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Helgi Olafsson
H Olafsson 
 

Number of games in database: 1,082
Years covered: 1974 to 2024
Last FIDE rating: 2452 (2504 rapid, 2413 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2595
Overall record: +305 -225 =467 (54.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 85 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 King's Indian (72) 
    E92 E77 E91 E94 E60
 English (43) 
    A15 A17 A14 A16 A10
 Queen's Indian (43) 
    E15 E12 E17 E16 E13
 English, 1 c4 c5 (40) 
    A30 A34 A33 A32 A37
 Queen's Pawn Game (39) 
    E10 A41 D02 A46 A40
 English, 1 c4 e5 (31) 
    A29 A21 A28 A20 A22
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (141) 
    B90 B93 B80 B92 B51
 Sicilian Najdorf (67) 
    B90 B93 B92 B91 B96
 Nimzo Indian (47) 
    E32 E54 E45 E25 E55
 Queen's Indian (45) 
    E12 E15 E17 E14 E19
 Queen's Pawn Game (27) 
    E00 A45 A46 A40 E10
 English, 1 c4 c5 (23) 
    A37 A34 A30 A36 A31
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   H Olafsson vs J Levitt, 1990 1-0
   H Olafsson vs B Thorfinnsson, 2001 1-0
   L Karlsson vs H Olafsson, 1979 0-1
   K Gudmundsson vs H Olafsson, 2004 0-1
   D Kosic vs H Olafsson, 2011 0-1
   H Olafsson vs de Firmian, 1985 1/2-1/2
   H Olafsson vs Larsen, 1985 1/2-1/2
   L Christiansen vs H Olafsson, 1986 0-1
   H Olafsson vs Petursson, 1988 1/2-1/2
   Salov vs H Olafsson, 1991 1/2-1/2

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Vestmannaeyjar (1985)
   Icelandic Championship (1987)
   Reykjavik (1989)
   New York Open (1989)
   Eikrem Memorial (1996)
   Viking Open (1997)
   Johann Thorir Jonsson Memorial (2001)
   Reykjavik Open (2014)
   Espoo Zonal (1989)
   New York GHI (1977)
   Reykjavik Open (2002)
   Reykjavik Open (1986)
   Buenos Aires Olympiad (1978)
   Thessaloniki Olympiad (1988)
   Pro Chess League (2018)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Vestmannaeyjar 1985 by Tabanus

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 Icelandic Team Championship 2023/24
   V Stefansson vs H Olafsson (Mar-02-24) 1/2-1/2
   H Olafsson vs M Pantzar (Mar-01-24) 0-1
   H Olafsson vs T Laurusas (Oct-15-23) 0-1
   H Olafsson vs S B Hansen (Oct-14-23) 1-0
   D Arngrimsson vs H Olafsson (Oct-13-23) 1-0

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Helgi Olafsson
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FIDE player card for Helgi Olafsson

HELGI OLAFSSON
(born Aug-15-1956, 68 years old) Iceland

[what is this?]

Helgi Olafsson was born in Reykjavik. He was awarded the IM title in 1978 and the GM title in 1985. Olafsson won the Icelandic Championship in 1978, 1981, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996. In tournaments he has been 2nd= at Copenhagen 1985 and 4th= at Dortmund 1988. Olafsson is also a FIDE Senior Trainer (2009).

Wikipedia article: Helgi Ólafsson

Last updated: 2017-09-25 10:51:00

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,091  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. H Olafsson vs C Azzopardi  1-0331974European Junior Championship PreliminaryD37 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. H Olafsson vs Nunn  0-1491974European Junior Championship PreliminaryD34 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tarrasch
3. K Podzielny vs H Olafsson 1-0381974European Junior Championship PreliminaryA02 Bird's Opening
4. M Dominte vs H Olafsson  1-0441974European Junior Championship PreliminaryA40 Queen's Pawn Game
5. H Olafsson vs D Taruffi  1-0391974European Junior Championship PreliminaryE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
6. E Gigerl vs H Olafsson  ½-½421974European Junior Championship PreliminaryE41 Nimzo-Indian
7. H Olafsson vs J Ochoa  1-0351974European Junior Championship PreliminaryA21 English
8. E Rayner vs H Olafsson  ½-½241975EU-ch U20 fin-BD41 Queen's Gambit Declined, Semi-Tarrasch
9. A Muir vs H Olafsson  0-1231975European Junior Championship PreliminaryB93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
10. H Olafsson vs A Pablo Marin  0-1341975European Junior Championship PreliminaryE74 King's Indian, Averbakh, 6...c5
11. P Tonoli vs H Olafsson  0-1361975European Junior Championship PreliminaryA37 English, Symmetrical
12. H Olafsson vs P Littlewood  ½-½411975European Junior Championship PreliminaryA22 English
13. L Kristensen vs H Olafsson  0-1461975European Junior Championship PreliminaryB40 Sicilian
14. H Olafsson vs Speelman  ½-½41975European Junior Championship PreliminaryA04 Reti Opening
15. V Inkiov vs H Olafsson  ½-½41975European Junior Championship PreliminaryE10 Queen's Pawn Game
16. H Olafsson vs V Inkiov  0-1341975European Junior Championship 1975/76A22 English
17. D Bernstein vs H Olafsson  ½-½551975European Junior Championship 1975/76E08 Catalan, Closed
18. H Olafsson vs P Popovic  1-0581975European Junior Championship 1975/76E74 King's Indian, Averbakh, 6...c5
19. M Trolldalen vs H Olafsson  0-1331975European Junior Championship 1975/76B84 Sicilian, Scheveningen
20. H Olafsson vs A Pablo Marin  ½-½371975European Junior Championship 1975/76A42 Modern Defense, Averbakh System
21. H Olafsson vs Van der Sterren  0-1691976European Junior Championship 1975/76B39 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Breyer Variation
22. Speelman vs H Olafsson  ½-½201976European Junior Championship 1975/76A07 King's Indian Attack
23. H Olafsson vs P Littlewood  ½-½611976European Junior Championship 1975/76C41 Philidor Defense
24. A Kochyev vs H Olafsson  ½-½381976European Junior Championship 1975/76E69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
25. M Diesen vs H Olafsson  0-1351976Manhattan CC InternationalB91 Sicilian, Najdorf, Zagreb (Fianchetto) Variation
 page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,091  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Olafsson wins | Olafsson loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-14-06  RookFile: That's pretty impressive, considering that this guy is a 2595 player.
Apr-06-07  BIDMONFA: http://www.fide.com/ratings/card.ph...

OLAFSSON, Helgi
http://www.bidmonfa.com/olafsson_he...
_

Nov-22-08  waustad: I thought women had their father's first name with dottir attached. Perhaps somebody more authoritative can comment.
Nov-22-08  Ziggurat: <I thought women had their father's first name with dottir attached.> Yes, that is correct.
Nov-22-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  stoy: An Icelander, Savar Bjarnason, told me that is not the law that female children be named after their father. They could be named after their mother, he says.
Jan-27-09  KingG: <That's pretty impressive, considering that this guy is a 2595 player.> When I first read this, I wasn't sure if <RookFile> meant it was impressive that Fischer can still beat a 2595 player regularly in blitz, or that it's impressive that rated 2595 only 'usually' loses to Fischer, and not always.
Mar-12-09  PinnedPiece: OK. This is Helgi. I am totally amazed at the complete lack of posts regarding Fischer's last book here.

This person is my prime candidate for person with most credentials/greatest ability to debunk or verify the Larry Evans saga of "Fischer was in it up to his ears, but backed out" business surrounding M61MG.

<Joshka: Wonder if Helgi will ever enlighten us about what's going on with Bobby, as of late. Heard from a good source that Bobby spends time with Helgi more than Fridrik.> [Jan 2006]

Just playing chess, I wonder?

Collecting his own notebook of comments on M60MG from the horse's mouth, perchance?

I would think that by canvassing a widening circle of private printers in Reykjavik, you could eventually find an employee that knows a great deal about this whole adventure.

Mar-12-09  ughaibu: The population of Iceland is about 250,000. It wouldn't be difficult to ask everyone in the country.
Mar-12-09  Jim Bartle: Only 250,000? There must be a GM or an IM in every neighborhood.
Mar-12-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <paulalbert> <If Fridrik Olafsson was Helgi's father, his name would be Helgi Fridriksson> Does Fridrik Olafsson have any children, by any chance?
Nov-22-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  ketchuplover: I thought the POD was to recognize a birthday or deathday.
Nov-22-11  waustad: Next year they'll probably pick Vovk as POTD. It is a slow birthday, with hardly anybody with more than a page of games.
Mar-09-14  galdur: Obviously the photographer disturbed Helgi in his deep reflections for no apparent reason, hence the strange look.
Mar-09-14  galdur: Helgi lost to some Danish guy in Reykjavik 2014 and it was terrible. But it gave him a Swiss headwind. Now he has 5.5/7. But still minus one in the ratings. He needs to play more and get in practise.
Mar-09-14  Shams: Wouldn't that be a tailwind?
Mar-11-14  notyetagm: <galdur: Helgi lost to some Danish guy in Reykjavik 2014 and it was terrible. But it gave him a Swiss headwind.>

Here in the US we call the early loss in a Swiss tournament so you get to play weaker players the <SWISS GAMBIT>.

:-)

Mar-15-15  alfiepa: The book of Helgi Holafsson about Bobby Fischer was a wonderful surprise for me . Eas the mile stone for my trip in Iceland in 2014 tracing the footstep of late Bobby Fischer Thank you Helgi for this book !
This is my tribute to Bobby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO2...
Mar-15-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: You think Bob ever listened to the Sugar Cubes? I bet they're still on an oldies station there.
Dec-20-17  Chess Is More: <HeHateMe: You think Bob ever listened to the Sugar Cubes?>

If he enjoyed outdated music, sure. He was, after all, rather outdated himself.

Dec-21-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: the Sugar Cubes were terrific! I like them better than Bjork's sound as a solo act.
Dec-21-17  Chess Is More: <HeMateMe: the Sugar Cubes were terrific! I like them better than Bjork's sound as a solo act.>

That's right, Bjork was in it. I like her voice, strange and mysterious.

But Sugar Cubes is an old act now. Must be twenty-five yrs passed now.

Dec-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: Hi <PinnedPiece>. <OK. This is Helgi. I am totally amazed at the complete lack of posts regarding Fischer's last book here.> If you are Helgi why do you as a GM describe yourself as a coffee house player.

And why (even if you aren't Helgi) does your photo look like it was taken only yesterday, not in the 1980s which it would have to be as you look about 30 but you are 61?

Dec-22-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Dionysius1: By the way that post of mine looks a bit harsh now. Wasn't meant too. I just find the situation confusing.
Dec-22-17  Chess Is More: <Dionysius> Looking at<PinnedPiece>'s profile it seems he haven't posted here since march 2016 so I doubt you'll get an answer.
Aug-15-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: I don't think <PinnedPiece> meant he was Olafsson.
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