Swedish chess legend Ulf Andersson celebrates his 70th birthday

by André Schulz
6/28/2021 – Ulf Andersson is the best Swedish chess player of all time and at his peak he was the world's number four. Andersson is also a correspondence chess grandmaster and one of the best correspondence chess players in the world. Yesterday, 27 June, he celebrated his 70th birthday. | Photo: Bert Verhoeff / Anefo / CCO

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If you are old enough to have worked with the Chess Informant you might remember: In the 1970s and 1980s there were two players who always took up a lot of space in the individual issues of the Informant: Dr. Robert Hübner, because he liked to analyse in depth, and Ulf Andersson, because he liked to play long games. Like the following:

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.b3 d5 4.Bb2 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 8.d3 c5 9.Nbd2 Nc6 10.a3 Rc8 11.cxd5 Nxd5 12.Qb1 Bf6 13.Rc1 Bxb2 14.Qxb2 Qf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Rc2 Rfd8 17.Rac1 Kg7 18.Kf1 Nde7 19.Ne1 Ba6 20.g3 Ne5 21.Nc4 Nxc4 22.bxc4 Nc6 23.Rc3 Rc7 24.Bd1 f5 25.Rb1 Ne5 26.h3 Rcd7 27.Be2 Kf6 28.f4 Nc6 29.Kf2 Kg7 30.Nf3 f6 31.Rg1 Kh8 32.g4 fxg4 33.hxg4 e5 34.f5 h6 35.Nd2 Kg7 36.Ne4 Bb7 37.Rd1 Na5 38.Bf3 Bc6 39.Ke2 Nb7 40.Nf2 Bxf3+ 41.Kxf3 Nd6 42.Ne4 h5 43.Nxd6 hxg4+ 44.Ke4 Rxd6 45.Rg1 Kf7 46.Rxg4 Rh8 47.Rc1 a6 48.a4 a5 49.Rcg1 Rh7 50.R1g2 Rd8 51.R2g3 Rd6 52.Rg8 Rh4+ 53.Kf3 Rh3 54.R8g7+ Kf8 55.Rg8+ Kf7 56.R8g7+ Kf8 57.Rb7 Rh5 58.Rb8+ Kf7 59.Rb7+ Kf8 60.Rgg7 Rh3+ 61.Kf2 Rxd3 62.Rgc7 Rd2+ 63.Ke1 Rd8 64.Rxb6 Rxe3+ 65.Kf2 Red3 66.Rxf6+ Kg8 67.Rg6+ Kf8 68.Rf6+ Kg8 69.Re6 R3d4 70.Rxc5 Rf4+ 71.Ke3 Rxf5 72.Rexe5 Rf1 73.Rxa5 Re1+ 74.Kf3 Rc1 75.Rec5 Kf7 76.Ra7+ Ke6 77.Rh7 Rf8+ 78.Ke4 Kd6 79.Rhc7 Re1+ 80.Kd4 Rf4+ 81.Kc3 Rf3+ 82.Kb4 Rb1+ 83.Ka5 Rf5 84.Rxf5 Kxc7 85.Rc5+ Kd6 86.Rb5 Rc1 87.Rb4 Kc6 88.Ka6 Rc2 89.a5 Rc1 90.Rb6+ Kc7 91.Kb5 Rb1+ 92.Kc5 Ra1 93.Rc6+ Kb7 94.a6+ Ka7 95.Re6 Rh1 96.Kb5 Rb1+ 97.Kc6 Kxa6 98.c5 Rh1 99.Kc7+ Ka7 100.Re7 Rh6 101.Rd7 Rg6 102.Rh7 Rf6 103.Rd7 Rh6 104.Kc8+ Ka8 105.Rd6 Rh8+ 106.Rd8 Rh6 107.Kc7+ Ka7 108.Re8 Rh7+ 109.Kd6 Rh6+ 110.Re6 Rh8 111.Kd7 Kb8 112.Kc6 Rh7 113.Re8+ Ka7 114.Rd8 Rh6+ 115.Rd6 Rh1 116.Kc7 Rh5 117.c6 Rh1 118.Kc8 Ka8 119.c7 Rh8+ 120.Rd8 Rh7 121.Re8 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Andersson,U-Padevsky,N-1–01975A30Zonal Pula1

Andersson enjoyed the reputation of being particularly fond of endgames, especially rook endgames, and he often played for a win in endgames others would have drawn much earlier. However, Andersson also drew a lot of his games because he was a very solid, positional player who didn't like to take too many risks.

Andersson was born in Västerås on 27 June 1951 and learned chess from his father. At the age of 13 he joined the local chess club to which he was faithful until he decided to turn professional in 1970.

In 1970 Andersson became an International Master, the grandmaster title followed only two years later, in 1972.

In 1969 Andersson won the Swedish National Championship for the first time, and in the further course of his "over-the-board" career he was first or shared first in a number of prestigious tournaments, e.g. Gothenburg 1971, Dortmund 1973, Camagüez 1974, Cienfuegos 1975, Belgrade 1977, Buenos Aires 1978, Hastings 1978-79, Phillips & Drew 1980, Johannesburg 1981, Phillips & Drew 1982, Turin 1982, Wijk aan Zee 1983, Reggio Emilia 1985, Rome 1985 and Rome 1986 to name just a few.

In 1983 Andersson had a rating of 2630 and was the world's number four behind Karpov, Kasparov and Ljubojevic. In 1997 Andersson surpassed his own peak rating and reached a rating of 2656. In 1984 he played on first board in the match USSR versus the rest of world where he faced Anatoly Karpov who won this mini-match with three draws and one win 2½:1½. On another occasion, however, Karpov suffered a defeat at the hands of the Swede.

Andersson vs Karpov, 1983 | Photo: Rob Bogaerts / Anefo

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Nf6 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 Be7 9.Be2 0-0 10.0-0 b6 11.Be3 Bb7 12.Rc1 Re8 13.Qb3 13.f3? d5! 13...Nd7 14.Rfd1 Rc8 14...Nc5 15.Qc2 15.Bxc5? bxc5! 16.Qxb7? Na5!-+ 15...Qc7∞ 15.Rd2 Qc7 16.Qd1 /\17.Nd5 16.Nd5?! exd5 17.cxd5 Nc5 16...Qb8 17.f3 Ba8 18.Qf1 Nce5 19.Nab1 19.Nc2 Qc7 20.b3 b5 19...Nf6 20.Kh1 h6 21.Rdd1 Bf8 22.Nd2 Rcd8 23.Qf2 Ned7 24.a3!? /\b2-b4,Nb3 24.Nf1! 24...d5!? 25.cxd5 exd5 26.exd5 Bd6 27.Nf1 Rxe3!? 27...b5 28.Ba7! Qb7 29.Bd4 28.Nxe3! 28.Qxe3 Bf4 29.Qd4 Bxc1 30.Rxc1 b5! 30...Nc5 31.Bc4!± 31.Rd1 Nb6 32.Ne3 32.d6 Ne8! 32...Nbxd5 33.Ncxd5 Bxd5 34.Nf5 Re8= 35.Nxh6+? gxh6 36.Qxf6 Rxe2 37.Rxd5?? Re1# 28...Bxh2 29.Nf1 29.Nf5 Bf4 30.Ne7+! 30.Rc2 Qe5! 30...Kf8 31.Nc6 Bxc6 32.dxc6 Bxc1 32...Qe5!? /\Bg3-+ 33.Qh4∞ 33.Rxc1 Nc5 34.b4 Ne6 35.Bxa6 29...Bf4 30.Rc2 b5! 31.Bd3 Nb6 32.Be4 Nc4 33.a4 Re8 34.axb5 axb5 35.Re2 Be5 /\Nxb2 36.Qc5 Nd6 37.Na2? Schon der letzte Fehler. Weiß wird jetzt unerbittlich überspielt. 37.Bb1 Rc8 38.Qf2 37...Ndxe4! 38.fxe4 Bd6 39.Qc2 Re5! Diese Blockade ist tödlich. 40.g3 40.Ng3? Rg5 41.Nf5 Rh5+ 42.Kg1 Ng4! 43.Rc1? Bc5+ 44.Kf1 Rh1# 40...Qe8! 41.Rde1 Bb7 42.Kg1 Nh7! 43.Nc1 Ng5 44.Nd2 Bb4! 45.Kf2 45.Qd3 Bxd2 46.Rxd2 Bxd5-+ 45.Kg2 Qd7!-+ 45...f5?! 46.Nd3 Bxd2 47.Qxd2 Rxe4 48.Nf4 46.Nd3 Qh3+ 47.Kf2 Bxd2 48.Qxd2 48.Nxe5 Qh2+ 49.Kf1 Qh1+ 50.Kf2 Nh3# 48...Qh2+ 49.Ke3 Rxe4# 45...Bxd2! 45...Qe7! 46.Nd3 Qf6+ 47.Kg2 Bxd2 48.Nxe5 48.Qxd2 Qf3+ 49.Kh2 Nxe4-+ 48...Bxe1 49.Rxe1 Qxe5-+ 46.Rxd2 Nxe4+ 47.Rxe4 Rxe4 48.Ne2 48.d6 Rc4 49.Qb1 49.d7 Qxd7! 49.Qd1 Rc5 50.d7 Rf5+ 51.Kg1 Qe3+ 52.Kh2 Rf2+ 49...Qc6 50.d7 Qg2+ 51.Ke1 Qxg3+ 52.Ke2 52.Rf2 Qe3+ 53.Ne2 Rd4-+ 52...Bf3+ 53.Kf1 Bg2+ 54.Rxg2 Rf4+ 55.Kg1? Qe1+ 56.Kh2 Rh4# 48...Bc8 49.Nc3 Re1 50.Ne2 Ra1 51.Rd4 Qd8 51...Bh3 52.Re4 Qd7 53.Qc6 Qa7+ 54.Nd4∞ 52.Qc6 Bd7 53.Qd6 Qe8 53...Rf1+! 54.Qf4 Qc8! /\Qc5,Bh3 55.b4 Bh3 56.Qe4 Bf5?! 56...Rf1+-+ 57.Ke3 Bf5 58.Qg2 Qe8+ 59.Kd2 Ra1-+ 57.Qe3 Qc2 58.g4 Bd7 59.Qe4 Qb3 60.Qd3 Qb2 61.Qe4 Ra8 62.Qe3 Ra2 63.d6?! 63.Qe4!? 63...Ra8! 64.Re4 Bc6 65.Qd4 Qb1 66.Re7 Qh1! 67.Qf4 67.d7? Qh4+!-+ 67...Qg2+ 68.Ke1 Ra1+ 69.Kd2 Qd5+ 70.Qd4 Ra2+ 71.Kc3 Qf3+?! 71...Ra3+! 72.Kd2 Qa2+ 73.Ke1 Qb1+ 74.Kd2 Ra2+ 75.Ke3 Qf1-+ 72.Re3 Ra3+ 72...Qf1! 73.Kd2 Ra2+ 74.Ke1 Qh1+ 75.Kf2 Qg2+ 75...Ra1-+ 76.Ke1 Qh1+ 76...Bf3? 77.Re8+! Kh7 78.Qd3+ g6 79.d7 Bxe2 80.Rh8+! Kxh8 81.d8Q+ Kh7 82.Qxg6+! Kxg6 83.Qg5+! Kh7 83...Kxg5= 84.Qf5+ Kg8 85.Qg5+= 77.Kf2 Ra1! 78.Rc3 Qg2+ 79.Ke3 Qf3+ 79...Qf3+ 80.Kd2 Ra2+ 81.Rc2 Rxc2+ 82.Kxc2 Qxe2+-+ 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karpov,A-Andersson,U-0–11975B44Milan8

Between 1970 and 2004 Andersson played in 16 Chess Olympiads for Sweden, and apart from his very last Olympiad, he always played on board one. At the Olympiad 1978 in Buenos Aires Andersson won the bronze medal for the third best individual result on board one. Gold went to Viktor Kortschnoi, silver was won by Orestes Rodríguez Vargas.

In 1995 Andersson took part in the jubilee anniversary tournament of the Norwegian Correspondence Chess Federation. It was his first correspondence chess tournament and he won with 11½/14, ahead of a number of more experienced correspondence chess specialists. The International Correspondence Chess Federation then awarded Andersson the Correspondence Chess Grandmaster title.

After a few more correspondence tournaments in the 1990s, Andersson led the correspondence chess world rankings with a record rating of 2821, but then retired from correspondence chess because "you can't earn money there as a professional". With a rating of 2737 Andersson is still the number one on the world ranking list of correspondence chess today but is listed as inactive.

Andersson does not regard tournament chess as a sport, even though he acknowledges that it is useful to have a good constitution. Andersson also does not see chess as a spectator sport. He himself prefers to watch football matches, he once admitted in an interview.

In 2019 his chess biography "Schackets mästare - I huvudet på Ulf Andersson" (The Chess Master - In the Mind of Ulf Andersson) was published in Swedish.

Andersson lives in Arborga and is one of the Swedish artists who have been given a guaranteed income by the Swedish Arts Council.

Interview at the Tata Steel Turnier 2013

Links

Simon Says: Ulf Andersson with the black Pieces


André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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