championship Final was held in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese global brands in market value. Lexus is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Operational centers are located in Brussels, Belgium, and Plano, Texas, United States. Created at around the same time as Japanese rivals Honda and Nissan created their Acura and Infiniti luxury divisions respectively, Lexus originated from a corporate project to develop a new premium sedan, code-named F1, which began in 1983 and culminated in the launch of the Lexus LS in 1989. Subsequently, the division added sedan (car), sedan, coupé, Convertible (car), convertible and Sport utility vehicle, SUV models. Lexus did not exist as a brand in its home market until 2005, and all vehicles marketed internationally as Lexus from 1989 to 2005 were released in Japan under the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Poker Tour
The European Poker Tour (EPT) is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour (WPT), created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity. Since 2011 the EPT has been sponsored and wholly owned and controlled by PokerStars the online casino and taped by Sunset + Vine for television broadcast across Europe. In seasons 1-3, the most significant difference between the competing poker tours was the buy-in and its effect on the prize pool, with the EPT featuring buy-ins about half the size of the WPT. This changed in season 4 when the buy-in for most EPT events was increased to €8,000 (due to increased popularity and lack of space in participating casinos). At 2007 exchange rates, this is approximately equal to the US$10,000 which is the buy-in for most WPT events. Furthermore, the final table is made up of 8 players, as opposed to the 6 player final ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dutch Defence
The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especially the e8–h5 diagonal). Like its 1.e4 counterpart, the Sicilian Defence, the Dutch is an aggressive and unbalancing opening, resulting in the lowest percentage of draws among the most common replies to 1.d4. Historically, White has tried many methods to exploit the kingside weaknesses, such as the Staunton Gambit (2.e4) and Korchnoi Attack (2.h3 and 3.g4). The Dutch has never been a main line against 1.d4 and is rarely seen today in high-level competition, although a number of top players, including Alexander Alekhine, Bent Larsen, Paul Morphy, Miguel Najdorf, and Hikaru Nakamura have used it with success. Its most notable use may have been in 1951, when both world champion Mikhail Botvinnik and his challenger, David Bronstein, played ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Radosław Wojtaszek
Radosław Wojtaszek (born 13 January 1987) is a Polish chess grandmaster. He is a three-time Polish champion. Wojtaszek has acted as Viswanathan Anand's second, assisting the former world chess champion in his successful title defence match against Vladimir Kramnik, in 2010 against Veselin Topalov, in 2012 against Boris Gelfand, in 2013 and in 2014 against Magnus Carlsen. Chess career In 2004, Wojtaszek won both the European Youth Chess Championships and the World Youth Chess Championships in the U18 category. In January 2005, he won the Cracovia Open with a score of 7½/9 points. He won the Polish Chess Championship for the first time in 2005. In 2006, Wojtaszek played for the Polish team at the Chess Olympiad in Turin scoring 9 points out of 11 games. In December 2008, he won the 8th Amplico AIG Life International – European Rapid Chess Championship in Warsaw. In 2009, Wojtaszek finished second in the Polish Championship, shared second place with Michael Roiz at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giuoco Pianissimo
The Giuoco Piano (Italian: "Quiet Game"; ), also called the Italian Opening, is a chess opening beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Bc5 "White aims to develop quickly – but so does Black. White can construct a pawn centre but in unfavourable conditions a centre which cannot provide a basis for further active play." The name Italian Game is used by some authors ; however, that name is also used to describe all openings starting 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, including 3...Nf6 (the Two Knights Defence) and other less common replies. The Giuoco Piano is assigned codes C50 to C54 in the ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings''. History The Giuoco Piano is one of the oldest recorded openings. The Portuguese Damiano played it at the beginning of the 16th century and the Italian Greco played it at the beginning of the 17th century. The Giuoco Piano was popular through the 19th century, but modern refinements in defensive play have led most chess masters towards o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Italian Game
The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 This opening is defined by the of the white bishop to c4 (the so-called ""), where it attacks Black's vulnerable f7-square. It is part of the large family of Open Games or Double King's Pawn Games. The Italian Game is one of the oldest recorded chess openings; it occurs in the Göttingen manuscript and was developed by players such as Damiano and Polerio in the 16th century, and later by Greco in 1620, who gave the game its main line. It has been extensively analyzed for more than 300 years. The term ''Italian Game'' is sometimes used interchangeably with Giuoco Piano, although the latter also refers particularly to play after 3...Bc5. The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' gives the Italian Game ten codes: C50–C54 for the Giuoco Piano, and C55–C59 for the Two Knights Defense. Side lines are covered under C50. Main variations Black's two main options are 3.. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivan Sokolov (chess Player)
Ivan Sokolov ( Cyrillic: Иван Соколов; born 13 June 1968) is a Dutch- Bosnian chess player and writer. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster (GM) by FIDE in 1987. Sokolov won the 1988 Yugoslav Championship and in 1995 and 1998 the Dutch Championship. Before earning the GM title, he became a FIDE Master in 1985 and an International Master in 1986. In 1987 and 1993, he won the Vidmar Memorial. In 2000, he won the 1st European Rapid Chess Championship in Neum edging out on tiebreak Alexey Dreev and Zurab Azmaiparashvili. Following his playing career, Sokolov has become a successful chess trainer. From 2013 - 2016, he worked as a coach and second for Salem Saleh and served as the trainer of the United Arab Emirates national team. In 2016, he left his job in the UAE to coach Iran's national team, a position that included extensive work with Alireza Firouzja Alireza Firouzja ( fa, علیرضا فیروزجا, ; born 18 June 2003) is an Iranian and French chess ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poisoned Pawn Variation
The Poisoned Pawn Variation is any of several series of opening moves in chess in which a pawn is said to be "poisoned" because its capture can result in a positional loss of or a loss of . Sicilian Defense, Najdorf The best known of these, called the Poisoned Pawn Variation, is a line of the Sicilian Defense, Najdorf Variation that begins with the moves: :1. e4 c5 :2. Nf3 d6 :3. d4 cxd4 :4. Nxd4 Nf6 :5. Nc3 a6 :6. Bg5 e6 :7. f4 Qb6 after which 8.Qd2 Qxb2 usually follows, accepting the "poisoned" b2-pawn. White can also play 8.Nb3, protecting the pawn. One of the pioneers of this line was David Bronstein, who tied the 1951 World Championship match against Mikhail Botvinnik 12–12. Bobby Fischer later became a proponent, playing it with great success. The line was most famously played in game 7 and game 11 of the 1972 World Chess Championship match between Fischer and Spassky. In both games Fischer played Black and grabbed the pawn. In the first, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Defence
The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, although some lines such as the Winawer Variation can lead to complications. Black's position is often somewhat in the early game; in particular, the pawn on e6 can impede the of the bishop on c8. Basics Following the opening moves 1.e4 e6, the main line of the French Defence continues 2.d4 d5 (see below for alternatives). White sets up a , which Black immediately challenges by attacking the pawn on e4. The same position can be reached by from a Queen's Pawn Game after 1.d4 e6 2.e4 d5 or the declining of a Blackmar–Diemer Gambit after 1.d4 d5 2.e4 e6. White's options include defending the e4-pawn with 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2, advancing it with 3.e5, or exchanging it with 3.exd5, each of which leads to different types ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zbyněk Hráček
Zbyněk Hráček (born 9 September 1970) is a Czech chess grandmaster. He was Czech Chess Champion in 1994, won the Zonal tournament Odorhea 1995 and the tournaments Pardubice (Open) 1993, Altensteig 1995 and Lippstadt 2000. Career Hráček played for Czechoslovakia at the Chess Olympiads of 1990 and 1992, and for the Czech Republic at the Olympiads of 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 and in the European Team Chess Championships of 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 1996 (January - June list), Hracek was in the Elo Top Twenty of the world and the leading Czech player. In the November 2009 FIDE list, he has an Elo rating The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in zero-sum games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-American physics professor. The Elo system was invented as an improved ch ... of 2624, making him the Czech Republic's number three. References External l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
