ETIENNE BACROT
Etienne Bacrot is a French chess Grandmaster and former chess prodigy. He was born on Janaury 22nd 1983 in Lille, France. He learned to play chess when he was four years old and he quickly started winning junior tournaments. At 13 years of age, he won a game against Vasily Smyslov, former chess World Champion.
He became a chess Grandmaster in March 1997 at 14 years and 2 months of age, which at the time made him the youngest person to hold that title.
As individual he has achieved many notable results, such as defeating Boris Gelfand and Ivan Sokholov in a match on standard time control, also defeating Judit Polgar in a match on rapid time control.
He was the French champion eight times.
He won the Aeroflot Open in 2009 and the Karpov Poikovsky tournament in 2005.
His notable team results playing for the French national team are winning the 2nd place at the European Team Chess Championship and the 3rd in 2005.
He was the French team Champion and European club Champion with the chess club “Nao” numerous times.
His highest Elo of 2749 was achieved in November 2013.
HRVOJE STEVIĆ
Hrvoje Stević is a Croatian Grandmaster born on January 8th 1980 in Osijek, Croatia. He learned to play chess at an early age and was considered a chess prodigy.
He won the World Youth Chess Championship in the under-16 category in 1995 in Brasil.
He won the Croatian Individual Chess Championship twice (in 2008 in Split, and in 2012 in Plitvice).
He won many tournaments during his career but most notable victories are winning the Zadar Open (2002 and 2011), and winning at the Mediterranean Open in 2010 in Rijeka.
As a team player his biggest success is the Croatian national team’s 4th place at the European Team Chess Championship in 2017 on Crete.
ZDENKO KOŽUL
Zdenko Kožul was born on May 21st 1966 in Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He learned to play chess in primary school. He quickly showed progress and started drawing attention to himself because of his exceptional chess skills. He achieved his International Master title in 1987 and the Grandmaster title in 1989. He won the Individual Chess Championship of Yugoslavia two times, in 1989 and 1990. He played at many Olympiads, winning the bronze medal at the 1990 Olympiad on his board. He won the Croatian Individual Chess Championship two times, in 2006 and 2016. His biggest success as a chess player is winning the European Chess Individual Championship in 2006. He won at the Interzonal tournament in 1993 in Zagreb. In 2004, he reached the final sixteen at the FIDE World Chess Championship, which has since been the best Croatian placement at that tournament. He is the triple champion of the European Champions’ Cup, winning it with the Bosnian team. In his rich career he won many closed and open tournaments and as a team player he was the cornerstone of the Croatian national team for over 20 years. He currently manages the Croatian national team and has achieved great results.
MLADEN PALAC
Mladen Palac was born on February 18th 1971 in Donji Mamići, Bosnia and Herzegovina. When he was younger his family moved to Vukovar (Croatia) where he grew up.
He received his International Master title in 1990 and the Grandmaster title in 1993.
He won the Croatian Individual Chess Championship four times (2001, 2004, 2008 and 2012).
He won a few dozen international open tournaments, a few more notable ones being: Graz, Cannes, Vienna, Cap d’Agde, Biel, Montpellier, Munich, Nice, Lausanne, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Pula, Zadar, etc.
As a team player he was always considered a valuable player for the national team, achieving some outstanding team results. He won the gold medal on the 3rd board playing for the national team at the European Team Chess Championship in Pula 1997; the bronze medal playing for the national team on the 2nd board at the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi in 1999, and again the gold medal on the 2nd board at the European Team Chess Championship in Goeteborg in 2005.
He was part of the team that achieved the highest placement in Croatian history at the 12th European Chess Club Cup in Budapest in 1996. He played for the chess club “Borovo–Vukovar ’91“.
ROBERT ZELČIĆ
Robert Zelčić was born on September 21st 1965 in Zagreb, Croatia.
He received his International Master title in 1990 and the Grandmaster title in 1997.
He won the Croatian Individual Chess Championship three times (1996, 1998 and 2003).
He won a few dozen international open tournaments, some of which are are: Saint Vincent, Metz, Ljubljana, Graz, Schwarzach, Zadar, Pula, Zagreb, etc.
His biggest success as an individual competitor was winning the European Individual Chess Blitz Championship in 2006.
He played for the national team six times and in 2006, at the Olympiad in Torino, he won the silver medal for results achieved on the 4th board.
He was part of the team that achieved the highest placement in Croatian history at the 12th European Chess Club Cup in 1996 in Budapest. He played for the chess club “Borovo – Vukovar ’91“.
At the Interzonal tournament in Dresden in 1998 he shared the first place and was able to qualify for the Las Vegas World Championship in 1999.
MARIN BOSIOČIĆ
Marin Bosiočić was born on August 8th in 1988 in Rijeka, Croatia.
He received his Grandmaster title in 2008.
He won the Croatian Individual Chess Championship twice (in 2017 , and in 2019).
As a team player his biggest success is the Croatian national team’s 4th place at the European Team Chess Championship in 2017 on Crete with a rating performance of 2824 ELO.
He has won many open tournaments and is a sought after as team player and is active in several european leagues.
His highest Elo of 2629 was achieved in June 2019.
ANTE BRKIĆ
Ante Brkić was born on the 31st of March 1988 in Stari Mikanovci. He earned the title of an international master in 2003 and the title of a grandmaster 2007 which made him the youngest Croatian grandmaster in that time.
He captured the Croatian cadet title 7 times, he was 3. in the World championship under 15 group and he was the European champion in rapid chess in the under 12 group.
He won the Croatian Championship in 2010 and he was the winner of the 2019 Zadar Open.
He was participating in the World Cup 2015 and 2021, where he achieved his biggest success, reaching the eight-finals.
He is a standard member of the Croatian national team. He played 5 times for Croatia in the Chess Olympiads and European Championships.
He was the member of the team that took 5th place in the European Championship in 2019.
SERGEI MOVSESIAN
Sergei Movsesian is an Aremenian grandmaster, born on the 3rd of November 1978 in Tbilisi (Georgia). For some time he played for Slovakia, but now he is a part of the Czech national team. He became a grandmaster in 1997.
He was the champion of Czech Republic in 1998 and the champion of Slovakia in 2002 and 2007. He won a lot of tournaments, most notably Sarajevo Open 2002 and Sarajevo open 2007, Karlovy Vary Open 2007, Sankt Peterburg Open 2007, and the Wijk aan Zee B tournament in 2008.
He won the silver medal in the playoffs between 2nd and 8th place in European championship in 2008, and in the same tournament in 2013 he split the 1st place with 7 other contestants. He was the European blitz champion in 2013.
He was participating in the World championship 1999 where he reached the quarterfinals and he participated in the 2000, 2002 and 2004 World Championship.
In the Chess Olympiad in 2012 he won the gold medal playing for Armenia. Also, he won the gold medal in the World team championship in 2011 and bronze in the same tournament in 2015.
IGOR KOVALENKO
Is a Ukrainian grandmaster playing for Latvia today. He was born on the 29th of December 1988 in Novomoskovsk (Ukraine). He gained the title of an international master in 2008 and he became a grandmaster in 2011.
He was the Latvian champion in 2013 and 2014.
He won may notable tournaments such as Alusta Open 2009 and Alusta Open 2010, Rostov Open 2013, Zone tournament 2014, Voronjez Open 2015, Zalakaros Open 2015, Iasi Open 2015, Albena Open 2015, and the Najdorf memorial 2015.
He won the silver medal in the European Championship 2016.
He played for Latvia in the Chess Olympiads 2014, 2016 and 2018.
He participated in the World Cup 2015.
ERNESTO INARKIEV
Ernesto Inarkiev is a Russian grandmaster born on the 9th of December 1985 in Khaidarkan (Kirgistan). He won the grandmaster title in 2002.
He was the junior champion of Asia in the under 16 group, and the European champion in the same group in 2001. He was the junior champion in Russia in 2002.
He was the Kirgistan national champion in 1999.
He won the Baku Open 2014, Moscow Open 2015 and Sharjah Open 2019.
He won the European Championship in 2016.
He won the European Cup in 2005 and 2006 with the team of Tomsk.
He played for Kirghistan in the Chess Olympiad 1998 and 2000.
