1989 in chess
Encyclopedia
Top players
Kasparov and Karpov remained the top two players in the world, positions that they had held since July 1982. Over the year, English players Nigel ShortNigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
and Jonathan Speelman moved up the list, whilst Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
player Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
fell out of the top 10, having stood third in the January 1988 list.
| Elo | FIDE Top Ten Men | FIDE Top Ten Women | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2775 | 2555 | ||
| 2750 | 2520 | ||
| 2650 | 2510 | ||
| 2640 | 2480 | ||
| 2640 | align="right" | |2480 | |
| 2635 | align="right" | |2435 | |
| 2630 | 2430 | ||
| 2625 | 2400 | ||
| 2620 | 2395 | ||
| 2620 | 2395 |
Grandmasters Association World Cup
The Grandmasters Association held six World Cup tournaments over 1988 and 1989, with some of the world's best players invited. The last three of these tournaments were held in 1989.- 20 March - 20 April: The fourth tournament was held in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and won by Kasparov and Ljubomir LjubojevićLjubomir LjubojevicLjubomir Ljubojević is a Grandmaster of chess. He was born on November 2, 1950, in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia . Ljubojević was awarded the International Master title in 1970 and the GM title in 1971. He was Yugoslav champion in 1977 and 1982. He won the 1974 Canadian Open Chess Championship...
, each with 11/16. - 3 June - 24 June: The fifth tournament was held in RotterdamRotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and won by Timman with 10½/15, ahead of Karpov with 9½. - 12 August - 3 September: The sixth and final tournament was held in SkellefteaSkellefteå-Industry:*Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company*Alimak*Natural User Interface Technologies AB - NUITEQ, a promising emerging technology start-up company-Sports:*Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien....
, Sweden and won by Karpov and Kasparov, each with 9½/15. Kasparov won the World Cup series, and prize money of $175,000, with Karpov second.
European Team Championship
- 23 November - 3 December: The 9th European Team Chess Championship in HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
was won by the USSR, ahead of YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in second and West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
in third.
The gold medal on the first board was won by Olivier Renet of France with 6/9. Valery Salov
Valery Salov
Valery Salov is a Russian chess grandmaster.Salov was awarded the International Master title in 1984 and the Grandmaster title in 1986. He was the World under-17 Champion in 1980 and European Junior Champion in 1983-84...
of USSR was second with 5/8.
Other major tournaments
- 18 February - 5 March: The Linares tournamentLinares chess tournamentThe Linares International Chess Tournament , is an annual chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held...
was won by Ivanchuk with 7½/10, ahead of Karpov with 7.
- 9 September - 16 September: The 9th World Microcomputer Chess Championship was held in PortorožPortorož- External links :**...
, SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and won by Mephisto X from the United Kingdom with 6½/7.
- 15 September - 2 October: The Tilburg tournamentTilburg chess tournamentThe Tilburg chess tournament was a series of very strong chess tournaments held in the Tilburg, The Netherlands. It was established in 1977 and ran continuously through 1994 under the sponsorship of Interpolis, an insurance company. Fontys Hogescholen shortly revived the tournament series from 1996...
was dominated by Kasparov who won 10 games and drew only 4 to finish with 12/14. Viktor KorchnoiViktor KorchnoiViktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
was second with 8½/14. This event took Kasparov's rating past Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
's record of 2780.
- 28 December - 9 January 1990: The Reggio Emilia tournamentReggio Emilia chess tournamentThe Reggio Emilia chess tournament is a chess tournament played in Reggio Emilia, Italy. In Italian the tournament is called Torneo di Capodanno , as it starts just after Christmas and ends on the day of Epiphany...
was won by Jaan EhlvestJaan EhlvestJaan Ehlvest Jaan Ehlvest Jaan Ehlvest (born 14 October 1962 is a chess player, who was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1987 and was named Estonian sportsman of the year in 1987 and 1989...
with 7½/10, ahead of Ivanchuk with 6½.
- The Wijk aan Zee tournament ended in a 4-way tie between Viswanathan AnandViswanathan AnandV. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
, Zoltán RibliZoltan RibliZoltán Ribli is a Hungarian chess grandmaster and International Arbiter . He was twice a World Championship Candidate and three times Hungarian Champion.-A career in chess:...
, Predrag NikolićPredrag NikolicPredrag Nikolić is a Bosnian chess grandmaster.He first competed for the Yugoslav Championship in 1979, taking a share of second place. The following year and again in 1984, he went one step further and became the Yugoslav national champion...
and Gyula SaxGyula SaxGyula Sax is a Hungarian chess player and International Arbiter , born in Budapest.He was awarded the IM title in 1972 and the GM title in 1974. He was the Hungarian Chess Champion in 1976 and 1977 . In 1971-72, he was the European Junior Champion, and he placed first at Rovinj-Zagreb 1975,...
, each with 7½/13.
Grandmaster
In 1989, FIDE awarded the Grandmaster title to the following 17 players:- Michael Adams (b. 1971)
- Evgeny BareevEvgeny BareevEvgeny Bareev is a Russian chess Grandmaster and chess coach. In October 2003, he was in fourth place in the world rankings, with an Elo rating of 2739....
(b. 1966) - Branko DamljanovicBranko DamljanovicBranko Damljanovic is a Serbian grandmaster. His rating peaked at 2625 in July 2006. His chess career started in 1975 in Čačak.-External links:...
(b. 1961) - Alexey DreevAlexey DreevAlexey Dreev is a chess grandmaster from Russia. His career peak Elo rating was 2705, attained in October 2003 and again in April 2005.He qualified for the Candidates Tournament in 1991, but lost his Quarter Final match to Viswanathan Anand in Madras .Then in the FIDE World Championship...
(b. 1961) - Boris GelfandBoris GelfandBoris Abramovich Gelfand is a Belarus-born Israeli chess Grandmaster. He won the 2011 Candidates Tournament and will challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship 2012.-Biography:...
(b. 1968) - Alon GreenfeldAlon GreenfeldAlon Greenfeld is an Israeli chess grandmaster ., his Elo rating was 2557, making him the # 12 player in Israel and the 286th-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating was 2610 in 1994.In 1982, he was European Junior Sub-Champion....
(b. 1964) - Alexander GoldinAlexander GoldinAlexander Goldin is a chess grandmaster from the USSR, who is now resident in the United States.He was a joint winner of the Soviet Championship semifinal at Sevastopol in 1986...
(b. 1965) - Ferdinand Hellers (b. 1969)
- Daniel J. KingDaniel J. KingDaniel John King is an English chess grandmaster, writer, coach, journalist and broadcaster.-Chess career:...
(b. 1963) - Bachar KouatlyBachar KouatlyBachar Kouatly a Lebanese–French chess master, journalist and activist.He played thrice for Lebanon in World Junior Chess Championship , and represented Lebanon in Chess Olympiad at La Valleta 1980. He won at Qatar 1981 and took 14th at Toluca 1982 .Kouatly won French Chess Championship in 1979...
(b. 1958) - Zdenko KožulZdenko KožulZdenko Kožul is a Croatian chess grandmaster and was the 2006 European champion.-Chess career:Kožul was born in the north-western Bosnian town of Bihać, . He was awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE in 1989. In 1989 and 1990, Kozul won consecutive Yugoslavian championships...
(b. 1966) - Michał Krasenkow (b. 1963)
- Stefan MohrStefan MohrStefan Mohr is a German chess Grandmaster . Mohr earned the GM title in 1989. He shared third place at Budapest 1989. He was also second board reserve for bronze medal winning German team at the 1989 European Team Chess Championship.-External links:* team chess record at olimpbase.org* at...
(b. 1967) - Jeroen PiketJeroen PiketJeroen Piket is a retired Dutch chess player who earned the Grandmaster title in 1989. He won the Dutch Chess Championship in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994. Other notable results include a second place at the Hoogovens tournament 1997...
(b. 1969) - Miodrag TodorcevicMiodrag TodorcevicMiodrag Todorčević, Миодраг Тодорчевић a Serbian-French chess master and coach.In his chess career, he represented Yugoslavia/Serbia , France , and Spain ....
(b. 1940) - Evgeny VladimirovEvgeny VladimirovEvgeny Vladimirov is a chess Grandmaster from Kazakhstan. Vladimirov took on the computer program Hydra in August 2004 and lost three games and drew one....
(b. 1957) - Alexey VyzmanavinAlexey VyzmanavinAlexey Borisovich Vyzmanavin was a Russian chess Grandmaster.During the early part of his career, he regularly played in the Moscow Championships and in 1981, with an Elo rating of 2200, finished sixth, ahead of several strong grandmasters including David Bronstein, Yuri Razuvaev, Artur Yusupov,...
(b. 1960)
Woman Grandmaster
In 1989, FIDE awarded the title Woman Grandmaster to the following 2 players:- Anna AkhsharumovaAnna AkhsharumovaAnna Akhsharumova is a Woman Grandmaster of chess. She is the wife of chess grandmaster Boris Gulko.Akhsharumova and her husband became famous in the late-1970s as Soviet Refuseniks. They were finally allowed to leave the Soviet Union and immigrate to the United States in 1986.She won the Women's...
(b. 1957) - Zsofia PolgarZsófia PolgárSofia Polgar Sofia Polgar Sofia Polgar (born November 2, 1974 as Polgár Zsófia is a Hungarian-born International Master of chess and former chess prodigy. She is an International Master and Woman Grandmaster, and is the middle sister of Grandmasters Susan and Judit Polgár. Since 2006, she has...
(b. 1974)
Births
The following chess grandmasters were born in 1989:- 19 January Maxim RodshteinMaxim RodshteinMaxim Rodshtein is an Israeli chess Grandmaster . As of January 2009, his Elo rating is 2650, making him the #4 player in Israel and the #76 best player in the world. It was his peak rating so far. He won the World U-16 championship in Greece in 2004.Rodshtein won the 2006 Israeli Chess...
- 27 January Avetik GrigoryanAvetik Grigoryan-Achievements:*2004, 2006, 2007: Won Armenian Youth Championship*2006: Won Yerevan Rapid Chess Cup*2006: Second at European Rapid Chess Championship*2007: Fourth at World Youth Chess Championship, under-18*2008: Second at Belgorod Open*2008: Second at Fajr Open...
- 10 February Manuel León HoyosManuel Leon HoyosManuel León Hoyos is a Mexican chess Grandmaster. He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011, but was eliminated in the first round by Alexei Shirov....
- 11 March Zaven AndriasianZaven AndriasianZaven Andriasian is an Armenian Grandmaster of chess. He won the 2005 European Youth Chess Championship for under 16 and the 2006 World Junior Chess Championship...
- 28 March Sergei Zhigalko
- 29 March Geetha Narayanan GopalGeetha Narayanan GopalGeetha Narayanan Gopal is an Indian chess grandmaster from Aluva, Kerala. He took up the game at age 10, was coached by TM Sankaran Namboothiripad, later coached by IM Varghese Koshy. Subsequently he was coached in group camps by Ruslan Scherbakov and Evgeny Vladimirov.He became both an...
- 6 April Robin Swinkels
- 21 April Li ChaoLi Chao (chess player)Li Chao is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In 2007, he became China's 23rd Grandmaster at the age of 18. As of April 2009, he is the sixth highest rated junior player and is China's fifth highest rated player...
- 30 April Hrant MelkumyanHrant MelkumyanHrant Melkumyan is an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He won the international Internet championship organized by the ICC chess Internet portal. In 2006, he won the U18 silver medal at the World Youth Chess Championship. In 2009, he tied for 1st-5th with Sergey Volkov, Andrey Rychagov, Andrei...
- 4 August Wang HaoWang Hao (chess player)Wang Hao is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In November 2009, Wang Hao became the fourth ever Chinese player to cross the 2700 Elo rating mark. He is the reigning Chinese Chess Champion, with a ranking of No. 1 in China, No. 2 in Asia behind Viswanathan Anand and No. 19 in the world...
- 28 August Aleksandr Rakhmanov
- 4 November Axel Bachmann
- 27 December Kateryna Lahno
- Abhijeet GuptaAbhijeet GuptaAbhijeet Gupta is an Indian chess player with the title Grandmaster. He hails from Bhilwara in Rajasthan.He was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 2008, having previously become an International Master in 2005. In 2002, Gupta entered the Limca Book of Records on becoming the youngest National...
- Eduardo IturrizagaEduardo IturrizagaEduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli is a Venezuelan chess player. He achieved the title of grandmaster in 2008, making him the first and only Venezuelan chess grandmaster.-Chess career:...
- Davit Jojua
- Rinat Jumabayev
- Aleksandr Lenderman
- Michal Olszewski
- Tornike Sanikidze
- Krisztian Szabo
- Daniele VocaturoDaniele VocaturoDaniele Vocaturo is an Italian chess player.Born December 16, 1989, in Vitinia, a suburb of Rome, in May 2009 he became the third chess player born in Italy to be awarded the Grandmaster title, after Sergio Mariotti in 1974 and Michele Godena in 1996....
Deaths
The following leading chess personalities died in 1989:- 4 April Baruch Harold WoodBaruch Harold WoodBaruch Harold Wood MSc OBE was an English chess player, editor and author. He was born in Sheffield, England.-Playing career:...
(b. 1909): founded British magazine CHESSCHESS magazineCHESS magazine , also called CHESS and previously called CHESS Monthly, is a chess magazine published monthly in the UK by Chess and Bridge Limited. CHESS was founded by Baruch Harold Wood in 1935 in Sutton Coldfield. Wood edited it until 1988, when it was taken over by Pergamon Press and changed...
in 1935 - 15 October Anatoly LutikovAnatoly LutikovAnatoly Lutikov was a chess Grandmaster. He played from 1949 to 1983.-External links:...
(b. 1933): Russian Grandmaster who finished third in the USSR Championships 1968-9 - Karen GrigorianKaren GrigorianKaren Ashotovich Grigorian was an Armenian chess master, and son of the poet Ashot Grashi.Born in Moscow, Russia, Grigorian won the Armenian Chess Championship three times , and the Moscow City Chess Championship twice...
(b. 1947): Armenian International Master who was champion of Moscow in 1975 and 1979. Committed suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by jumping from the tallest bridge in YerevanYerevanYerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously-inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country...
Other events
The game between Ivan Nikolić and Goran Arsović in BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
1989 lasted for over 20 hours and consisted of 269 moves. This is still the record number of moves played in a single tournament game. The game was eventually drawn
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
.