2024 Canadian Chess Player of the Year

**Bob Armstrong** · Tuesday, 4th November, 2025, 11:13 PM

Nice looking Canadian contingent!

Bob A

**Victor Plotkin** · Wednesday, 5th November, 2025, 11:14 AM

Extremely strong Zonal with 9/10 and great Olympic performance with 4 wins on last 4 games - I would vote for Shiyam..

**Erik Malmsten** · Wednesday, 5th November, 2025, 06:59 PM

I added some data, I think Atanasov will be our next Grandmaster.

IM Atanasov (IM 2024)
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CFC #3 (today is 2577), FIDE #7
2443 to 2541, +98 in 12 events
FIDE
2384 to 2423, +39

=2nd Canadian Championship, defeating Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux
=2nd 1000GM Presidents Day, GM Norm defeated 1 GM
1st Maplewood Open CFC 2741 performance rating
=1st Toronto Open
2nd AFM 1st Fall Open
=6th US Masters
=9th Spice Cup Open
=10th Philadelphia International

IM Chiku-Ratte (IM 2020)
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CFC Rating List #29, FIDE #31
CFC
2448 to 2432 -16 in 31 events
FIDE
2335 to 2309 -26

=1st Banff Open
2nd Edmonton Int
1st National Capital Open
1st Laval Open
=1st Eastern Ontario Open
=1st Ottawa Fall Open
=1st Maritime Open
=1st Laurentides Championship
=1st Mauricie Open
2nd BC Day Open
=2nd Ottawa Winter Open
=2nd Quebec Carnaval
=6th Canadian Open
=4th Eastern Open (USA)

IM Han (IM 2024)
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CFC Rating List #13, FIDE #13
CFC
2407 to 2464, +57 in 7 events
FIDE
2298 to 2373, +75

=2nd Canadian Open
1st CYCC U18
1st Gatineau Open, defeating Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, CFC 2670 performance rating
=1st Eastern Ontario Open
=3rd Foxwoods Open, defeated 1 GM
=3rd NA Junior
=5th Ottawa Fall Open
8th Charlotte CC Fall GM Norm defeated 2 GMs
=10th Maplewood Open

FM Keleberda (FM 2022)
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CFC rating list #28, FIDE #22
CFC
2347 to 2428, +81 in 15 events
FIDE 2220 to 2307, +87
(2025 Alberta Closed CFC 2674 performance rating)

=1st Canadian Junior
=1st Banff Open
=3rd Edmonton International
=2nd Calgary International
1st Northern Alberta Open
=1st Edmonton Championship
=3rd Pan-Am Youth U18
=3rd Excelsior March Open
2nd Alberta Closed
=2nd Alberta Open

WGM Ouellet (WGM 2020)
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CFC Rating List #27, FIDE #32
CFC
2318 to 2408, +90 in 8 events
FIDE
2282 to 2319, +37

=1st Canadian Zonal - Women
Olympiad Bd 1 8.5/11
=3rd Ontario Open
Pan-Am Team Championship 5/5

GM Preotu (GM 2016, IM 2014)
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CFC Rating List #4, FIDE #3
CFC
2534 to 2557, +23 in 15 events
In rapids and quick, rating is over 2600
FIDE
2459 to 2483, +24

=2nd Canadian Championship
1st Calgary International
Olympiad Board 4 7/9
1st Hart House Holidays Open
1st Excelsior 1st Anniversary Open
1st Excelsior Feb. Open
4th Maplewood Open
=7th Ontario Open
2nd Excelsior March Open

GM Rodrigue-Lemieux (GM 2024, IM 2022)
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CFC Rating list #2, FIDE #1
CFC
2611 to 2625, +14 in 14 events
FIDE
2493 to 2511, +9

=2nd Canadian Championship
=2nd Canadian Open, defeated 1 GM
=3rd RIDEF (Francophonie Championship)
=6th World Junior
1st BC Day Open, defeated 1 GM
1st Excelsior March Open, CFC 2761 performance rating
=1st Mauricie Open
=1st Pere-Noel
=2nd Southwest Class Championship, defeated 1 GM
Olympiad Board 1 4.5/10

GM Sambuev (GM 2006)
-----------
CFC Rating List #8, FIDE #8
CFC
2580 to 2520, -60 in 17 events
FIDE
2482 to 2421, -61

1st Ottawa Winter Open
1st Ottawa March Open
=1st Ottawa Fall Open
=3rd Ontario Open
=4th Capablanca Memorial Open
=5th Maplewood Inv.
2nd Gatinaeu Open
2nd Excelsior 1st Anniversary Open
=5th Eastern Ontario Open
=10th Canadian Championship

IM Thavandiran (IM in 2017)
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CFC Rating List #6, FIDE #12
CFC
2475 to 2587, +12 in 4 events
FIDE
2347 to 2410, +63

1st Canadian Championship, defeating Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux
and 2794 performance rating

Olympiad Bd 3 6.5/9
World Rapid 6/13
World Blitz 5.5/13

IM Vettese (IM 2022)
-----------
CFC Rating List #22, FIDE #19
CFC
2445 to 2487, +42 in 21 events
FIDE
2225 to 2328, +103

=1st Ontario Open
1st Hart House Championship
=1st Aurora Fall Open
=4th Independence Day GM Norm, defeated 2 GMs
=3rd Toronto Open
=5th Maplewood Open
=10th NA Junior

**Michael** · Thursday, 6th November, 2025, 05:16 PM

This is a difficult year to choose a top Canadian player, because it comes down to whether you prefer quality or quantity.

The best result of the year was Shiyam Thavandiran at the Canadian Zonal, where he scored 9 points in 10 rounds, had a 2715 performance rating and finished 2 points ahead of the second placed player. However, he played in very few other tournaments. I think the Olympiad was the only other tournament with a classical time control that he played during the year. At the Olympiad, he played very well scoring 6.5 out of 9 and a performance rating of 2564, but I would argue that Razvan had a better Olympiad with a score of 7 / 9 and a performance rating of 2631,

On the quantity side of the equation, Anthony Atanasov was playing everywhere from local tournaments (Toronto Chess Centre, Forcing Moves), to Canadian tournaments (Canadian Zonal, Maplewood, Toronto Open) to International events (1000GM, Sardinia, Washington, Spice Cup, Sitges). Chess Results lists Anthony playing in 18 tournaments in 2024 and there may have been other events that didn't use the chess-results platform.

There were also players that received titles during 2024. Shawn technically received his GM title during the year, but he had completed all of the GM requirements by the end of 2023 and was just waiting for FIDE to make it official. I believe that Aaron Mendes obtained his IM title by winning the NAYCC Under 18 Open section and there are probably other title winners that I don't remember.

Overall, 2024 was a good year for Canadian chess and I am glad that I don't have to vote for one person over another.

**Frank Dixon** · Friday, 14th November, 2025, 05:06 PM

Thank you for this excellent summary of 2024 results for a very talented group of Canadians!!!

I believe it is important to realize that IM Shiyam is not a chess professional; he is an engineer with a career apart from chess!! That accounts for his playing much fewer top events than others on this list. When he did compete, he was excellent!!

To me, the most impressive achievements for 2024 belong to WGM Ouellet, Canada's first WGM player!!

Now, how did GM Eric Hansen and GM Kevin Spraggett perform in 2024!?

**Michael** · Friday, 14th November, 2025, 09:15 PM

Originally posted by Frank Dixon View Post

Thank you for this excellent summary of 2024 results for a very talented group of Canadians!!!

I believe it is important to realize that IM Shiyam is not a chess professional; he is an engineer with a career apart from chess!! That accounts for his playing much fewer top events than others on this list. When he did compete, he was excellent!!

To me, the most impressive achievements for 2024 belong to WGM Ouellet, Canada's first WGM player!!

Now, how did GM Eric Hansen and GM Kevin Spraggett perform in 2024!?

Nemo was the first Canadian WGM, earning the title in 2016 and it being awarded to her in 2017. Maili-Jade Ouellet became a WGM in 2020 and received the award for the 2020/21 Player of the Year for her accomplishment, so I don't see the relevance of her being a WGM in the voting for the 2024 Player of the Year.

Neither Hansen nor Spragget were nominated for the award in 2024.

2024 Canadian Chess Player of the Year

2024 Canadian Chess Player of the Year

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