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At 90, Klaus Darga is not actually the oldest grandmaster in the world, but "only" the fifth oldest. Following his recent appointment as an honorary grandmaster by FIDE, Austrian Andreas Dückstein now tops the list of oldest grandmasters. Dückstein was born on 2 August 1927, so he is approaching 100. Five years younger, 92 in April, is Juraj Nikolac of Croatia. Only a few months younger is Yair Kraidman from Israel. And Bulgarian Nikola Padewski is also a year older than Klaus Darga.
Here's the list from the "Schachkalender":
(Source: Schachkalender 2024, p. 139, updated)
Homepage of the "Schachkalender"...
Stefan Löffler also recently published an article on this subject in his chess column in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (23 February). Reprinted with kind permission (Some dates have been adjusted.)
How to become the world's oldest grandmaster?
By Stefan Löffler (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 23 February 2024)
"Usually because of a death. Juraj Nikolac, who once played in the Bundesliga for Munich's Schachclub 1836, is now 92 years old. Nevertheless, the Croatian has now been replaced by someone five years his senior. The World Chess Federation has appointed Andreas Dückstein as a grandmaster. Born in Hungary and living in Vienna since 1949, he was one of the world's top players in the 1950s and 1960s, but always remained an amateur. It would never have occurred to the doctor of law to ask for the title he had missed out on, especially as he retired from tournament chess five years ago. The initiative came from the busy president of the Austrian Chess Federation.
The lobbying for Sultan Khan's appointment was also crowned with success this month. The fact that the three-time British Champion and conqueror of World Champion Capablanca has been dead for 58 years did not prevent the Russian World Chess President Arkady Dvorkovich from visiting the Pakistani Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar with a large entourage to present him with the certificate for Pakistan's first Grandmaster in a ceremony resembling an act of state. The idea is that Sultan Khan should no longer be referred to as an Indian. Pakistan's big neighbour India is now blessed with 84 regularly qualified, mostly young grandmasters and will get over it."
