Ulf Andersson - World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries

World Chess hall of fame

Ulf Andersson

Inducted 2026 1951-Present

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Sweden

Biography

Few players have possessed a style as distinctive as Sweden’s Ulf Andersson, who is renowned for his positional understanding and endgame ability. Andersson, who became a grandmaster in 1972, first gained worldwide attention in 1975 when he defeated World Championship Candidate Bent Larsen 5 ½-2 ½. He continued to improve in the following years and was rated among the top ten players in the world throughout the 1980s, reaching as high as number 4 in 1983. As accomplished as Andersson was at over-the-board chess, he was even more successful in correspondence play. Competing in the era before computers took center stage, he earned the highest rating ever achieved at 2821.