Efstratios Grivas

Efstratios Grivas (30.03.1966) is a highly experienced chess trainer and chess author. He has been awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) the titles of International Chess Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer, International Chess Arbiter and International Chess Organiser.

His main successes over the board are the Silver Medal Olympiad 1998 (3rd Board), the Gold Medal European Team Championship 1989 (3rd Board) and the 4th Position World Junior Championship U.20 1985. He has also won 5 Balkan Medals (2 Gold - 1 Silver - 2 Bronze) and he was 3 times Winner of the International ‘Acropolis’ Tournament. He has also in his credit the 28 times first position in Greek Individual & Team Championships and he has won various international tournaments as well. He was also been awarded six FIDE Medals in the Annual FIDE Awards (Winner of the FIDE Boleslavsky Medal 2009 & 2015 (best author) - Winner of the FIDE Euwe Medal 2011 & 2012 & 2017 (best junior trainer) - Winner of the FIDE Razuvaev Medal 2014 (Trainers’ education) and has been a professional Lecturer at FIDE Seminars for Training & Certifying Trainers. He has published a large number of Books & DVDs in Arabic, English, Greek, Italian, Spanish & Turkish languages. Since 2009 he is the Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission and since 2012 the Director of the FIDE Grivas Chess International Academy (Athens).

Recent news

Sam Loyd, pioneer of an interesting endgame

5/8/2025 – It is well known that the knight is a piece that cannot win/lose a tempo. The position you see on the board was a study by the great Samuel Loyd, published in 1860. Can you imagine what White (to play) must do to draw? The same theme appeared in a number of subsequent studies, and the very interesting ending of knight and rook pawn vs. bishop, has been analysed over the years. In this series GM Eftratios Grivas tells us how it all developed.
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Grivas on the Prokeš Manoeuvre (3)

4/14/2025 – Have you mastered the ‘Prokeš Manoeuvre’? Can you confidently handle the endgame rook against two advanced pawns, as explained in two previous articles? Well, here is a final test: try winning some new positions against our diagram engine, and then check with the analysis given at the end to make sure you have understood everything. And tell international trainer Efstratios Grivas if this has been useful for your tournament performance.
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Grivas on the Prokeš Manoeuvre (2)

4/10/2025 – One method that enables a rook to draw against two advanced pawns in an endgame is, as explained in a previous article, is known as the ‘Prokeš Manoeuvre’. This scheme will allow you to draw in desperate-looking positions, or win when the defence can be overcome. Today you get eight test positions from international trainer GM Efstratios Grivas. They will tell you if you have thoroughly understood the concept.
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Grivas on The Prokeš  Manoeuvre (1)

4/8/2025 – The ‘Prokeš Manoeuvre’ is a tactic that enables a rook to draw against two advanced pawns in an endgame. It is a very important endgame scheme that will allow you to draw in desperate-looking positions, or win when the defence can be overcome. Take a look at this position. Would you be able to draw with white? And how would you do it? Let international trainer Efstratios Grivas explain everything.
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Grivas on trapping a piece – 2

3/3/2025 – A trapped piece is a piece that has no escape squares or squares where it can safely move without being captured. Even ‘heavier’ pieces can become ensnared, as can minor pieces. Today GM and International Trainer Efstratios Grivas shows us what can happen to such pieces if you are not careful. Annotated games.
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Grivas on Trapping a Piece

2/24/2025 – A trapped piece is a piece that has no escape squares or squares where it can safely move without being captured. A trapped piece can be a bishop or a knight, but also ‘heavier’ pieces such as a rook or a queen can be ensnared. Even the king can be put into a position where it no way to move around. In the first part of his article GM Efstratios Grivas deals with a trapped king and trapped queens.
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Grivas on WCh games 13 + 14

12/13/2024 – It's all over. After a tense battle that swayed from side to side, the final games were decisive. They were exciting – but also very instructive. Who better to explain them than world-class trainer GM Efstratios Grivas. He provides us with deep analysis from which there is a lot to learn. For amateurs and strong players alike. | Photo Eng Chin An
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Grivas on Ding-Gukesh 10–12

12/10/2024 – The tenth game was nothing more than a boring draw, but games eleven and twelve were quite exciting as the two opponents traded wins to keep the score at 6-6 with two classic games left (after the third day off). Ding Liren played the eleventh game miserably (although he missed some good chances), while Gukesh D. lost the twelfth game without any real fight! The match seems to be quite balanced and nobody can make any predictions. There are plenty of mistakes made by both opponents and although the quality is low, the fighting spirit is high! | All photos by Eng Chin An.
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Grivas on Ding-Gukesh games 7-9

12/6/2024 – After the second rest day, three draws followed in the FIDE World Championship 2024, making the match score 4½-4½. D. Gukesh missed good chances to prevail in games seven and eight, while game nine was probably the ‘quietest’ and most ‘correct’ game of the championship. We are entering the dangerous zone, where every mistake counts double, as there are only six games remaining. The general feeling by now is that D. Gukesh has lost more chances to take the lead than his opponent, and he is fighting more (even sometimes unjustifiably) to take the initiative. My takes. | All photos by Maria Emelianova
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Grivas on games five and six

12/2/2024 – Going to the second free day, the match for the FIDE World Championship 2024, between the World Champion Ding Liren and the Challenger D. Gukesh, is tied on 3-3 after six games. Ding seems to be in charge by now, as he has lost a number of opportunities to gain a one or two points lead already! International chess trainer GM Efstratios Grivas provides his take on games five and six.

World Championship games 1-4

11/29/2024 – It is an exciting World Championship. Whereas previous matches had started with five, six and even twelve draws, Ding vs Gukesh had two decisive games – and two tense draws – in the first four. We have provided full live commentary, and a good deal of post-game analysis. Up for some more? Here are all three games with comments from a leading chess trainer. There is a lot to learn from his view of things.
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Learning the Shirov Killer

11/22/2024 – There are tactical motifs which are continuously repeated and can be learned exactly like we learn opening theory. I feel that the correct approach is to collect thematic, nearly identical positions which are involved on similar patterns which you should look for. In this survey I will present an often met tactical motif I call the "Shirov Killer." It was wonderfully demonstrated by legendary GM Alexei Shirov in an Internet blitz game.
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ECU Trainers and Coaches

11/21/2024 – The European Chess Union (ECU) is an independent association for the interests of European chess. It is an affiliated organisation to FIDE, the oldest and strongest continental chess power, founded in 1985. The ECU Trainers Commission (ETC) is the youngest body, founded in late 2022, with its main mission to support the training programs and development in European chess. Here are the regulations and details of the courses for chess coaches.
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ECU Trainers and Coaches

11/14/2024 – The European Chess Union (ECU) is an independent association for the interests of European chess. It is an affiliated organisation to FIDE, the oldest and strongest continental chess power, founded in 1985. The ECU Trainers Commission (ETC) is the youngest body, founded in late 2022, with its main mission to support the training programs and development in European chess. Here are the regulations and details of the courses for chess coaches.
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Fischer vs. Greece – clock simul 1968

10/30/2024 – In 1968 the Greek Chess Federation, which had organised multiple Olympiads and Zonal tournaments, invited the 25-year-old American grandmaster to play a clock simultaneous exhibition match against five strong Greek players. The historical games played in Athens have been recorded and carefully annotated by Greek grandmaster and trainer Efstratios Grivas.
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Grivas on rook endings, connected pawns (2)

10/21/2024 – In rook endings, the privilege of having connected passed pawns can easily make the difference. But even in this case there are many hidden resources. After our first lesson a few days ago, today we are going to study a key manoeuvre you have to know if you want to survive against two connected pawns (as in this diagram). We also bring you some historical examples to help you understand the technique. Learn and enjoy.
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Grivas on rook endings, connected pawns

10/14/2024 – In rook endings the privilege of having connected passed pawns can easily make the difference. But even in this case there are many hidden resources. Of course generalisations are not always helpful – still, here is some advice by world-class trainer Efstratios Grivas to help you master this endgame. Study his instructions and count the rating points you gain.
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Grivas on the Chess Olympiad 2024 (2)

10/2/2024 – The Chess Olympiad 2024 in Budapest saw a lot of interesting games, many truely spectacular, and often quite instructive, especially for budding chess masters. Of the total of nearly 8,000 games, here are six treats, selected and annotated by international trainer Eftratios Grivas. Play through them and learn.
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