Illya Nyzhnyk
Encyclopedia
Illya Nyzhnyk is a Ukrainian
chess
player.
He was born September 27, 1996 in Vinnytsia
(Ukraine
) and gained worldwide attention when he won Group B of the 2007 Moscow Open at the age of 10. He attained a nearly flawless score of 8½/9 and his performance rating was 2633, that of a Grandmaster. As of January 2009, his FIDE
rating was 2504, the highest rating in the world in the under-12 age group. In 2007 he won the European Youth Chess Championship
for under-12. In the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship
he tied for first in the under-12 age group, placing second on tie-breaks.
In April 2008, Nyzhnyk won the Nabokov Memorial in Kiev
, Ukraine, with 8½/11, and scored his first GM norm
.
In September 2008 he won, at the age of 12, the European Youth Chess Championship
for under 16. Soon after, in December 2008, he placed 12th in the Ukrainian championship, with a performance rating of 2594, barely under the 2600 performance required for another GM norm.
In December 2009 he won the Schaakfestival Groningen tournament in the Netherlands with a performance rating of 2741.
In December 2010 he was equal first (GM Dejan Bojkov won on Buchholz tie-break) at the Schaakfestival Groningen tournament, securing his final GM norm and making him, at 14 years and three months, the youngest Grandmaster in the world.
In January 2011 Nyzhnyk played in the Grandmaster Group C of the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee
, finishing in second place with 8½/13. In 2011, he tied for 1st-6th with Ivan Sokolov
, Vladimir Baklan
, Kamil Miton
, Jon Ludvig Hammer
and Yuriy Kuzubov
in the MP Reykjavik
Open.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
chess
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...
player.
He was born September 27, 1996 in Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:...
(Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) and gained worldwide attention when he won Group B of the 2007 Moscow Open at the age of 10. He attained a nearly flawless score of 8½/9 and his performance rating was 2633, that of a Grandmaster. As of January 2009, his FIDE
Fédération Internationale des Échecs
The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
rating was 2504, the highest rating in the world in the under-12 age group. In 2007 he won the European Youth Chess Championship
European Youth Chess Championship
Since 1991, the European chess union organises the European Youth Chess Championship in the groups under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 year. Until 2002, there was also a tournament for the under 20, see European Junior Chess Championship.-Boys winners:...
for under-12. In the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship
World Youth Chess Championship
The World Youth Chess Championship is a chess competition for girls and boys under the age of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.The first predecessor of the youth championship was the Cadet Championship. It started off unofficially in 1974 in France for players under 18. The 1975 and 1976 editions were also...
he tied for first in the under-12 age group, placing second on tie-breaks.
In April 2008, Nyzhnyk won the Nabokov Memorial in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine, with 8½/11, and scored his first GM norm
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
.
In September 2008 he won, at the age of 12, the European Youth Chess Championship
European Youth Chess Championship
Since 1991, the European chess union organises the European Youth Chess Championship in the groups under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 year. Until 2002, there was also a tournament for the under 20, see European Junior Chess Championship.-Boys winners:...
for under 16. Soon after, in December 2008, he placed 12th in the Ukrainian championship, with a performance rating of 2594, barely under the 2600 performance required for another GM norm.
In December 2009 he won the Schaakfestival Groningen tournament in the Netherlands with a performance rating of 2741.
In December 2010 he was equal first (GM Dejan Bojkov won on Buchholz tie-break) at the Schaakfestival Groningen tournament, securing his final GM norm and making him, at 14 years and three months, the youngest Grandmaster in the world.
In January 2011 Nyzhnyk played in the Grandmaster Group C of the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee is a small town on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk in the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament formerly Corus chess tournament and before that called Hoogovens tournament takes place there every year.Due...
, finishing in second place with 8½/13. In 2011, he tied for 1st-6th with Ivan Sokolov
Ivan Sokolov
Ivan Sokolov is a chess grandmaster born in Jajce, SFR Yugoslavia, who currently resides in the Netherlands. Sokolov won the 1988 Yugoslav Championship....
, Vladimir Baklan
Vladimir Baklan
Vladimir Baklan is a Ukrainian chess Grandmaster. In 2000 he won with the Ukrainian team a gold medal in the 34th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Ukrainian team at the 2001 World Team Chess Championship....
, Kamil Miton
Kamil Miton
Kamil Mitoń is a Polish chess Grandmaster .In 1996, he won the World Chess U12 Championship, in Minorca....
, Jon Ludvig Hammer
Jon Ludvig Hammer
Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer is a Norwegian chess player who holds the title of Grandmaster , the tenth Norwegian to do so...
and Yuriy Kuzubov
Yuriy Kuzubov
Yuriy Kuzubov , is one of the youngest International Grandmasters in the history of chess. As of April 2008, his rating was 2603. He completed his final grandmaster norm at age 14 years, 7 months, 12 days in 2004...
in the MP Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
Open.