Efstratios Grivas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Efstratios Grivas |
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| Country |  Greece |
| Born | March 30, 1966 Egio, Greece |
| Title | Grandmaster (1993) |
| Peak rating | 2528 (January 1999) |
Efstratios Grivas (born March 30, 1966) is a Greek chess player. He is known as a Grandmaster, which is the highest title a chess player can achieve. He also holds titles like FIDE Senior Trainer, International Arbiter, and FIDE International Organizer. This means he is very involved in the world of chess, not just as a player but also as a teacher, judge, and event planner.
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Early Life and First Steps in Chess
Efstratios Grivas was born in Egio, a town in Greece. When he was four years old, his family moved to Athens, the capital city. He grew up in a neighborhood called Kallithea.
His journey into chess began in 1979 when he joined the Kallithea Chess Club. He was 13 years old at the time. Just two years later, in 1981, he won the Greek Cadet Championship. This was a big achievement for a young player. He also wrote a book about a chess opening called "The Grivas Sicilian."
His Amazing Chess Career
Even though he started playing chess a bit later than some, Efstratios Grivas quickly became very good. He learned from many skilled chess masters. Some of his teachers included Grandmaster Efim Geller. He even attended a special training camp in Moscow in 1984.
Grivas played for several chess clubs in Greece. He represented his country many times in international competitions. From 1982 to 1999, he played for Greece 186 times!
Playing for Greece
He took part in eight Olympiads, which are like the Olympic Games for chess. He also played in three European Team Chess Championships and twelve Balkaniads. These are all major team chess events where countries compete against each other.
One of his biggest achievements was winning a Silver Medal at the 33rd Chess Olympiad in 1998. He played on the third board for his team. He also won a Gold Medal at the European Team Championship in 1989. In 1985, he placed 4th at the World Junior Chess Championship. He also won an international tournament in Munich in 1987.
Tournament Successes
Efstratios Grivas has achieved high rankings in many international tournaments. Here are some of his notable results:
- 3rd place in Paris in 1982.
- 1st place in Cap d'Agde in 1983.
- 2nd place in Strasbourg in 1985.
- 1st place in Hellexpo-Sportexpo in 2001.
He also played chess online using the names "E-Grivas" and "Gref" on the Internet Chess Club.
A Talented Author
Besides playing, Efstratios Grivas is also a successful writer. He started working as a journalist in 1982, writing for newspapers and magazines in both Greek and English.
From 1992 to 1999, he was the main editor and writer for "Greek Chess," a monthly magazine from the Greek Chess Federation. In 2010, he received the Boleslavsky Medal for being the best chess author of 2009.
He has written many books about chess. In 2024, he released a series of 18 books called "The Chess Instructor." These books are published in English.
Books by Efstratios Grivas
Here are some of the books he has written:
- A Complete Guide to the Grivas Sicilian (2005)
- Beating the Fianchetto Defences (2006)
- Chess College 1: Strategy (2006)
- Chess College 2: Pawn Play (2006)
- Chess College 3: Technique (2006)
- Modern Chess Planning (2007)
- Practical Endgame Play - mastering the basics (2008)
- The Chess Instructor – The Isolated Pawn (2024)
- The Chess Instructor – Majority & Minority (2024)
He has also written many books about chess openings, which are the first moves in a chess game.
Administrator and Organizer
Efstratios Grivas has also helped organize and manage chess events. He was a founding member of the Association of Top Greek Chessplayers in 1995. He has been a part of its leadership team since then.
He also worked as a Technical Advisor for the Greek Chess Federation. He holds the title of FIDE International Organizer. This means he is qualified to plan and run big chess tournaments. For example, he helped organize the 1999 European Youth Chess Championships, which had over 1000 participants! He is also an International Arbiter, meaning he can be a judge in chess games.
A Dedicated Trainer
Grivas has spent thousands of hours teaching chess, especially to younger players. He was the Federal Trainer for the National Juniors Team from 1986 to 1991. He has also coached at many different chess clubs and academies.
In 2004, he was given the title of FIDE Senior Trainer. This shows how much he has contributed to teaching chess and helping new players improve.
Notable Games
Here are some of the exciting games Efstratios Grivas has played:
- Efstratios Grivas vs Nigel Short, Ol. 1986
- Efstratios Grivas vs Vladimir Tukmakov, Kavala op 1991
- Efstratios Grivas vs Zhaoqin Peng, Corus (Group C) 2008
- Efstratios Grivas vs Arik Braun, Corus (Group C) 2008
