Fridrik Olafsson passes away at the age of 90
Sad news for the world of chess: Fridrik Olafsson passes away at the age of 90. Six times Icelandic champion, two times Nordic champion and FIDE from 1978 to 1982, Fridrik Olafsson resided in Reykjavik, where he recently celebrated his anniversary. This year’s edition of Reykjavik Open 2025 is dedicated to Grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson’s and his 90th birthday
More about Fridrik Olafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson is an Icelandic chess Grandmaster, born on January 26, 1935, in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is widely recognized as Iceland’s first grandmaster and one of the country’s most prominent chess figures. His career highlights include becoming the Icelandic Chess Champion six times (1952, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1962, and 1969) and the Nordic Chess Champion twice (1953 and another year). His breakthrough on the international stage came when he tied for first place with Viktor Korchnoi at the Hastings tournament in 1955–56. In October 2024, Olafsson was inducted at the World Chess Hall of Fame
Ólafsson’s most notable achievement in World Chess Championship competition was in the 1958 Interzonal tournament in Portorož, where he finished equal 5th–6th. This result earned him the grandmaster title—the first for an Icelandic player—and qualified him for the 1959 Candidates Tournament, the final stage to determine the challenger for the world title in 1960. Although he placed seventh out of eight in the Candidates with a score of 10/28, his qualification was remarkable for an amateur player from a small chess nation. Other significant tournament results include a joint third place at the first Piatigorsky Cup in Los Angeles in 1963 (7½/14) and a shared first with Ljubomir Ljubojević at Wijk aan Zee in 1976, ahead of Mikhail Tal.
Known for his attacking style, Ólafsson defeated several world champions, including Tigran Petrosian, Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, and Anatoly Karpov, during his career. He typically played the Sicilian Defence against 1.e4 and the King’s Indian Defence or Nimzo-Indian Defence against 1.d4, while favoring the English Opening as White, though he also used 1.e4, 1.d4, and 1.Nf3. According to Chessmetrics, his peak rating was 2692 in October 1958, ranking him 13th in the world at that time.
Beyond playing, Ólafsson served as president of FIDE, the international chess federation, from 1978 to 1982, succeeding Max Euwe. During his tenure, he oversaw the 1981 Karpov–Korchnoi World Championship match. Outside of chess, he worked as a lawyer at the Icelandic Ministry of Justice before briefly turning professional in 1974, and later served as Secretary General of the Icelandic Parliament (Althingi) for over two decades. He continued playing into his later years, notably winning a rapid match against Bent Larsen in 2003 (5–3) and remaining active in rated games as late as 2018, when he was 83.
Ólafsson remains a celebrated figure in chess, admired for his contributions both as a player and an administrator. He was married with two adult daughters resided in Reykjavík.
FIDE on the 90th anniversary of Feidrik Olafsson
The fourth FIDE President, Fridrik Olafsson, was born in 1935 in Reykjavík. Serving a single term from 1978 to 1982, succeeding Max Euwe and preceding Florencio Campomanes, Olafsson left an indelible mark on the history of the organization.
His tenure as FIDE President was the culmination of a remarkable career and a life devoted to chess. Olafsson was the pioneer who placed Iceland on the world chess map, long before the iconic Fischer-Spassky match was even conceived. Here’s a fun fact you might have heard: Iceland boasts the highest number of Grandmasters per capita in the world, with 13 GMs on an island of approximately 325,000 people. Olafsson was the first, earning the title in 1958.
And he was not an ordinary Grandmaster, but a world-class one, who can boast victories over Bobby Fischer, Tigran Petrosian, and Mikhail Tal. Notalbly he defeated each of these legendary World Champions, twice!
In 1980, Olafsson added another illustrious scalp to his collection under unique circumstances. At the age of 45, with his best playing years behind him and in the middle of his term as FIDE President, he participated in the prestigious Clarin Tournament in Buenos Aires, organized by Argentina’s largest newspaper. The tournament featured a star-studded field, including World Champion Anatoly Karpov, as well as Larsen, Timman, Ljubojevic, and Najdorf.
Despite his administrative duties, Olafsson delivered a respectable performance, scoring 6 points out of 13 games. The highlight, however, was his victory over Karpov. This game remains unique in chess history: the reigning FIDE President defeated the reigning World Champion in an official game—a feat unlikely to be repeated. With this win, Olafsson also joined the exclusive “Mikhail Chigorin Club,” reserved for players who have defeated a reigning World Champion without ever holding the title themselves.
Fridrik’s successful career took off in 1952 when he became Icelandic Champion at the age of 17. This would be the first of the total six victories that he would achieve on this competition, and a golden ticket to travel abroad and compete in international competitions, where he quickly proved his worth. In 1953, he became Scandinavian Champion, and won a bronze medal in the World Junior Championship.
His first major international success came at the Hastings International Tournament during New Year’s 1955-56. Arriving late and without a hotel reservation, he spent his first night in a Hastings police station cell, courtesy of a kind officer. Undeterred, Olafsson went on to share first place with Viktor Korchnoi.
Olafsson took part in the 1958-1960 World Championship cycle, finishing 5th/6th at the 1958 Interzonal tournament in Portoroz. This result gave him the Grandmaster title, as well as a spot in the 1959 Candidates Tournament played in Yugoslavia. These were the two events in which he scored his two victories over Bobby Fischer.
But probably his most memorable victory in the Candidates was the one against Tigran Petrosian. His game had been adjourned, and when it was resumed, they played on a balcony overlooking Zagreb’s Republic Square.
According to the historian Golombek, “A giant demonstration board had been erected, and a crowd of 5,000 assembled to watch. Olafsson won, to great acclamations. When he tried to go back to the hotel, the crowd insisted on carrying him on their shoulders.”
Despite his chess achievements, Olafsson balanced his career with a legal profession, working as a lawyer for the Icelandic Ministry of Justice until 1974. After losing the 1982 FIDE elections, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Icelandic Parliament, the highest-ranking administrative role in the institution.
Through his achievements both on and off the board, Fridrik Olafsson earned a very special place in the history of chess.
Photos: https://reykjavik.is/, http://skaksogufelagid.is, http://gahetna.nl and FIDE archive