PLAYERS
KOROBOV, ANTON 2667
Anton Korobov is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster born on June 25, 1985. The title of grandmaster was awarded to him in 2003. He won the individual championship of Ukraine four times (2002, 2012, 2018 and 2020).
He is the winner of numerous international tournaments in individual and team competition.
The highest elo rating of 2723 points was achieved in January 2014.
Niemann, Hans Moke 2659
Hans Moke Niemann is an American Grandmaster born on June 20, 2003. The title of Grandmaster was recognized on January 22, 2021. One of the most important successes in his career is winning the World Open, which was played in Philadelphia in June 2012.
He is the winner of numerous individual and team tournaments in cadet and junior competition.
He crossed the magical limit of 2700 elo rating points in May 2023, when he had a rating of 2708 points.
He made a big jump in rating when he went from 2450 to 2650 elo rating points in a little over three years.
Ivanchuk, Vasyl 2653
He was born on March 18, 1969. in Kopychyntsi (Ukraine). Became Grandmaster in 1988. He won the title of world champion in rapid chess in 2007, while he became world champion in accelerated chess in 2016. He was the European junior champion in 1987, while at the junior world championship in 1988 he shared 1-2. place. He won a gold medal at the Olympics with the national teams of Ukraine and the Soviet Union in 1988, 1990, and 2004. and 2010, and silver medals in 1996. He won gold medals with the Soviet Union and Ukraine at the World Team Championship in 1989 and 2001, and silver medals in 1993 and 2015. He is the winner of numerous international tournaments, the most significant of which are the victories in Linares in 1989, 1991. 1995, Talje Memorial in Moscow 2008, Gibraltar 2011, Sofia 2008, Monte Carlo 2010, New York 1988, Munich 1994, Horgen 1995, Havana 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, etc. Ivančuk has been a member of the world chess elite for thirty years. He was a member of the ZagrebChess Club and successfully participated in the Croatian Team Championships for years.
Cheparinov, Ivan 2649
He was born on November 26, 1986. in Asenovgrad (Bulgaria). He became a Grandmaster in 2004.
He is multiple champion of Bulgaria: 2004, 2005, 2012. and in 2018.
At the 2007 European Championship, he shared 1st place with six other players.
He is the winner of a number of important international tournaments: Hoogeeven 2006, Morelia 2007, Malmo 2007, Copenhagen 2013, Gibraltar 2014, etc.
He won the highest rating of 2718 elo points in August 2018.
BRKIĆ, ANTE 2622
Ante Brkić was born on March 31, 1988 in Stari Mikanovci. He won the title of international master in 2003, and the title of grandmaster in 2007, making him the youngest Croatian grandmaster. He was the cadet champion of Croatia seven times, he was third at the cadet world championship, and the European champion in rapid chess under 12 years old. He won the title of Croatian champion in 2010. In 2019, he won the open tournament in Zadar. He participated in the World Cup in 2015 and 2021, where he achieved his greatest success by reaching the round of 16.
He is a permanent member of the Croatian national team. He defended the colors of Croatia five times at the Olympics, as many times as he also appeared at the European Team Championships. He is a member of the national team that won 5th place at the 2019 European Championship.
MOTYLEV, ALEXANDER 2619
Alexander Motylev is a Russian grandmaster who currently plays for the Romanian national team. He was born on June 17, 1979. He won the Russian championship in 2001, and became the European champion in 2014.
He learned to play chess at the age of four, and began training at the age of six. He was the junior champion of Russia in competitions up to 16 and 18 years old.
He is the winner of numerous international tournaments in individual and team competition.
The highest rating of 2710 elo points was achieved in 2009.
SOKOLOV, IVAN 2588
Ivan Sokolov is a Dutch chess grandmaster of Bosnian origin. He was born in Jajce on June 13, 1968. He has had Dutch citizenship since 2002. He won the title of FIDE master in 1985, international master in 1986, and became grandmaster in 1987. He is the winner of a large number of tournaments, and has a number of impressive performances for various national teams at the Olympics, European and world team competitions.
Just some of the titles won are: two-time winner of the Vidmar Memorial (1987 and 1993), winner of the Yugoslav championship in 1988 and two-time winner of the Dutch championship in 1995 and 1998.
Along with his playing career, Mr. Sokolov is also a prolific chess writer with numerous published chess books, and a successful trainer.
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.
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.