Jean Hébert
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Jean Hébert (born November 11, 1957, in
Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
) is a Canadian chess player, writer, journalist, and commentator who holds the
ICCF title International Correspondence Chess Federation (ICCF) was founded on 26 March 1951 as a new appearance of the International Correspondence Chess Association (ICCA), which was founded in 1945, as successor of the Internationaler Fernschachbund (I ...
of
Correspondence Chess Grandmaster International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster is a correspondence chess title created by FIDE in 1953, second only to that of world correspondence champion. Currently, this title is awarded by the International Correspondence Chess Federation (IC ...
and the
FIDE title FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
of
International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
. The winner of the
Canadian Chess Championship This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the World Cup st ...
in 1978 and 2009, he also tied for the title in 2007, but lost in playoffs. He represented Canada at the 1979
Interzonal Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation FIDE from the 1950s to the 1990s. They were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle and were held after the Zonal tournaments, and before the Ca ...
tournament as well as seven times at
Chess Olympiad The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in FIDE Onli ...
s. He also took part in the
Chess World Cup 2009 The Chess World Cup 2009 was a 128-player single-elimination tournament, played between 20 November and 14 December 2009, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. The Cup winner qualified for the Candidates stage of the World Chess Championship 2012. Boris ...
, but was knocked out by
Peter Svidler Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler (; born 17 June 1976), commonly known as Peter Svidler, is a Russian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and commentator who is an eight-time Russian Chess Champion. Svidler has competed in three World Championshi ...
in the first round. In 2022, Hébert won the Canadian Seniors' Championship.


Early years

Jean Hébert made his first notable mark in chess when, as a 15-year-old first-category player, he won the 1973 Carnaval Open at Quebec City, ahead of several experienced
master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
s. He represented Canada at the 1974 World Under-17 Championship, won the Junior Canadian Chess Championship at Saint John in 1975-76, and represented Canada at the
World Junior Chess Championship The World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament (players must have been under 20 years old on 1 January in the year of competition) organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The idea was the brainchild of William Rits ...
,
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
, 1976-77, making an even score of 6.5/13.


Canadian champion

Hébert played in his first Zonal Canadian Chess Championship at
Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
1975, placing 11th with 5.5/15; the winner was Peter Biyiasas. At his next attempt, Hebert won the 1978 Zonal at
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
with 11/15, just ahead of Biyiasas. For scoring two-thirds of the possible points, he was awarded the
International Master FIDE titles are awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE (''Fédération Internationale des Échecs'') for outstanding performance. The highest such title is Grandmaster (GM). Titles generally require a combination of Elo rating and ...
title and, as winner of the event, qualified for the
Interzonal Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation FIDE from the 1950s to the 1990s. They were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle and were held after the Zonal tournaments, and before the Ca ...
tournament the next year. The Interzonal at
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
was his first top-class international competition. He finished with 4.5/17, thus sharing last place with Shimon Kagan; the event was won by
Robert Hübner Robert Hübner (6 November 1948 – 5 January 2025) was a German chess grandmaster, chess writer, and papyrologist. He was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s. Chess career At eighteen, Hübner was joint winner of t ...
,
Lajos Portisch Lajos Portisch (born 4 April 1937) is a Hungarian chess Grandmaster, whose positional style earned him the nickname, the "Hungarian Botvinnik". One of the strongest players from the early 1960s into the late 1980s, he participated in twelve c ...
, and
Tigran Petrosian Tigran Vardani Petrosian (; ; 17 June 1929 – 13 August 1984) was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster and the ninth World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing s ...
. In his Canadian Zonal title defence at
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
1981, Hébert scored 10.5/15, but could only tie for 2nd-3rd, behind winner
Igor Ivanov Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov (; born 23 September 1945) is a Russian politician and diplomat who was Foreign Minister of Russia from 1998 to 2004 under both the Yeltsin and the Putin administrations. Early life Ivanov was born in 1945 in Moscow t ...
. In 2009, 31 years after his first Canadian championship, Hébert won again, this time at Guelph, Ontario. His 7.5/9 score put him a full point ahead of the field.


At the Olympiads

Hébert represented Canada a total of seven times at
Chess Olympiads The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in 2020 and ...
from 1978 to 2002. His first two appearances, in 1978 and 1980, saw the Canadian team score its highest placings ever, with eleventh and ninth-place finishes, respectively. In 72 games, Hébert scored (+25 =25 -22), for 52.1 per cent. His results include: * Buenos Aires 1978, board 1, 4/11 (+2 =4 -5); * Valletta 1980, board 1, 7/12 (+4 =6 -2); * Merano 1982, board 3, 8.5/12 (+7 =3 -2), board bronze medal; * Thessaloniki 1984, board 2, 6.5/12 (+5 =3 -4); * Novi Sad 1990, board 2, 2.5/7 (+2 =1 -4); * Yerevan 1996, board 3, 7/12 (+4 =6 -2); * Bled 2002, 2nd reserve, 2/6 (+1 =2 -3).


Correspondence chess grandmaster

Hébert has also excelled at
correspondence chess Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, traditionally through the postal system. Today it is usually played through a correspondence chess server, a public internet chess forum, or email. Less commo ...
. He placed second in the 1976 Canadian Correspondence Championship, and was a member of the Canadian team at the 11th ICCF Olympiad, which won the bronze medal. Hébert was awarded the
International Grandmaster of Correspondence Chess International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster is a correspondence chess title created by FIDE in 1953, second only to that of world correspondence champion. Currently, this title is awarded by the International Correspondence Chess Federation (IC ...
title in 1984.


Quebec successes

Hébert has enjoyed considerable success in
Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
provincial championships, at both the Open and Closed levels, as well as in other home-based events. He won the 1980
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
Invitational with 6/8, and drew an exhibition match 2-2 with
Kevin Spraggett Kevin Spraggett (born November 10, 1954, in Montreal) is a Canadian chess grandmaster. He was the first Canadian-born player and fourth Canadian overall to earn the grandmaster title, after Abe Yanofsky, Duncan Suttles and Peter Biyiasas. ...
that year. Hébert faced Spraggett again in a playoff match in 1982, after the two had tied for 2nd-3rd places in the 1981 Zonal, for a reserve place in the Interzonal. This time, Spraggett prevailed by 3.5-0.5. Hébert shared 2nd-3rd places in the Quebec Closed at Montreal 1983 with 6/9, behind Spraggett. He shared 1st-2nd places in the 1985 Quebec Closed on 8.5/11 with George Levtchouk. Hébert placed tied 3rd-4th in the 1985
Canadian Chess Championship This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the World Cup st ...
with 6.5/9, as Ivanov and Sylvain Barbeau shared the top spots. He finished 2nd in the Quebec Closed 1988 with 8.5/11 behind Ivanov. Hébert won the 1990 Quebec Closed with 7.5/9. He shared first in the 2002
Canadian Open Chess Championship The Canadian Open Chess Championship is Canada's Open chess championship, first held in 1956, and held annually since 1973, usually in mid-summer. It is organized by the Chess Federation of Canada. The event celebrated its 50th rendition in 2013. ...
at Montreal, with 8/10. Hébert has won the Quebec Open Chess Championship five times (1989, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2005), which ties the record for the most titles in that event; he also won the B Section of the Open in 2011, 2012 and 2014.


Legacy and writings

Hébert is the first Canadian
Francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...
chess player to establish a solid international reputation by playing in the 1979
Interzonal Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by the World Chess Federation FIDE from the 1950s to the 1990s. They were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle and were held after the Zonal tournaments, and before the Ca ...
and with his seven Chess Olympiad appearances, earning a bronze medal in 1982. His 1978 victory at the
Canadian Chess Championship This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the World Cup st ...
made him the first Francophone to win since 1884. He is also the first Canadian Francophone to earn the correspondence grandmaster title, and is one of the few players to achieve international titles in both over-the-board and correspondence play. His publications include: * ''Karpov - Korchnoi 1978'' (in French); * ''Border Wars III: The Book of the Third North American Correspondence Chess Championship'' (1984) * ''Secrets des grandes parties au coup par coup'' (Payot, 2001, in French) * ''Leçons d'échecs du tournoi international de Montréal 2001'' (
Chess'n Math Association The Chess'n Math Association (or Chess and Math Association) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing chess into Canadian schools. Founded in 1985 by Larry Bevand, who still serves as its executive director, it is "Canada's National Scho ...
in French); * ''Le livre du tournoi international de Montréal 2002'' (
Chess'n Math Association The Chess'n Math Association (or Chess and Math Association) is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing chess into Canadian schools. Founded in 1985 by Larry Bevand, who still serves as its executive director, it is "Canada's National Scho ...
in French); * ''Modern Benoni'' CD
ChessBase ChessBase is a German company that develops and sells chess software, maintains a chess news site, and operates an internet chess server for online chess. Founded in 1986, it maintains and sells large-scale databases containing the moves of recor ...
. Hébert has been a respected commentator at major chess matches and events, such as the 1989
Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...
Candidates A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...
match between
Kevin Spraggett Kevin Spraggett (born November 10, 1954, in Montreal) is a Canadian chess grandmaster. He was the first Canadian-born player and fourth Canadian overall to earn the grandmaster title, after Abe Yanofsky, Duncan Suttles and Peter Biyiasas. ...
and Artur Yusupov. He served as editor of the magazine ''Echecs+'', published by the Quebec Chess Federation. He was the chess columnist for
La Presse is a French-language online newspaper published daily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1884, it is now owned by an independent nonprofit trust. ' was formerly a broadsheet daily, considered a newspaper of record in Canada. Its Sunday edi ...
, contributed to New In Chess, and published the magazine ''Au nom du roi'', which was succeeded by the e-bulletin, ''Hébert parle échecs''. He served for a time as a columnist and games analyst with ''Chess Canada'' magazine. Hébert was inducted into the Canadian Chess Hall of Fame in 2001. After reaching the Canadian title at age 20 in 1978, Hébert, despite significant improvement after that time, was surpassed in Canadian chess by the 1980 arrival of the Soviet defector,
Igor Ivanov Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov (; born 23 September 1945) is a Russian politician and diplomat who was Foreign Minister of Russia from 1998 to 2004 under both the Yeltsin and the Putin administrations. Early life Ivanov was born in 1945 in Moscow t ...
, and also by
Kevin Spraggett Kevin Spraggett (born November 10, 1954, in Montreal) is a Canadian chess grandmaster. He was the first Canadian-born player and fourth Canadian overall to earn the grandmaster title, after Abe Yanofsky, Duncan Suttles and Peter Biyiasas. ...
, over whom he at first had an edge.


Competitive resurgence

Hébert showed that he was a durable competitor with his first-place tie at the 2007 Canadian Championship at Kitchener; Nikolay Noritsyn won the playoffs. Hébert surpassed that performance when he won the 2009
Canadian Chess Championship This is the list of all the winners of the Canadian Chess Championship, often referred to as the Canadian Closed Championship to distinguish it from the annual Canadian Open tournament. The winner of the Canadian Closed advances to the World Cup st ...
at
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
with a score of 7.5/9 - a full point ahead of runner-up Mark Bluvshtein - which, at 51, made him the oldest Canadian champion ever. That same year, he won the Quebec Closed, the Montreal Open, and, on tiebreak, the championship of the French-speaking world in Vallée D'Aoste, Italy. In 2022, Hébert won the Canadian Seniors championship at Halifax. He then participated in the World Senior Chess Championship in Italy, finishing in a tie for sixth-ninth places, one point behind the tournament winner,
John Nunn John Denis Martin Nunn (born 25 April 1955) is an English chess grandmaster, a three-time world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician. He is one of England's strongest chess players and was form ...
.


References


External links


Jean Hebert
tournament record at Chess Federation of Canada * *
archive
*
Jean Hebert
player profile at Chessbase {{DEFAULTSORT:Hebert, Jean 1957 births Living people Canadian chess players Canadian chess writers Canadian non-fiction writers Canadian writers in French Chess International Masters Correspondence chess grandmasters Chess players from Montreal Sportspeople from Quebec City Writers from Montreal Writers from Quebec City Chess Olympiad competitors