GM Ivan Sokolov

2578

University Challenge

2018

1 - 0

½ - ½

½ - ½

½ - ½


2,5 - 1,5

GM Lucas van Foreest

2542

GM Ivan Sokolov

Ivan Sokolov is one of those flamboyant characters that tournaments are happy to welcome. He likes to stir things up, both on and off the board. Yes indeed, he still loves the game very much and still likes to be active as a player. But he has no real ambitions anymore on the board, he says. Some 30 to 40 games and several rapid tournaments a year will hunger the needs of one of the true attacking players of the game. Off the board, it's a different story. Sokolov just started as the vice-president of the European Chess Union. He has various clear plans on how to improve chess on the 'old continent'. He also works as a publishing program advisor and a writer at Thinkers Publishing and owns a video- and e-books publishing company named chesscastle.eu. In the last couple of years Sokolov wrote three middlegame books and two e-books. And he's done a lot of commentary, amonst others for the Olympiad and Tata Steel Chess. Last but not least the Dutchman with a Bosnian background is active as a trainer, mostly youth. Amongst his students was Lucas van Foreest, his opponent in his next big chess match, the University Challenge here in Groningen, a city he knows very well.

GM Lucas van Foreest

It's fair to say chess is in Lucas van Foreest's blood. His three year older brother Jorden and 11-year-old sister Machteld are among the very best players in the world in their consecutive age groups, and one could say the same from Lucas (age 17, rating 2499). His great-great grandfathers Dirk and Arnold became Dutch champions as well as Jorden, one thing Lucas wants to become one day too. He recently obtained the GM-title, and for the long run, his aim is reaching a rating of 2700. Although chess is a prominent factor in his life, Van Foreest has many interests (e.g. politics) and wants to develop himself in different ways. His general goal is to build a successful career, chess related or not. For now, he's combining high-school with the life of a chess professional. He just played a tournament in Saint Louis and after the University Match in Groningen he's playing the strong B-group of TATA Steel Chess. He expects the match against Ivan Sokolov to be very interesting with chances for both sides.

Copyright © 2024 · Chessfestival Groningen