The New York Times honors Icelandic Chess legend Friðrik Ólafsson
Friðrik Ólafsson was in charge of chess commentary in the 7th round of the Reykjavík Chess Tournament in 2014. The tournament the following year was Friðrik's birthday tournament, as he turned eighty that year. mbl.is/Ómar Óskarsson
In a detailed obituary, The New York Times has paid tribute to Icelandic chess grandmaster Friðrik Ólafsson, highlighting his extraordinary impact on the international chess scene and his role in shaping Iceland’s chess legacy.
The article opens by noting that Ólafsson once defeated four world champions, including the legendary Bobby Fischer, who famously played against Boris Spassky in Reykjavík during the 1972 World Championship—an event that placed Iceland at the center of global chess.
“Mr. Olafsson’s rise to the heights of chess was unexpected; Iceland was not known as a chess powerhouse at the time. But by the 1980s, largely because of his example, it had more grandmasters per capita than any other country.”
The New York Times devotes ample space to the departed grandmaster in the paper, and the article can also be found on the newspaper’s website.
A childhood spark
The piece recalls a story Friðrik told in a 2014 interview about how his love for chess began. As a child of seven or eight, he once criticized his father’s chess skills. His father, Ólafur Friðriksson, a clerk by profession, challenged him to play in his place, and young Ólafsson won against the opponent, a relative.
That moment marked the beginning of a remarkable chess career.
A career interrupted, then rekindled
Despite his chess success, Friðrik pursued a legal education, earning his civil service law degree and beginning work at Iceland’s Ministry of Justice. He later served as secretary of Alþingi, Iceland’s national parliament.
Yet, chess never left his life. Among his many career highlights was sharing first place at the 1953 Nordic Championship alongside Viktor Korchnoi, one of the most formidable players of the 20th century.
The New York Times outlines Ólafsson’s notable victories, including:
- Two wins against Bobby Fischer
- A celebrated victory over Tigran Petrosian, the Armenian-Soviet world champion
- A rare and historic win against Anatoly Karpov, while Karpov was the reigning world champion
In fact, Ólafsson remains the only sitting president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to defeat a reigning world champion in an official tournament—a feat he achieved against Karpov, who at the time was widely considered nearly unbeatable.
Put Iceland on the Chess Board
The NYT’s obituary paints a portrait of a man whose quiet determination and deep intellect transformed not just his own life, but Iceland’s standing in the world of chess. Through his accomplishments, Friðrik Ólafsson inspired generations and left a legacy that still resonates on and off the board.
