Greece’s Chess Grandmaster Makes History With Landmark Victory

Theodorou holds the rubric of Grandmaster (GM). Credit: Greek Chess Association

Greece’s Nikolas Theodorou has achieved a historical milestone for Greek chess, defeating the reigning satellite champion astatine 1 of the sport’s astir prestigious events.

The chess Grandmaster from Rethymno, Crete, faced disconnected against satellite champion Gukesh Dommaraju (Gukesh D) from India astatine the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament successful Uzbekistan and secured a landmark victory. This is the archetypal clip since the constitution of modern planetary chess competitions successful 1886 that a Greek subordinate has defeated a reigning satellite champion.

The tourney draws an highly beardown tract of players. A precocious percent of the world’s apical grandmasters, including galore of the apical 100 players, vie successful the event. This makes it 1 of the toughest tournaments to win, arsenic players indispensable navigate a ample tract of elite competitors.

Theodorou, who holds the rubric of Grandmaster (GM) and has an planetary ELO standing of 2600, is considered 1 of the sport’s rising talents. This triumph further solidifies his lasting connected the planetary stage.

Theodorou from Greece is simply a rising prima successful chess

Born successful Athens successful 2000, Theodorou began his chess travel astatine a young property successful Rethymno, wherever his household moved successful 2006. He honed his skills astatine the Rethymno Chess Club and aboriginal the Chess Academy of Chania.

His vocation has been marked by a bid of notable achievements:

• 2016: Earned the rubric of International Master (IM)
• 2021: Secured the apical rubric of Grandmaster (GM)
• 2022: Won a metallic medal for his show astatine the Chess Olympiad successful Chennai, wherever helium besides defeated chess fable Levon Aronian
• 2024: Won the Open A’ tourney astatine Riga Technical University

Beyond his chess career, Theodorou is besides a scholar. He earned a bachelor’s grade successful Physics and Mathematics from Saint Louis University and completed a postgraduate grade successful Biostatistics and Health Analysis astatine the aforesaid institution, wherever helium competed with the university’s top-ranked chess team.

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