The White Falcon - 21.02.1986, Blaðsíða 7

(ABOVE) - John Fedorowicz (II.S.) runs down his
options after Gudmundar Sigurjonsson's last move.
(LEFT) - 13 year old Reykjavik City Champ Throeur
Arnarsson, makes the first move of the VISA All Star
Match, forU.S. grandmaster Yasser Seirawan.
The last active game featured Denmark's Bent
Larsen against the United States' Lubomir Kavalek,
each second ranked on their respective teams. They
had split their earlier contest.
The audience waited expectantly while the higher
ranked Larsen studied his game board. Seeing there
was no chance to win or for a stalemate he conceded
the game to Kavalek, thus allowing the United States
to take home a tie from this first of it's kind
tournament.
Swedish International Master Harry Schussler
took home a personal victory from the VISA Match.
He was the only player to win both his games.
Though, this match had ended, many of the
players from the Visa All Star Match stayed in
Iceland for the ongoing Reykjavik International
Tournament, which began Feb 11 and will end this
Sunday. (See Iceland; A tradition of chess, for
more information on the Reykjavik International
Tournament.)
(LEFT) - Players at the
VISA All Star Tournament
had each move displayed
on huge game boards so
the audience could follow
the match's progress.
Nordic Chess
/▼▼▼ Federation
\7? T/ World's oldest
international chess
federation, founded 1899.
U.S. Chess Federation
Founded 1939.
Iceland:
A tradition of chess
Excavated chess pieces prove that the game of
chess was known in the Nordic countries in the early
11th century. The Icelandic Sagas - the ancient
written history of the island nation - make many
allusions to the game.
Fridrik Olafsson was the first Icelandic
grandmaster, many refer to him as the Iceland's
Bobby Fischer. Iceland, has the largest number of
grandmasters in proportion to the population.
(Grandmaster is the highest rating a chess player
can receive.)
Within the past year Iceland has added three new
grandmasters to it's impressive roster of chess
players. There are now five grandmasters; five
international masters (the ranking below
grandmaster); and 38 other rated players who
represent Iceland at international tournaments.
The highpoint of Icelandic chess
history, however, was certainly
the Fischer - Spassky world chess
championship held in Reykjavik in
1972. World-wide attention was
rivetedto Iceland's capitol because
of the classic East-West contest.
This may help to account for
the current popularity of the game
among Icelanders. Today, chess
boards can be found in homes all
over the country, in use at places of employment
during lunch breaks and at public meeting places.
Many primary and secondary schools have active,
extracurricular, chess clubs.
Many begin the never ending task of learning the
game as youngsters. The current Icelandic women's
champion, Lilja Gretarsdottir, began learning the
game from her grandmother when she was five
years old. Lilja at the age of 13, is the youngest
player to ever hold a national chess title.
Throeur Arnarsson, who made the symbolic
opening move for the VISA All Star Match, was
recently crowned City of Reykjavik Champion.
Throeur is also 13-years-old. He is competing in
the Reykjavik International Chess Tournament.
In news from the tournament as of Feb. 17;
British player Anthony Miles is the highest ranked
player at the tournament. Miles was beat in the
first round by the lowest ranked player, Utut
Adianto of Indonesia. Both players are still active.
At least 12 countries are represented in the
tournament. The Icelandic contingent is doing very
well. Icelandic grandmasters and international
masters are among the tournament's leaders,
through the fourth round. (But the first four rounds
are refered to as the "warm-up matches".)
Iceland's strong showing has surprised many
players. Former World Chess Champion Mikael Tal,
(Russian-late 1960s), expressed his surprise after
splitting a match with Icelandic grandmaster Johann
Harjtansson, “Chess must be in the air here (in
Iceland)." Hartjansson is in his twenties.
For final results of the Reykjavik International
Tournament watch NBS'Newsline Monday evening.
February 21, 1986 The White Falcon
7