Icelandic Chess Championship Explained

The Icelandic Chess Championship is usually held in Reykjavík. It is organised by the Icelandic Chess Federation (ICF), the body responsible for holding national chess events and for representing Icelandic chess at the World Chess Federation (FIDE). The ICF was founded in 1925 and its main activities include the national chess championship and the annual 'Reykjavik Open' tournament.

The tournament has always been organized as a round robin with the exception of the 100th anniversary tournament in 2013, which was held as a Swiss-style open tournament.

The current Icelandic chess champion is Hjörvar Steinn Grétarsson (2022).

National championship winners

The list of Icelandic champions before 2013 is taken from the Icelandic Chess Federation website.[1]

Year Winner
1913 Pétur Zóphóniasson
1914 Pétur Zóphóniasson (2)
1915 Pétur Zóphóniasson (3)
1916 Pétur Zóphóniasson (4)
1917 Pétur Zóphóniasson (5)
1918 Eggert Gilfer
1919 Stefán Olafsson
1920 Eggert Gilfer (2)
1921 Stefán Olafsson (2)
1922 Stefán Olafsson (3)
1923 Friman Olafsson
1924 Sigurdur Jónsson
1925 Eggert Gilfer (3)
1926 Sigurdur Jónsson (2)
1927 Eggert Gilfer (4)
1928 Einar Thorvaldsson
1929 Eggert Gilfer (5)
1930 Hannes Hafstein
1931 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson
1932 Jón Guðmundsson
1933 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson (2)
1934 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson (3)
1935 Eggert Gilfer (6)
1936 Jón Gudmundsson (2)
1937 Jón Gudmundsson (3)
1938 Baldur Möller
1939* (no championship held)
1940 Einar Thorvaldsson
1941 Baldur Möller (2)
1942 Eggert Gilfer (7)
1943 Baldur Möller (3)
1944 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson
1945 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson (2)
1946 Ásmundur Ásgeirsson (3)
1947 Baldur Möller (4)
1948 Baldur Möller (5)
1949 Guðmundur Arnlaugsson
1950 Baldur Möller (6)
1951 Lárus Johnsen
1952 Friðrik Ólafsson
1953 Friðrik Ólafsson (2)
1954 Gudmundur S Gudmundsson
1955* (no championship held)
1956 Ingi Randver Jóhannsson
1957 Friðrik Ólafsson (3)
1958 Ingi Randver Jóhannsson (2)
1959 Ingi Randver Jóhannsson (3)
1960 Freysteinn Thorbergsson
1961 Friðrik Ólafsson (4)
1962 Friðrik Ólafsson (5)
1963 Ingi Randver Jóhannsson (4)
1964 Helgi Ólafsson
1965 Guðmundur Sigurjónsson
1966 Gunnar Kristinn Gunnarsson
1967 Björn Thorsteinsson
1968 Guðmundur Sigurjónsson (2)
1969 Friðrik Ólafsson (6)
1970 Olafur Magnússon
1971 Jón Kristinsson
1972 Guðmundur Sigurjónsson (3)
1973 Olafur Magnússon (2)
1974 Jón Kristinsson (2)
1975 Björn Thorsteinsson (2)
1976 Haukur Angantýsson
1977 Jón Arnason
1978 Helgi Ólafsson (2)
1979 Ingvar Ásmundsson
1980 Jóhann Hjartarson
1981 Helgi Ólafsson (3)
1982 Jón Arnason (2)
1983 Hilmar Karlsson
1984 Jóhann Hjartarson (2)
1985 Karl Thorsteins
1986 Margeir Pétursson
1987 Margeir Pétursson (2)
1988 Jón Arnason (3)
1989 Karl Thorsteins (2)
1990 Héðinn Steingrímsson
1991 Helgi Ólafsson (4)
1992 Helgi Ólafsson (5)
1993 Helgi Ólafsson (6)
1994 Jóhann Hjartarson
1995 Jóhann Hjartarson (2)
1996 Helgi Ólafsson (7)
1997 Jóhann Hjartarson (3)
1998 Hannes Stefánsson
1999 Hannes Stefánsson (2)
2000 Jón Viktor Gunnarsson
2001 Hannes Stefánsson (3)
2002 Hannes Stefánsson (4)
2003 Hannes Stefánsson (5)
2004 Hannes Stefánsson (6)
2005 Hannes Stefánsson (7)
2006 Hannes Stefánsson (8)
2007 Hannes Stefánsson (9)
2008 Hannes Stefánsson (10)
2009 Henrik Danielsen
2010 Hannes Stefánsson (11)
2011 Héðinn Steingrímsson
2012 Thröstur Thórhallsson
2013 Hannes Stefánsson (12)
2014 Guðmundur Kjartansson[2]
2015 Héðinn Steingrímsson (2)
2016 Jóhann Hjartarson
2017 Guðmundur Kjartansson (2)
2018 Helgi Áss Grétarsson
2019 Hannes Stefánsson (13)
2020 Guðmundur Kjartansson (3)
2021 Hjörvar Steinn Grétarsson
2022 Hjörvar Steinn Grétarsson (2)
2023 Guðmundur Kjartansson (4)
2024 Helgi Áss Grétarsson (2)
Note – no contest was held on the years denoted *. The incumbent champion therefore retained his title.

Women's championship winners

The list of women's champions before 2013 is taken from the Icelandic Chess Federation website.[3]

Year Winner
1975Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir
1976Birna Norðdahl
1977Ólöf Tráinsdóttir
1978Ólöf Tráinsdóttir (2)
1979Áslaug Kristinsdóttir
1980Birna Norðdahl (2)
1981Sigurlaug Friðþjófsdóttir
1982Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir
1983Áslaug Kristinsdóttir (2)
1984Ólöf Tráinsdóttir (3)
1985Guðfríður Lilja Grétarsdóttir
1986Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (2)
1987Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (3)
1988Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (4)
1989Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir (2)
1990Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (5)
1991Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (6)
1992Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (7)
1993Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (8)
1994Áslaug Kristinsdóttir (3)
1995Ína Björg Árnadóttir
1996Anna Björg Þorgrímsdóttir
1997Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (9)
1998Ingibjörg Edda Birgisdóttir
1999Ingibjörg Edda Birgisdóttir (2)
2000Harpa Ingólfsdóttir
2001Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (10)
2002Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir (3)
2003Guðfrídur Lilja Gretarsdóttir (11)
2004Harpa Ingólfsdóttir (2)
2005Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir (4)
2006Lenka Ptáčníková
2007Guðlaug Torsteinsdóttir (5)
2008Hallgerður Helga Þorsteinsdóttir
2009Lenka Ptáčníková (2)
2010Lenka Ptáčníková (3)
2011Elsa María Kristínardóttir
2012Lenka Ptáčníková (4)
2013Lenka Ptáčníková (5)
2014Lenka Ptáčníková (6)
2015Lenka Ptáčníková (7)
2016Lenka Ptáčníková (8)
2017Lenka Ptáčníková (9)
2018Lenka Ptáčníková (10)
2019Lenka Ptáčníková (11)
2020Lenka Ptáčníková (12)
2021Lenka Ptáčníková (13)
2022Lenka Ptáčníková (14)
2023Olga Prudnykova

Notes

  1. Web site: Skákmeistarar Íslands . Skáksamband Íslands . 2015-05-15.
  2. Web site: Guðmundur Kjartansson varð Skákmeistari Íslands 2014 . 2014-06-04 . . 2015-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093214/http://www.breidablik.is/skak/gudmundur_kjartansson_vard_skakmeistari_islands_2014/ . 2015-05-18 . dead .
  3. Web site: Íslandsmeistari kvenna . Skáksamband Íslands . 2015-05-15.

References