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Nick DeFirmian
Number of games in database: 1,213
Years covered: 1973 to 2011
Last FIDE rating: 2510
Highest rating achieved in database: 2637
Overall record: +436 -267 =493 (57.1%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      17 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (234) 
    B57 B89 B90 B47 B82
 Ruy Lopez (120) 
    C92 C80 C78 C67 C72
 French Defense (70) 
    C19 C11 C10 C12 C18
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (58) 
    C92 C89 C96 C95 C99
 Caro-Kann (51) 
    B17 B19 B16 B15 B18
 Sicilian Najdorf (37) 
    B90 B93 B99 B96 B97
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (205) 
    B90 B92 B99 B93 B50
 Sicilian Najdorf (126) 
    B90 B92 B99 B93 B91
 Modern Benoni (73) 
    A70 A61 A63 A56 A75
 English, 1 c4 c5 (72) 
    A33 A30 A37 A36 A35
 Nimzo Indian (70) 
    E32 E43 E44 E38 E41
 Queen's Pawn Game (67) 
    E10 A46 A45 E00 D05
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   DeFirmian vs P Nikolic, 1985 1-0
   DeFirmian vs Azmaiparashvili, 1996 1-0
   O Bjarnason vs DeFirmian, 2000 0-1
   DeFirmian vs R Byrne, 1994 1-0
   F Hellers vs DeFirmian, 1989 1/2-1/2
   Ashley vs DeFirmian, 1996 0-1
   Miles vs DeFirmian, 1990 0-1
   DeFirmian vs Alburt, 1987 1-0
   S D Sigfusson vs DeFirmian, 2005 1/2-1/2

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Biel 1995 by suenteus po 147
   Amsterdam 1996 by suenteus po 147
   Pan Pacific International, San Francisco, 1995 by Phony Benoni
   against 1. c4 c5 by CAPRICORN
   bktattack's favorite games by bktattack
   Intel Rapid Chess Grand Prix 1995 - New York by amadeus

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NICK DEFIRMIAN
(born Jul-26-1957) United States of America

[what is this?]
Nicholas Ernest DeFirmian was born on the 26th of July 1957 in Fresno, California, USA. Awarded the IM title in 1979 and the GM title in 1985. He was US Champion three times_in 1987 http://graeme.50webs.com/chesschamp...(with Joel Benjamin), 1995 http://graeme.50webs.com/chesschamp... and 1998. He also played on the US Olympiad teams of 1980, 1984 and 1986 http://graeme.50webs.com/chesschamp.... He has a physics degree from UC Berkeley. In 1986, he won the World Open and first prize of $21,000, a record prize for a swiss event at the time. He was a founding member of Prochess, a GM advocacy group dedicated to promoting chess in America.

 page 1 of 49; games 1-25 of 1,213  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. S Bjarnason vs DeFirmian  0-156 1973 Bunadarbanka (Iceland)A37 English, Symmetrical
2. DeFirmian vs J L Arnason  0-131 1973 Bunadarbanka (Iceland)C72 Ruy Lopez, Modern Steinitz Defense, 5.O-O
3. B Gibbons vs DeFirmian  ½-½42 1975 West Covina SweepstakesA16 English
4. D J Strauss vs DeFirmian 0-118 1976 Lone Pine (USA)B26 Sicilian, Closed, 6.Be3
5. B Rogulj vs DeFirmian  1-042 1976 USAB92 Sicilian, Najdorf, Opocensky Variation
6. R Blumenfeld vs DeFirmian  0-141 1976 Lone Pine (USA)B99 Sicilian, Najdorf, 7...Be7 Main line
7. K Spraggett vs DeFirmian 0-137 1976 Can. Open, TorontoB91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation
8. J D Tisdall vs DeFirmian  1-030 1976 USAE97 King's Indian
9. Bisguier vs DeFirmian  0-149 1976 CAN-opB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
10. Larry Evans vs DeFirmian  1-035 1976 Lone Pine (USA)B22 Sicilian, Alapin
11. DeFirmian vs Seirawan 1-044 1976 USA-ch U18B01 Scandinavian
12. N Weinstein vs DeFirmian 1-077 1976 Lone Pine (USA)E74 King's Indian, Averbakh, 6...c5
13. DeFirmian vs Silman 0-135 1976 Lone Pine (USA)C92 Ruy Lopez, Closed
14. DeFirmian vs Seirawan  ½-½28 1976 Lone Pine (USA)A41 Queen's Pawn Game (with ...d6)
15. DeFirmian vs Martinovsky  1-051 1976 Lone Pine (USA)C62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense
16. DeFirmian vs D Fritzinger  0-139 1977 USAC41 Philidor Defense
17. Z Harari vs DeFirmian  1-028 1977 USAA76 Benoni, Classical, 9...Re8
18. DeFirmian vs N J Patterson  1-023 1978 London (England)B97 Sicilian, Najdorf
19. Kraidman vs DeFirmian  1-066 1978 London (England)E43 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation
20. G Forintos vs DeFirmian  1-028 1978 London (England)E38 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, 4...c5
21. H D MacPherson vs DeFirmian  1-050 1978 London (England)A14 English
22. DeFirmian vs R C Balinas  0-136 1978 London (England)C60 Ruy Lopez
23. DeFirmian vs Hort  0-142 1979 Lone Pine (USA)B47 Sicilian, Taimanov (Bastrikov) Variation
24. Pachman vs DeFirmian  0-155 1979 Lone Pine (USA)E14 Queen's Indian
25. DeFirmian vs Benko  ½-½25 1979 Lone Pine (USA)B42 Sicilian, Kan
 page 1 of 49; games 1-25 of 1,213  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | DeFirmian wins | DeFirmian loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Dec-24-07  mistreaver: I think he is GM, but he is also rapid chess expert.
Feb-11-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  DarthStapler: "If you're a GM you should be able to overpower the IM tactically. The GM will often blow out the IM in this area." --- Nick de Firmian

He's obviously never played Nehzmetdinov!

Apr-09-08  pazzed paun: does anybody know about the publication
date of M.C.O. 15? Now that David McKAY
publishing is out of business what will happen to the book?
Jun-06-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

<If you're a GM you should be able to overpower the IM tactically. The GM will often blow out the IM in this area.>

-- Nick de Firmian

I think it works with <strategically>, too. So what is the new realization?

Apr-13-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: this guy deserves a picture.
Apr-21-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Annie K.: He's got some in the Opening Explorer. :)
Jul-26-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy birtday nick!
Jul-26-09  Marmot PFL: How come they replaced the players photos with these stupid ads?
Jul-26-09  WhiteRook48: "Thank you for getting this award for me before I'm dead." - Nick DeFirmian
Mar-09-10  Ryan Razo: With all due respect, are you all saying I should junk my copy of Capablanca's "Chess Fundamentals" and tore it to shreds because it was "destroyed" by Mr. De Firmian?!

Maybe I should buy "My System" instead.

Mar-09-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: <Ryan Rizzo> Why don't you just buy the original instead of DeFirmian's abomination? You can easily buy a good copy on eBay or AbeBooks.com.
Mar-09-10  HeMateMe: what did ND do to Capa's book? Give it algebraic notation, and fix errors? Anyway, does the chess community really think this is a great book? I've heard some players say that this was just Capa cashing in, a quick, hastily thrown together beginners's book. Other GMs have done same...
Mar-09-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: <HeMateMe> Even Botvinnik said that this was the greatest chess book ever.

ND cut out most of Capablanca's annotated games and put some of his own in. The book is a travesty, and ND should be quite embarrassed by it.

Mar-09-10  HeMateMe: Well, that sounds looney. I can understand a few errors in changing from descriptive to algebraic notation, but moving whole junks of material? Seems hard to believe.

I don't see this book on any shelves, at Borders, Dalton, or BN books. But, I'll take your word for it.

Mar-12-10  Ryan Razo: Sorry, I have no credit card, buddy. Can't buy that on eBay with nothing.

... But I really needed a copy of Herr Nimzo's "My System", BADLY. :)

Mar-12-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: <Ryan Razo>...how 'bout ebook of "My System" algebraic edition? ok lang sa 'yo?
Mar-12-10  Ryan Razo: syanga? saan?
Mar-12-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: bro <Ryan>, bawal mag post kasi dito ng ehem link...email me at wordfunph@yahoo dot com para bigay ko sa 'yo mga epektus na link.
May-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  JohnBoy: Surely ChessGames can come up with a picture of Dif. And, on an aside, there was a great contest between Dif & Christiansen in about '75 at the American Open. Dif was white. Totally crushing LC. Then got cheapo'd in the ending. Anyone have the game score and can submit it to ChessGames?
Jul-26-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: Is Prochess defunct?
Jul-26-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy b'day Nick ...need a picture.
Jul-27-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: GM De Firmian deserves a picture here..

happy 53rd birthday Nick!

more chess books to write..

Aug-13-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Landman: "If you're a GM you should be able to overpower the IM tactically. The GM will often blow out the IM in this area." --- Nick de Firmian

In one of the middle rounds at the 1986 World Open, Canadian IM Byron Nickoloff was White against de Firmian. It was a complicated Sicilian middlegame with open lines in the center. de Firmian's King was safely castled behind pawns on f7,g7, and h7. While de Firmian was thinking, Nickoloff got up and studied the position on the demonstration board. After a while he stepped out for a break, obviously pretty happy with his position. While he was away, de Firmian played g7-g5 to attack Nickoloff's Queen on f4. The pawn right in front of his King. That pawn.

When Nickoloff came back, the move on the demo board stopped him. He looked at it for several minutes.

After a while he sat back down and buried his head in his hands. The move had been a shock to him and a shock to his whole position, which soon collapsed.

As mentioned in the biography here, he went on to win the whole tournament, including wins over Lev Alburt and Yasser Seirawan.

Jul-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: Happy Birthday GM DeFirmian!
Jul-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy birthday nick and thanks for the Book!
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