Grivas on Underdog Crushes!

by Efstratios Grivas
5/17/2024 – It is a great way to study chess: follow the notes of a world-class coach, analysing an exciting game from a running event, click on the notation to get a special replayer, where you can start an engine that will assist you in your own analysis, and study the strategy that brought about the final result. Here's an example by GM Efstratios Grivas analysing a stunning upset that occurred in the 7th Sharjah Masters, after a top seed player misjudged his opponent’s attack.

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The 7th Sharjah Masters-Challengers-Futures (three sections as per rating) annual event of the Sharjah Emirate, United Arab Emirates, is under way *14-22.05.2024.

The Greek GM Nikolas Theodorou scored the biggest upset of the second round at the Sharjah Masters, as he defeated top-seed Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi with ease after the latter misjudged his opponent’s attack.

In the following notation, clicking on a move or on a diagram will give you a special replayer, one which will follow the moves of the game. You can start a chess engine (fan icon) to further analyse the game. You can resize the board and move it to an optimum place on the screen, maximize or change the layout (book icon) to suit your preferences.

About the author

Achievements as a Player:

  • Winner of Gold Medal in the European Team Championship 1989 (3rd Board).
  • Winner of Silver Medal in the Olympiad 1998 (3rd Board).
  • 4th Position World Junior Championship U.20 1985.
  • Winner of five Balkan Medals (2 Gold - 1 Silver - 2 Bronze).
  • Winner of the International 'Acropolis' Tournament (1983, 1986 & 1991). 
  • Winner of Greek Individual & Team Championships (28 times!).
  • Winner of United Arab Emirates Individual & Team Championships (3 times).
  • Winner of various International Tournaments.

Achievements as Coach/Trainer/Captain:

  • Winner of the FIDE Euwe Medal 2011 & 2012 & 2017 (world's best junior trainer).
  • Winner of FIDE Award Boleslavsky Medal 2009 & 2015 (world's best author).
  • Winner of the FIDE Razuvaev Medal 2014 (trainers' education).
  • Professional Lecturer at FIDE Seminars for Training & Certifying Trainers (91 total).
  • Author of 126 chess books!
  • Creator of more than 20 Grandmasters and other various titled players (WGM, IM, WIM, FM).
  • Worked with National Teams of Austria, Germany, Greece, Jordan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
  • He has won more than 50 World's & Continental Youth Medals with his students.
  • An opening variation has been added to his credit; it is called the 'Grivas Sicilian', characterised by the moves 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6.
  • In 2017 he led the World's Team U.17 as Captain & Coach in the match USA vs. The World (U.17 & U.14), which was won heavily by the World.


Efstratios (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.