World Chess hall of fame
Fridrik Olafsson
Inducted 2024 1935 - 2025
Iceland
Biography
Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland is remembered not only as an outstanding player but also for serving as the president of FIDE from 1978 to 1982. Olafsson’s best performance was his tie for 5th-6th with Bobby Fischer in the 1958 Interzonal, a result that qualified him for the Candidates and made him a national hero. He accomplished this despite not being a professional player. Other highlights of Olasson’s career include tying for first at Wijk aan Zee 1976 with Ljubomir Ljubojevic and tying for third in the First Piatigorsky Cup in a field composed entirely of world-class grandmasters.
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