Bryon Nickoloff
Encyclopedia
Bryon Nickoloff was a Canadian International Master of chess
. He represented Canada six times at chess Olympiad
s.
n heritage in Toronto to emigre parents, came to chess at age 15, which is relatively late among players who eventually reached international standard. Within three years, he was playing at National Master
strength. He won the Toronto City Championship in 1978, and repeated in 1997 (shared) and 1998 (source: David Cohen's Canadian Chess site).
1978, leading the team to a 6th place finish. He made his first of six Olympiad
appearances for Canada later that year. In 68 games, he scored (+21 =27 -20), for 50.7 per cent. His international teams record, from (http://www.olimpbase.org/playersk/959vhldg.html), follows.
Nickoloff moved to Mexico
in 1978, married a Mexican woman, and earned his International Master title in 1981, following a string of top finishes in Mexican events in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His peak FIDE rating was 2470 in 1982, within the world's top 100 players at that time. Following a divorce
, he returned to live in Toronto in the early 1980s, and played board one for the University of Toronto
, leading the team to a title in the 1982 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship
.
in his nine attempts, although he was usually challenging near the top. He did remarkably well in his first attempt in 1978 at Toronto
(Zonal), which was only seven years after he learned how to play. He scored 9/15 to share 7-8th places, with Jean Hebert
winning. He was fifth at Ottawa
(Zonal) 1984 on 8.5/15, with Kevin Spraggett
winning. At the Winnipeg
(Zonal) 1986, he scored 7/16 to share 8-9th places, with Spraggett and Igor Ivanov
winning.
His closest approach to the Canadian title came from Windsor
(Zonal) 1989, where he tied for 2nd-3rd places with Leon Piasetski, on 10/15. With champion Kevin Spraggett
already qualified for the 1990 Interzonal
as a Candidate from the previous world title cycle, Canada had a bonus Interzonal berth, for which Nickoloff and Piasetski had to settle accounts, with a four-game match at Toronto
1990. With a career edge over Piasetski going in, and after scoring 1.5/2 to start, Nickoloff needed only a draw in either of the last two games to advance, because of a superior tiebreak score from Windsor. But he lost the last two games and the match.
Nickoloff was off-form at Kingston
(Zonal) 1992, scoring just 3.5/11 for 10th place, as Alexandre Lesiege
won. Another near miss was his shared 3rd-5th place at Hamilton
(Zonal) 1994, on 10/15, with Spraggett again the champion. At the controversy-marred Canadian Championship in Ottawa
1995, Nickoloff fell asleep at the board during a game when it was his move, and his clock ran on. Nickoloff was eventually awoken by another competitor, and this led to a string of arguments and appeals, which disrupted the chess in subsequent rounds. Nickoloff scored 4.5/8, with Ron Livshits winning. Nickoloff was 5th at Toronto
(Zonal) 1996 on 9/15, with Spraggett winning his fifth Zonal in six attempts. At Brantford (Zonal) 1999, Nickoloff scored 5/9 for a shared 7-10th place, with Lesiege winning.
Nickoloff won the Canadian Open Chess Championship
in 1992 and 1995 (David Cohen's Canadian Chess site). He won the 1985 Motor City Open in Detroit with 5.5/6. Nickoloff won the Ontario Open Championship in 1993 (shared), 1994, and 2000. He won the Ontario Championship in 1992 (shared) (source: David Cohen's Canadian Chess site). He won several dozen weekend Swiss tournaments in the Toronto
area during his career.
, indulged himself with alcohol, tobacco, and many late nights. When just in his early 40s, he was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer
in the late 1990s, and was in serious condition, losing much weight and strength. He received hundreds of letters from chess friends around the world, gathered inspiration from their support, and managed to survive until 2004, playing high-level tournament chess right to the end, which demonstrated to everyone his passion for chess and his great fighting spirit. He tied for first place at the Toronto
Pan American Open at the end of 1999, despite his weakened condition. His last tournament was the 2004 Canadian Open Chess Championship
in Kapuskasing, where, although badly emaciated by the disease, he managed to score 6.5/10, playing several fine games. Two weeks later, he died in hospital at age 48.
Nickoloff often played the Arkhangelsk variation in the Ruy Lopez
, in which he played many important theoretical games.
In 2007, International Master Lawrence Day
, a close friend and colleague, published the book Nick's Best, from Chess'n Math Association
publishers. The book is an annotated collection of his best games, along with many stories from his colorful life. The site chessgames.com has 150 of his games, while the site mychess.com has 440 Nickoloff games.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. He represented Canada six times at chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s.
Early years
Nickoloff, born of BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n heritage in Toronto to emigre parents, came to chess at age 15, which is relatively late among players who eventually reached international standard. Within three years, he was playing at National Master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
strength. He won the Toronto City Championship in 1978, and repeated in 1997 (shared) and 1998 (source: David Cohen's Canadian Chess site).
International team play
He was top board for Canada at the World U26 Olympiad in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
1978, leading the team to a 6th place finish. He made his first of six Olympiad
Olympiad
An Olympiad is a period of four years, associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. In the Hellenistic period, beginning with Ephorus, Olympiads were used as calendar epoch....
appearances for Canada later that year. In 68 games, he scored (+21 =27 -20), for 50.7 per cent. His international teams record, from (http://www.olimpbase.org/playersk/959vhldg.html), follows.
- Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
1978 U26 Olympiad, board 1, 5/11 (+3 =4 -4); - Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
1978 Olympiad, 1st reserve, 2.5/6 (+1 =3 -2); - DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
1986 Olympiad, board 2, 6.5/12 (+4 =5 -3); - ThessalonikiThessalonikiThessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
1988 Olympiad, 2nd reserve, 6/10 (+4 =4 -2); - Novi SadNovi SadNovi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
1990 Olympiad, board 3, 6/10 (+4 =4 -2); - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
1994 Olympiad, board 3, 3.5/9 (+2 =3 -4); - ElistaElista-Twin towns/sister cities:Elista is twinned with the following sister cities. Howell, New Jersey, United States Lhasa, Tibet, China. Ulan-Ude, Buryat Republic, Russia-See also:*Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery*Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume-External links:...
1998 Olympiad, board 3, 5/10 (+3 =4 -3).
Nickoloff moved to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1978, married a Mexican woman, and earned his International Master title in 1981, following a string of top finishes in Mexican events in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His peak FIDE rating was 2470 in 1982, within the world's top 100 players at that time. Following a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, he returned to live in Toronto in the early 1980s, and played board one for the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, leading the team to a title in the 1982 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship
Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship
The Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship is the foremost intercollegiate team chess championship in the Americas...
.
Canadian Championship near-misses
Nickoloff, while certainly one of Canada's top players for about 30 years, from the mid-1970s until his death at age 48 in 2004, never managed to win the Canadian Chess ChampionshipCanadian 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 next stage of the FIDE World Chess Championship cycle...
in his nine attempts, although he was usually challenging near the top. He did remarkably well in his first attempt in 1978 at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(Zonal), which was only seven years after he learned how to play. He scored 9/15 to share 7-8th places, with Jean Hebert
Jean Hébert
Jean Hébert is a Canadian International Master of chess, an International Grandmaster of Correspondence Chess, and a chess writer, journalist, and commentator. He is the current Canadian chess champion, a title he first won in 1978. He tied for this title in 2007 as well, but lost in playoffs...
winning. He was fifth at Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(Zonal) 1984 on 8.5/15, with Kevin Spraggett
Kevin Spraggett
Kevin Spraggett is a Canadian chess grandmaster. He is the fourth Canadian to earn the grandmaster title, after Abe Yanofsky, Duncan Suttles and Peter Biyiasas. Spraggett is the only Canadian to have qualified for the Candidates' level, having done so in 1985 and 1988...
winning. At the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
(Zonal) 1986, he scored 7/16 to share 8-9th places, with Spraggett and Igor Ivanov
Igor Ivanov
Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov is a Russian politician and was Russian Foreign Minister from 1998 to 2004.- Early life :...
winning.
His closest approach to the Canadian title came from Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
(Zonal) 1989, where he tied for 2nd-3rd places with Leon Piasetski, on 10/15. With champion Kevin Spraggett
Kevin Spraggett
Kevin Spraggett is a Canadian chess grandmaster. He is the fourth Canadian to earn the grandmaster title, after Abe Yanofsky, Duncan Suttles and Peter Biyiasas. Spraggett is the only Canadian to have qualified for the Candidates' level, having done so in 1985 and 1988...
already qualified for the 1990 Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
as a Candidate from the previous world title cycle, Canada had a bonus Interzonal berth, for which Nickoloff and Piasetski had to settle accounts, with a four-game match at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
1990. With a career edge over Piasetski going in, and after scoring 1.5/2 to start, Nickoloff needed only a draw in either of the last two games to advance, because of a superior tiebreak score from Windsor. But he lost the last two games and the match.
Nickoloff was off-form at Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
(Zonal) 1992, scoring just 3.5/11 for 10th place, as Alexandre Lesiege
Alexandre Lesiège
Alexandre Lesiège is a Canadian chess grandmaster, who has won three Canadian championships and represented Canada in World Championship qualifying events and Olympiads....
won. Another near miss was his shared 3rd-5th place at Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
(Zonal) 1994, on 10/15, with Spraggett again the champion. At the controversy-marred Canadian Championship in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
1995, Nickoloff fell asleep at the board during a game when it was his move, and his clock ran on. Nickoloff was eventually awoken by another competitor, and this led to a string of arguments and appeals, which disrupted the chess in subsequent rounds. Nickoloff scored 4.5/8, with Ron Livshits winning. Nickoloff was 5th at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(Zonal) 1996 on 9/15, with Spraggett winning his fifth Zonal in six attempts. At Brantford (Zonal) 1999, Nickoloff scored 5/9 for a shared 7-10th place, with Lesiege winning.
Nickoloff won the Canadian Open Chess Championship
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....
in 1992 and 1995 (David Cohen's Canadian Chess site). He won the 1985 Motor City Open in Detroit with 5.5/6. Nickoloff won the Ontario Open Championship in 1993 (shared), 1994, and 2000. He won the Ontario Championship in 1992 (shared) (source: David Cohen's Canadian Chess site). He won several dozen weekend Swiss tournaments in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
area during his career.
Later years, legacy
Nickoloff, a bon vivant much like Mikhail TalMikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
, indulged himself with alcohol, tobacco, and many late nights. When just in his early 40s, he was diagnosed with incurable stomach cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in the late 1990s, and was in serious condition, losing much weight and strength. He received hundreds of letters from chess friends around the world, gathered inspiration from their support, and managed to survive until 2004, playing high-level tournament chess right to the end, which demonstrated to everyone his passion for chess and his great fighting spirit. He tied for first place at the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
Pan American Open at the end of 1999, despite his weakened condition. His last tournament was the 2004 Canadian Open Chess Championship
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....
in Kapuskasing, where, although badly emaciated by the disease, he managed to score 6.5/10, playing several fine games. Two weeks later, he died in hospital at age 48.
Nickoloff often played the Arkhangelsk variation in the Ruy Lopez
Ruy Lopez
The Ruy Lopez, also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The opening is named after the 16th century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura, who made a systematic study of this and other openings in the 150-page book on chess Libro del...
, in which he played many important theoretical games.
In 2007, International Master Lawrence Day
Lawrence Day
Lawrence Day is a Canadian chess International Master, author, and journalist. He has represented Canada at 13 Chess Olympiads.- Early life :...
, a close friend and colleague, published the book Nick's Best, from Chess'n Math Association
Chess'n Math Association
The Chess'n Math Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing chess into Canadian schools...
publishers. The book is an annotated collection of his best games, along with many stories from his colorful life. The site chessgames.com has 150 of his games, while the site mychess.com has 440 Nickoloff games.
External links
- Bryon Nickoloff Memorial Page http://www.torontochess.org/nickoloff.htm