Friðrik Ólafsson (26 January 1935 – 4 April 2025) was an Icelandic chess grandmaster. He was president of FIDE from 1978 to 1982. He was a six-time Icelandic Chess Champion and a two-time Nordic Chess Champion.
Friðrik continued to play occasionally into the 21st century, winning a rapid match against fellow veteran Bent Larsen in 2003 by a score of 5–3. According to his FIDE card, as recently as 2018, the year he turned 83, he played 6 games, winning one and drawing the remainder.
Friðrik usually played the Sicilian Defence against 1.e4 and the King's Indian Defence and Nimzo-Indian Defence against 1.d4. With White, he usually played the English Opening, but he also played 1.d4, 1.e4, and 1.Nf3 many times.
FIDE president
In 1978, Friðrik succeeded Max Euwe as president of the international chess governing body FIDE. During the tenure he presided over the 1981 Karpov–Korchnoi World Championship match. Since Korchnoi defected from the Soviet Union in 1976, the Soviets were holding Korchnoi's son, Igor. Friðrik delayed the planned 19 September start date of the match in a bid to get the Soviets to release Korchnoi's son. For this attempt, Friðrik drew the wrath of the Soviets, who then backed the FIDE vice-president, Florencio Campomanes, for the presidency of FIDE. Campomanes succeeded Friðrik as FIDE president in 1982.
Personal life and death
In life outside of chess, Friðrik was married and had two adult daughters. After the FIDE presidency in 1982, Friðrik was appointed secretary to the Icelandic Parliament.
Friðrik died in the palliative care unit of the National University Hospital, on 4 April 2025, at the age of 90.
References
Sources
- Chess magazine, January 1979 – Interview with David Levy
- The KGB Plays Chess – Yuri Felshtinsky