2022 Canadian Chess Hall of Fame Member - Igor Ivanov

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  • 2022 Canadian Chess Hall of Fame Member - Igor Ivanov

    GM Igor Ivanov (1947-2005) arrived in Canada in 1980 and quickly became a dominant chess player not only in Canada, but also the USA. Here are a list of a few of his accomplishments.

    International Grandmaster 2005; International Master 1981
    Represented Canada at Olympiads: Board 1 (1982, 1988)
    Represented Canada at World Championship Interzonal 1982 (=4th)
    Canadian Champion (1981, 1985, 1986, 1987)
    Canadian Open Champion (1981, 1984, 1985)
    9th World Open Champion 1981
    Nine times U.S. Grand Prix champion (1982-6,1988-90,1997)
    Successful School Chess Coach in Arizona & Utah 1990's
    Defeated World Champion Anthony Karpov in 1979 USSR Spartakiad Team Tournament
    1st Zaitsev Memorial 1978, 1st Yaroslavl, 1st Tailev Memorial 1979
    1978 Tied 1st Daugavpils, USSR Semi-Final; drew co-winner future World Champion Gary Kasparov
    Concert Pianist

    Also refer to his wikipedia entry
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_I...(chess_player)

    His widow, Elizabeth Jameson is living in Utah. We will be sending Igor's plaque to her, and hope we can eventually get a picture of her accepting it for him.

  • #2
    That is fantastic news Fred, Igor is one of the strongest Canadian player of all time , perhaps the strongest, I cannot forget the number of great games I saw live, The time he won the Canadian championship and another tournament at the same time or the number of open he won. His amazing game against Karpov at the height of his power which enabled him to become Canadian, The way he outclassed Kevin Spraggett and the way he pushed him to get better,

    Igor was quite a character but a great chess player. He was an artist and a great fighter. Continue the good work, Fred !!

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    • #3
      Outstanding choice, and excellent news!!

      I believe the Committee is doing fantastic work. In Igor's case, this recognition is long overdue.

      I was just looking at the September -- October 1980 magazine, which contained Igor's notes to his 1979 win over World Champion Karpov, wonderfully translated from the Russian by magazine editor Jonathan Berry. That same issue had Igor's picture on the cover, and a report on his first Canadian tournament win, the Quebec Open, Montreal 1980, where he defeated then-IM Kevin Spraggett in the key game; Kevin placed second. That was the start of an intense and often tempestuous rivalry between the two great players. Igor scored an unbeaten 7/8, also finishing ahead of IM Lawrence Day (who was then in the middle of his career-best form (1978-82))), and GM Samuel Reshevsky, among others.

      After dominating the 1981 Canadian Zonal in Montreal, Igor earned a long-overdue IM title. He also won the Canadian Open that year, at Beauport, near Quebec City. He became the first Canadian to post a plus score in an Interzonal tournament, Mexico 1982, missing out on a tie for Candidates' qualification by half a point. Later that same year, he defeated GMs Miles and Timman in consecutive rounds on board one at the Lucerne Olympiad!! Igor made a GM norm with his performance there.

      I had a memorable draw with Igor in a simul, Montreal 1981, and will search to find and post that game here. I managed a pretty good swindle in a bad position. He was a bit ticked off to let the win get away, but congratulated me in good spirits!!

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