Juan Manuel Bellón López facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Manuel Bellón López
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Bellón López in 2009
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| Born | 8 May 1950 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Anna Cramling Bellón |
| Chess career | |
| Country | Spain (until 2017) Sweden (since 2017) |
| Title | Grandmaster (1978) |
| FIDE rating | 2281 (December 2024) |
| Peak rating | 2510 (July 1991) |
Juan Manuel Bellón López (born May 8, 1950) is a famous Spanish chess player. He holds the highest title in chess, called Grandmaster, which he earned in 1978. Juan Manuel has won the Spanish Chess Championship five times. He also won a silver medal at the Chess Olympiad in 1978 and a bronze medal at the European Team Chess Championship in 1989.
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A Champion Chess Player
From the late 1960s to the mid-1990s, Juan Manuel Bellón López was one of Spain's best chess players. He became the Spanish Chess Champion five times. His wins were in 1969, 1971, 1974, 1977, and 1982.
Juan Manuel has played in many international chess tournaments. He often finished in first place or shared first place. Some of these wins include tournaments in Torremolinos (1978) and Stockholm's Rilton Cup (1986/87). He also won in Barcelona (1988), Terrassa (1990), Castell-Platja d'Aro (1994), Santa Clara (1999), and Varadero (2000).
Playing for Spain: Chess Olympiads
Juan Manuel Bellón López proudly represented Spain in many Chess Olympiads. These are big team chess tournaments where countries compete against each other.
- In 1970, he played at the 19th Chess Olympiad in Siegen.
- In 1972, he played at the 20th Chess Olympiad in Skopje.
- In 1974, he played at the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice.
- In 1976, he played at the 22nd Chess Olympiad in Haifa.
- In 1978, he played at the 23rd Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires. He won an individual silver medal there.
- In 1980, he played at the 24th Chess Olympiad in La Valletta.
- In 1982, he played at the 25th Chess Olympiad in Lucerne.
- In 1984, he played at the 26th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki.
- In 1986, he played at the 27th Chess Olympiad in Dubai.
- In 1988, he played at the 28th Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki.
- In 1992, he played at the 30th Chess Olympiad in Manila.
Playing for Spain: European Team Championships
Juan Manuel also played for Spain in the European Team Chess Championships:
- In 1970, he played in the 4th European Team Chess Championship in Kapfenberg.
- In 1989, he played in the 9th European Team Chess Championship in Haifa. He won an individual bronze medal at this event.
He also took part in the Clare Benedict Chess Cup three times (1970, 1974–1977). In 1970, his team won a gold medal in this competition.
Chess Titles and Inventions
In 1974, Juan Manuel was given the International Master (IM) title by FIDE. Four years later, in 1978, he earned the highest title, Grandmaster (GM). He is also a FIDE Developmental Instructor since 2014, which means he helps teach and develop new chess players.
Juan Manuel Bellón López is famous for inventing a chess opening called the Bellon Gambit in 1969. Many players still use this opening today. One of his favorite chess players was Mikhail Tal, a former world champion. Tal was known for his creative and exciting style of play. Juan Manuel even beat Mikhail Tal in a memorable game in 1984.
Family Life
Juan Manuel Bellón López is married to Pia Cramling, who is also a FIDE Grandmaster from Sweden. Their daughter, Anna Cramling Bellón, was born in 2002. Anna also plays chess and holds the Women FIDE Master (WFM) title. She is well-known for her chess videos on YouTube and her live streams on Twitch.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Manuel Bellón López para niños
