Happened Today in the Chess World - Feb 8, 2024

OLAFSSON'S HEIR

Reykjavik Open 2017: GM Johann Hjartarson - Source: reykjavikopen.com

Today is the birthday of Grandmaster Johann Hjartarson, born in Reykjavik, Iceland, on February 8, 1963.
Hjartarson got his GM title in 1985, and two years later, he won the Interzonal in Szirak, tied with Valery Salov.
Hjartarson qualified for the Candidates to the World title; he defeated Viktor Kortschnoj in the first round to lose to Anatoly Karpov in the quarter-finals.
Six times Icelandic champion between 1980 and 2016, Hjartarson won the Nordic Championship twice (1997 and 2017).
His rating peaked in July 2003, with 2640 Elo points.
A lawyer by profession, since the end of the nineties, he has reduced his participation in tournaments while continuing to perform well, qualifying for the World Cup in 2017.

Johann Hjartarson (2565)-R. Backlund, Gausdal (Memorial Eikrem) 1996
White to move

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