Viorel Iordachescu (born 20 April 1977) is a
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
grandmaster from the
Republic of Moldova
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...
, member of the Olympic Team of the Republic of Moldova, FIDE Senior Trainer, commentator, the President of th
National Chess Academy of Moldova and politician. He was awarded the title of
grandmaster by
FIDE
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...
in 1999.
Iordachescu competed in the
FIDE World Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the world champion in chess. The current world champion is Gukesh Dommaraju, who defeated the previous champion Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship.
The first event recognized a ...
in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. In 2002, he finished third in the
Corus Tournament C group in
Wijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee (; ) is a village on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk, the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament (formerly called the Corus chess tournament or the Hoogove ...
. He tied for 1st–6th places with
Reiner Odendahl,
Erwin l'Ami
Erwin l'Ami (born 5 April 1985) is a Dutch chess grandmaster. He attained the title of grandmaster in 2005, and has reached a peak rating of 2651. l'Ami has represented the Netherlands at seven Chess Olympiads (2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 ...
,
Daniël Stellwagen
Daniël Stellwagen (born 1 March 1987) is a Dutch chess Grandmaster (chess), grandmaster.
Chess career
In 1999 he won the Dutch Youth Championship (U12) and won silver both at the World Youth Chess Championship, World Youth Championship (U12) a ...
,
Susanto Megaranto
Susanto Megaranto (born 8 October 1987) is an Indonesian chess player. In 2004, he became the youngest Indonesian ever to qualify for the title Grandmaster at 17, beating out Utut Adianto's record by four years. He won the Indonesian Chess Cham ...
and
Friso Nijboer
Friso Nijboer (born May 26, 1965) is a Dutch chess player. He achieved the title of Grandmaster in 1996.
Nijboer won the Vlissingen Chess Tournament in 2002 and 2005, and won the 3rd Nancy Chess Festival in 2005. He participated in six Chess ...
at
HZ Open in 2005. Iordăchescu won the 2006/07
Reggio Emilia tournament.
In 2009 he tied for 2nd–4th with
Alexey Korotylev and
Sergei Tiviakov
Sergei Tiviakov (; born 14 February 1973) is a Russian–Dutch chess grandmaster. He is a three-time Dutch Champion and was European Champion in 2008.
Chess career
Tiviakov won the World Under-18 Championship in 1990 in Singapore. He was awar ...
at the
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
Open and won the 13th Open International Bavarian Championship in
Bad Wiessee
Bad Wiessee (Central Bavarian: ''Bad Wiessä'') is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Miesbach (district), district of Miesbach in Upper Bavaria in Germany. Since 1922, it has been a spa town and located on the western shore of the ...
on tiebreak over
Vitaly Kunin
Vitaly Leonidovich Kunin (born 2 October 1983) is a German chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster (GM) by FIDE in 2006.
Chess career
He played in the Chess World Cup 2017, where he was defeated in the first round by Lê Quang Liê ...
,
Abhijeet Gupta
Abhijeet Gupta (born 16 October 1989) is an Indian chess player with the title of Grandmaster (GM). Gupta is the first player to win the Commonwealth Chess Championship five times. He completed his early education from A's Steward Senior Seco ...
and
Gerald Hertneck
Gerald Hertneck (born 18 September 1963) is a German chess grandmaster.
Chess career
Born in September 1963, Hertneck won the German U16 Chess Championship in 1980. He earned his international master title in 1985 and his grandmaster title in 1 ...
. In 2010, Iordachescu tied for 1st–8th with
Sergey Volkov,
Hrant Melkumyan
Hrant Slavayi Melkumyan (; born April 30, 1989, in Yerevan) is an Armenian chess Grandmaster and European Blitz Champion in 2011.
Chess career
He won the international Internet championship organized by the ICC chess Internet portal. In 2006, ...
,
Eduardo Iturrizaga
Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli (born 1 November 1989) is a Venezuelan-born Spanish chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2008, making him the first Venezuelan to achieve this. He competed in the FIDE World Cup in 200 ...
,
Gadir Guseinov
Gadir Guseinov (; born 21 May 1986) is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. he is ranked as No. 6 in Azerbaijan.
Career
Born in Moscow, Guseinov started playing chess under the guidance of Shahin Hajiev. He lived in his native city and playe ...
,
David Arutinian
David Gareginovich Arutinian (born May 31, 1984) is a Georgian chess grandmaster since 2006, and an international master since 2002. He is ranked 9th in Georgia and 453rd in the world. His highest rating was 2593 (in April 2008).
Chess career ...
,
Aleksej Aleksandrov
Aleksej Aleksandrov (born 11 May 1973) is a Belarusian chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 1997. Aleksandrov is a five-time Belarusian champion and played on the Belarusian national team at the Chess Olympiad, the Wor ...
and
Tornike Sanikidze
Tornike Sanikidze (born 1989) is a Georgian chess grandmaster. He was awarded the titles of International Master in 2005 and Grandmaster in 2008. He won the Georgian championship in 2009.
He has represented Georgia at the Chess Olympiad, inclu ...
in the 12th
Dubai Open
The Dubai Open, styled DUBAi Open, was a golf tournament on the Asian Tour. It was played just once, in December 2014 at The Els Club in Dubai Sports City, Dubai, UAE. The purse was US$500,000 with a first prize of $90,000. The event was promoted ...
. The next year, he took part in the
FIDE World Cup
The FIDE World Cup is a major chess event organized by FIDE, the international governing body.
History
Three different formats have been used:
*In 2000 and 2002, it was a multi-stage tournament, with a group stage consisting of 24 players in fo ...
, where he was eliminated in the first round by
Sébastien Feller. In 2012 Iordachescu won the
Nakhchivan Open edging out
Sergei Zhigalko
Sergei Zhigalko (, ''Syarheĭ Zhyhalka''; born March 28, 1989) is a Belarusian chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster. He is a three-time national champion and also a European and world champion in his age category. Zhigalko comp ...
and
Eltaj Safarli
Eltaj Safarli (; born 18 May 1992 in Baku) is an Azerbaijani chess Grandmaster. In October 2016, he reached his all-time-highest rating of, 2694 and was ranked as No. 3 in Azerbaijan and No. 46 in the world.
He entered tournaments from the age ...
on tiebreak score. Iordachescu competed in the
FIDE World Cup 2015, losing in round one to
Yu Yangyi
Yu Yangyi (; born 8 June 1994) is a Chinese chess grandmaster. He qualified for the Grandmaster title at 14 years, 11 months and 23 days old in 2009. He is a three-time Chinese Chess Champion and the 2014 Asian Chess Champion.
He was a me ...
. In the same year, he was awarded the title of
FIDE
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...
Senior Trainer. In 2016 he won the
Moldovan Chess Championship.
Iordachescu played for the Moldovan team in the 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2018
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.
Early life
Viorel Iordachescu was born on April 20, 1977, in
Chisinau. His father, Ilie Iordăchescu, was an engineer and his mother, Elena Iordăchescu, was an accountant.
At the age of 6, his neighbor Alexandr Șoșev taught him the rules of the game of chess, which eventually became his career. The young player's mother noticed her son's interest in chess and enrolled him in Chisinau's Chess School No. 57, where Iordachescu met his first coach Valerian Vasiloi. With the support of his mother and guided by Vasiloi, the young Iordachescu took part in his first tournaments at the age of 7. At the age of 12, he became a Candidate Master.
From the ages of 12 to 14, Iordachescu was trained by IM Stefan Solonar, and FM Bogdan Pavlenco.
At the age of 15, Iordachescu began training under renowned coach, theoretician, and pedagogue
Veaceslav Cebanenco, known as "the Patriarch of Moldovan chess".
Between the ages of 7 and 18, Iordachescu won multiple Moldova Junior Championships.
Education
Iordachescu began his studies at Chisinau's School No. 57, currently th
"Traian" Theoretical High School He continued his studies at Chisinau'
"Mihai Eminescu" Theoretical High School In 2002, he graduated from
the State University of Moldova, the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences, and in 2014 he graduated from the
State University of Physical Education and Sports.
Personal life
On August 5, 2000, Iordachescu married Svetlana Zubac, a collegemate and a teacher. They have two daughters together, Julietta and Angelina.
Career
During his chess career, Iordachescu represented the Republic of Moldova in numerous tournaments, Olympics, European and World Championships. After the successes achieved in Dresden 1996, Șeki 1998 and Călimănești 1999, he was awarded the title of Chess Grandmaster.
In 2000 he participated in the Minsk Zonal tournament with other strong players from Moldova, Belarus, and Azerbaijan, ranking second and qualifying for the World Championship. It was there that he met young Azerbaijani player
Vugar Gashimov
Vugar Gasim oghlu Hashimov (; 24 July 1986 – 11 January 2014), known internationally as Vugar Gashimov, was an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. He was a noted player of blitz chess. At his peak ranking, he was No. 6 in the world, achieved in ...
. This meeting laid the foundations for a fruitful and lasting collaboration between the two chess players. Iordachescu trained Gashimov from 2008-2012. During this period, Gashimov won several elite tournaments, ranking in the top 10 of the world. However, in 2014, Gashimov passed away after suffering from brain cancer. The annual
Gashimov Memorial tournament in his honor was subsequently organized, with Iordachescu invited as a guest of honor and commentator.
At the knockout World Championship in New Delhi 2000, Iordachescu defeated Italian
Michele Godena, but lost in tiebreaks in the second round to
Sergei Movsesian
Sergei Musheghi Movsesian (; born 3 November 1978) is an Armenian chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 1997. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the 2011 World Team Chess Championship in Ningbo.
...
.
In 2005, he won the Vlissingen tournament.
In 2006, he won the Reggio Emilia tournament.
In 2009, he ranked 2nd at the Moscow Open. In the same year, he won the Bavarian Championship.
In 2010, he shared 1st place at the Dubai Open.
In 2012, he won the Nakhchivan Open.
Iordachescu is a multiple-time Champion of the Republic of Moldova and an active member of their Olympic team. The best result of their men's team was recorded at the Chess Olympiad in Turin in 2006.
Important tournaments
Reggio Emilia (2007)
Olympiads
Iordachescu represented the Republic of Moldova at the Chess Olympiads in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2018.
National Chess Academy of Moldova
Iordachescu is known for his considerable contribution in promoting chess in the Republic of Moldova and beyond. In 2010 he became the President of th
National Chess Academy of Moldova Together with his partner, Ion Gîrneț, he implemented the “Chess Unites” project, launched an interactive chess teaching platform developed by the Kasparov Foundation, participates in the elaboration of Moldova's chess curriculum under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, and organizes tournaments and training courses for chess teachers. After years of hard work and dedication from Iordachescu, chess has become a subject taught in schools in Chisinau and the National Chess Academy of Moldova actively promotes it.
In 2021 Iordachescu was decorated with the
"Order of the Republic" for civic initiative, remarkable success, and the promotion of the image of the Republic of Moldova in the world.
Coaching
Throughout his career, Iordachescu has managed to successfully combine activity as a player with that of a coach. In 2015, he obtained the title of FIDE Senior Trainer. Since 2016, he has been working as a coach in chess clubs in the United Arab Emirates. In 2017, Iordachescu's student Rouda Al Serkal won the Girls Under 8 World Champion title, the first such champion from the United Arab Emirates. Al Serkal obtained her second title for girls under 9 a year later.
Iordachescu’s students. Results and achievements during the collaboration period.
·
Salem Al Saleh, Grandmaster, UAE
- ranks in the top 50 in the world
- Arab Chess Champion
· '
Rouda Al Serkal, UAE''
- World Champion 2017, girls under 8
- World School Chess Champion 2018, girls under 9
- 3rd place at the World School Chess Championship in 2016, girls under 7.
· Omran Al Hosani, UAE
- Arab Champion, boys under 20
- UAE Men Classical and Rapid Chess Champion
· Sultan Al Zaabi, UAE
- Arab Champion, boys under 18
- UAE Champion, boys under 18
·
Bogdan-Daniel Deac
Bogdan-Daniel Deac (born 8 October 2001) is a Romanian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he earned his grandmaster title at the age of 14 years, 7 months and 27 days. Deac crossed the 2700 barrier for the first time in September 2022, when he r ...
, Grandmaster, Romania
- In 2016, at the age of 15, is awarded the title of Grandmaster
·
Cristina Moșin, the Republic of Moldova
- Double European Champion, girls under 14
- World Vice Champion, girls under 16
·
Vugar Gashimov
Vugar Gasim oghlu Hashimov (; 24 July 1986 – 11 January 2014), known internationally as Vugar Gashimov, was an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. He was a noted player of blitz chess. At his peak ranking, he was No. 6 in the world, achieved in ...
, Grandmaster, Azerbaijan
- From 2008 to 2011, ranks in the top 10 in the world (number 6 in 2009).
·
Axel Rombaldoni, Grandmaster, Italy
- Italian Champion
·
Denis Rombaldoni, International Master, Italy
- Italian Champion
·
Yuriy Kuzubov
Yuriy Kuzubov (; his first name is sometimes spelled "Yuri" or "Yury"; born 26 January 1990 in Sychyovka, Smolensk Oblast) , Grandmaster, Ukraine
- Ukrainian Champion, 2014
·
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (born 1 August 1976) is a Romanian chess grandmaster. His peak FIDE rating was 2707 in October 2005, when he was ranked fifteenth in the world, and the highest rated Romanian player ever. Only in September 2022 his rating ...
, Grandmaster, Romania
- European Champion, 2005
·
Alexander Motylev
Alexander Anatolyevich Motylev (; born 17 June 1979) is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was Russian champion in 2001 and European champion in 2014.
Career
He learnt how to play at the age of four and a half years and at age six took part in gr ...
, Grandmaster, Russia
- European Champion, 2014
Politics
From 2019 to 2021, Iordachescu was the First Vice President of the Moldovan
National Unity Party The National Unity Party, National United Party, Party of National Unity or National Unity Front may refer to:
* National United Party of Afghanistan (founded 2003)
* National Unity Party (Albania)
* National United Party (Armenia), defunct
* Natio ...
.
Other activities and major events
Iordachescu knows several European languages (Romanian, Russian, English, French and Italian) and practices sports journalism. He is often invited as a commentator to chess tournaments and publishes articles in specialized sources.
Commentator
· Shamkir Gashimov Memorial 2014 (English)
· Khanty–Mansiysk Grand Prix 2014 (English)
· Cap Aurora Open 2014 (Romanian)
· Shamkir Gashimov Memorial 2015 (Russian)
· Abu Dhabi Festival 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 (English)
· AIMAG, Turkmenistan, 2017 (English and Russian)
· Sharjah Masters 2018, 2019 (English)
Publications
· New in Chess (Netherlands, 2000)
· Chess Informant (Serbia, 1995- 2012)
Honors
According to the decree of October 15, 2021, signed by the President of the Republic of Moldova
Maia Sandu
Maia Sandu (; born 24 May 1972) is a Moldovan politician who is serving as the sixth president of Moldova since 2020. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity and was Prime Minister of Moldova, prime minister o ...
, Iordachescu was decorated with the "Order of the Republic" ''"As a sign of high appreciation of special merits to the state, for substantial contribution in the world, for remarkable professional successes, for civic initiative and active participation in advancing reforms, as well as on the occasion of the XXXth anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova ... ”''
In 2019, Iordachescu was named "The Chess Player of the Year" by Moldova.
References
External links
Viorel Iordachescuchess games at 365Chess.com
*
*https://ratings.fide.com/profile/13900200
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iordachescu, Viorel
1977 births
Living people
Chess Grandmasters
Chess Olympiad competitors
Chess players from Chișinău
Moldovan chess players