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4 unusual facts about Jón Loftur Árnason


Jón Loftur Árnason

Also in 1977, at Cagnes-sur-Mer, he won the World Under-16 championship (ahead of other distinguished young talents, including Garry Kasparov), before becoming Icelandic champion on the first of three occasions (1977, 1982 and 1988).

Just a year later, playing in a telex match for Iceland against England, he drew as Black against Jonathan Mestel, an established master.

Like fellow Scandinavians Simen Agdestein and Magnus Carlsen, Árnason in his youth was hailed as a potential world champion after a string of results.

Shortly thereafter, he accepted an invitation to join the Botvinnik chess school.



see also