Fridrik Olafsson Memorial

by Frederic Friedel
8/29/2026 – Chess players, mark your calendars. The Icelandic Chess Federation, Goðinn Chess Club, and Reykjavík Chess Club are joining forces to present "Town and Country" – two spectacular tournaments that together offer 15 rounds of high-level chess in just 11 days, set against two of Iceland’s most contrasting backdrops. It all begins on Thursday, 19 November at 19:00. On Tuesday, 24 November, the Friðrik Ólafsson Memorial Tournament opens – honouring Iceland’s first grandmaster.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.

Fridrik Olafsson Memorial 

An Unforgettable Chess Adventure in Iceland

November 24th-29th 2026
 

In November Iceland is staging the Friðrik Ólafsson Memorial 2026 – a special tournament organised in honour of Iceland's first Grandmaster and former FIDE President.

Tournament details

You can also combine this event with the Sel Hotel Mývatn / Mývatn Öl Tournament (19–22 November) in northern Iceland for a unique "Town and Country" chess adventure. 

Friðrik Ólafsson, 1935 – 2025

Friðrik Ólafsson, the former president of FIDE, was Iceland's very first chess grandmaster, a six-time Icelandic Chess Champion, winning his first title at age 17, and a two-time Nordic Chess Champion. He earned his grandmaster title in 1958 after an impressive joint 5th finish at the Portorož Interzonal, which also qualified him for the 1959 Candidates Tournament.

Olafsson was known as a giant slayer. Playing at the highest level, he defeated legendary World Champions including Bobby Fischer, Mikhail Tal, and Tigran Petrosian, winning against each of them on two occasions. In 1980, he defeated the reigning World Champion Anatoly Karpov at the Clarin Tournament in Buenos Aires. This victory earned him a spot in the unofficial "Mikhail Chigorin Club", reserved for players who defeated a reigning world champion without ever winning the crown themselves.

From 1978 to 1982, Olafsson served as the fourth President of FIDE, succeeding Max Euwe. During his tenure, he focused on securing commercial sponsorships for the organization and improving relations between Soviet chess players and the rest of the world. Though he achieved international fame at the chessboard, Ólafsson was a lawyer by profession. He worked at the Icelandic Ministry of Justice and later held the prestigious position of Secretary-General of the Icelandic Parliament.  In recognition of his enormous contributions to Icelandic culture and education, he was awarded the Grand Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon and was named an Honorary Citizen of Reykjavík.

Friðrik Ólafsson passed away in April 2025 at the age of 90.

No other World Champion was more infamous both inside and outside the chess world than Bobby Fischer. On this DVD, a team of experts shows you the winning techniques and strategies employed by the 11th World Champion.

Grandmaster Dorian Rogozenco delves into Fischer’s openings, and retraces the development of his repertoire. What variations did Fischer play, and what sources did he use to arm himself against the best Soviet players? Mihail Marin explains Fischer’s particular style and his special strategic talent in annotated games against Spassky, Taimanov and other greats. Karsten Müller is not just a leading international endgame expert, but also a true Fischer connoisseur.

<< Newly reviewed: Evans & Friends Vol.1 & 2 by Andrew Martin
Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

GCT Finals with Pragg, So, Caruana and Keymer: Format and schedule

8/21/2026 – The 2026 Grand Chess Tour reaches its concluding event this weekend, with the four highest-ranked full-tour players set to compete in the GCT Finals at the Saint Louis Chess Club. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana and Vincent Keymer will take part in the knockout tournament, with competition running from 22 to 27 August and a total prize fund of $450,000 at stake.
More...
 1

See also

Game of the Week #736: Keymer with White

8/21/2026 – Vincent Keymer played an absolutely phenomenal Sinquefield Cup: judging from the chances he created with his trademark opening play, he should have finished clear first. In times where 1.e4 and 1.d4 main lines are analysed to a draw, Keymer manages to create hyper flexible positions from the Reti, English, Neo London and Accelerated (!) Neo London. While the original plan was to talk you through Keymer-Caruana, this video talks you through the opening stages of all five Keymer games with White. Merijn's show is available on-demand with a ChessBase Premium Account. You can <a href="https://account.chessbase.com/en/create-account" target="_blank">register a Premium account here</a>.

Video

60m English Anti-Bayonet

King’s Indian fans who choose the Mar del Plata attack (7...Nc6) against White’s classical system (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0) usually aim for a complex position with mutual attacks on open wings, requiring long-term strategic planning and tactical sharpness in critical moments. Computers often do not know how to handle the arising complex strategic positions, which suits players who like to think on their own instead of memorizing long variations. However, the fashionable Bayonet Attack (9.b4) interferes with Black’s ideas. After Black’s main move 9...Nh5 the positions opens, the lines get forced and computer analysis is important again. But this DVD offers an antidote against White’s Bayonet Attack, namely 9...a5! This move leads to sound positions with very few concrete lines, in which the focus is on strategy not on tactics. Objectively chances are equal but if Black knows what to do things might quickly become dangerous for White.