In the last list of the top Chess players we published, we went over the best Armenian Chess players. Now in this article, we’re ranking the best Swedish Chess players from Sweden, starting with the number ten spot in FIDE. All of the top players in this list have earned the Grandmaster title which requires an Elo rating of over 2500. For more information on ratings, see the guide on how to get a FIDE rating.
10. Daniel Semcesen
Full Name: Daniel Semcesen
Title: Grandmaster (2014)
International Master (2009)
FIDE Master (2007)
Place of Birth: Sweden
Born: August 17, 1986
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 952
Rapid: 2520
Blitz: 2505
Classical: 2472
Profiles
Daniel Semcesen is a Swedish Chess competitor and GM. Semcesen was awarded the Grandmaster title in 2014 after earning an ELO rating of 2500 when playing in the Bronshoj Lang Weekend tournament. Daniel Semcesen’s greatest productive chess year to date was 2014. In 2014, the chess player became the Swedish chess victor just five months after achieving grandmaster status. Semcesen won the title after sharing points with Erik Blomqvist in the 9th and ultimate round in Borlänge. Semcesen’s SM success was shocking because he was rated 9th in the SM group’s ten-man starting field. Semcesen achieved its highest ELO rating in May of that year: 2513.
9. Jonathan Westerberg
Full Name: Jonathan Westerberg
Title: Grandmaster (2021)
International Master (2014)
FIDE Master (2011)
Born: February 25, 1994
Place of birth: Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 898
Rapid: 2434
Blitz: 2462
Classical: 2476
Profiles
Jonathan Westerberg was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 2021. The Swedish chess Grandmaster most played openings with white pieces, including French Defense, Sicilian and French. Westerberg. Westerberg’s most played Openings using Black pieces include Sicilian, Queen’s Gambit Accepted, and Queen’s Pawn Game, among others. Westerberg’s overall record in terms of total games played comprises 49 wins, 66 draws, and 38 losses resulting in a 53.6 percent.
8. Kaan Kucuksari
Full Name: Kaan Kucuksari
Title: FIDE Master (2007)
Born: January 1, 2003
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 838
Rapid: 2290
Blitz: 2305
Classical: 2482
Profiles
Kaan Kucuksari’s last tournaments he competed in were quite competitive, and they involved; TCh-SWE Elitserien 2021, SS Manhem IM 2022, TCh-SWE Lag-SM 2021, TCh-SWE Group 4 Qualifier Catalan, open, 5.Nf3, and Dutch, Leningrad, main variation with c6. Kaan Kucuksari’s most played using Black pieces include; Queen’s pawn game Caro-Kann defence, Reti opening, and English, 1…Nf6 (Anglo-Indian defense)
7. Hans Tikkanen
Full Name: Hans Tikkanen
Title: Grandmaster (2010)
International Master (2007)
FIDE Master (2007)
Born: February 6, 1985
Place of Birth: Karlstad, Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 791
Rapid: 2490
Blitz: 2554
Classical: 2535
Peak rating: 2596 (July 2011)
Profiles
Hans Tikkanen is Swedish Chess GM awarded the title in 2010. Tikkanen is a five-time winner of the Swedish Chess Championship. In 2002, Tikannen triumphed at the Swedish Junior Chess Championship. In 2010, Tikannen won the Lithuanian University of Agriculture Cup in Kaunas, and in Borup, he finished third to sixth with Sarunas Sulskis, Tiger Hillarp Persson, and Kaido Kulaots. In 2012, he finished second in Group C of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee and shared first place at the Västers Open with Slavko Cicak and Emanuel Berg. He represented Sweden in the 2005 European Team Chess Championships (team 3), 2011, and 2013.
6. Emanuel Berg
Full Name: Emanuel Berg
Title: Grandmaster (2004)
International Master (2000)
Born: December 28, 1981
Place of Birth: Skovde, Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 659
Rapid: 2570
Blitz: 2502
Classical: 2506
Peak rating: 2627 (November 2010)
Profiles
Emanuel Berg was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 2004 and is a two-time winner of the Swedish chess championships. As a child, he excelled and was chosen to compete for his nation in the numerous age groups of the European Youth and World Youth Tournaments. Remarkably, he did not win a medal, but he was quite close in 1996, at Rimavská Sobota, completing the European Under-16 competition in a draw for second-fifth place and losing the silver and bronze medals only on a tie-break.
5. Tiger Hillarp Persson
Full Name: Tiger Hillarp Persson
Title: Grandmaster (1999)
Born: 1970
Place of birth:
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 620
Rapid: 2525
Blitz: 2555
Classical: 2511
Peak rating: 2618 (April 2009)
Profiles
The two times Swedish chess victor was awarded the GM title in 1999. Persson won the Gentofte VISA Nordic Grand Prix York in 1999, Jersey in 2000, Barcelona Sants in 2003, and the Guernsey International Chess Open in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 best on tie-break in 2016 and again in 2018. In 2005, Persson came second in the Nordic Chess Championship in Vammala, Finland. Furthermore, Persson won the Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in his hometown of Malmö in 2008 with an impressive 712 points.
4. Jung Min Seo
Full Name: Jung Min Seo
Title: International Master (2021)
FIDE Master (2017)
Born: January 1, 2002
Place of birth: Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 587
Rapid: 2434
Blitz: 2455
Classical: 2516
Profiles
Pia Cramling, a Swedish chess legend, was awarded the title of International Master in 2020 and had the best start at the Swedish National Championships, which were held in Helsingborg in early July. Cramling led after five rounds with 3.5/5, defeating eventual champion Jung Min Seo in round four. Cramling drew against Jonathan Westerberg in round six, while Jung Min Seo defeated Axel Smith to overtake Cramling at the top. Round seven was drawn for both leaders. Jung Min Seo defeated veteran Jonny Hector, the Swedish Champion of 200, in round 8.
3. Blomqvist Erik
Full Name: Blomqvist Erik
Title: Grandmaster (2013)
International Master (2008)
Born: October 19, 1990
Place of Birth: Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 540
Rapid: 2491
Blitz: 2409
Classical: 2523
Peak rating: 2661 ( July 2022)
Profiles
Blomqvist, Erik is a two times victor of the Swedish Chess tournament. In 2011, Erik placed third to eighth in the Västerberg Open, alongside Jonathan Westerberg, Ralf Kesson, Stellan Brynell, Kim Nygren, and Christopher Krantz. In the Elite Hotels Open in 2015, Erik shared second place with Drazen Dragicevic, Yuri Solodovnichenko, and Ralf kesson. In 2016, Erik won the Swedish Chess Championship with a score of 7.5/9 points, finishing two points ahead of Nils Grandelius, who came second. As of July 2020, Erik is the No. 6 ranked Swedish player. In 2019, Erik won the Swedish Championship for the second time.
2. Evgenij Agrest
Full Name: Evgenij Agrest
Title: Grandmaster (1997)
International Master (1991)
Born: August 15, 1966
Place of Birth: Vitebsk, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 325
Rapid: 2576
Blitz: 2552
Classical: 2567
Peak rating: 2616 (January 2004)
Profiles
Evgenij Agrest was awarded the GM title in 1997. He has four Swedish titles- 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2004; three Nordic titles-2001 together with Artur Kogan, 2003 with Curt Hansen, and 2005. Agrest shared the first-sixth place in the European Union Tournament in 2010, finishing third in deciding set.
1. Nils Grandelius
Full Name: Nils Grandelius
Title: Grandmaster (2010)
International Master (2008)
FIDE Master (2007)
Born: June 3, 1993
Place of Birth: Lund, Sweden
Federation: Sweden
Ratings
World ranking: 95
Rapid: 2652
Blitz: 2617
Classical: 2651
Peak rating: 2694 (March 2019)
Profiles
Nils Grandelius was awarded the Grandmaster title in 2010, the International Master title in 2008, and the FIDE Master title in 2007. Grandelius shared 2nd place in the Under-16 category of the 2008 European Youth Chess Championships, finishing fourth on tie break. That same year, Grandelius won the Olomouc Open in the Czech Republic with a score of 6.5 points from 9 games. He won bronze in the Under 18 category at the 2010 World Youth Chess Championships. Grandelius won gold in the identical age bracket the following year at the European Youth Championships in Albena, Bulgaria. Grandelius finished third in the 20th Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament in Malmö in 2012. Subsequently, that year, Grandelius tied for third place in the World Junior Championship in Athens, finishing fourth in the deciding set.
That concludes the list of the best Swedish Chess players. If you like list posts like this, you may also be interested in seeing the ten best Chilean Chess players or the best Angolan Chess players.
Sources
- http://en.chessbase.com/post/sigeman-caruana-wins-sigeman-with-2852-performance
- https://en.chessbase.com/post/carlsen-vs-caruana-an-interview-mit-rustam-kasimdzhanov-second-of-caruana
- http://chess-results.com/tnr178422.aspx?lan=16&art=1&rd=9&turdet=YES&flag=30&wi=984
- http://www.fide.com/ratings/trarc.phtml?event16=0976&codt=18
- http://www.chessdom.com/interview-with-evgenij-agrest-first-we-take-abu-dhabi-then-the-chess-world/
- http://www.olimpbase.org/players/yeuy4wof.html
- https://ratings.fide.com/title_applications.phtml?details=1&id=1709437&title=GM&pb=37
- http://chess-results.com/tnr554041.aspx?lan=1&art=4&turdet=YES&flag=30
- https://en.chessbase.com/post/erik-blomqvist-swedish-champion-2016
- http://www.usgo.org/news/2015/03/chess-grandmaster-tiger-hillarp-achieves-shodan
- https://sagarteacheschess.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-modern-tiger.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20170111002113/http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com/gib2008/publicity_eng/competitors.html
- http://chess-results.com/tnr81886.aspx?lan=1&art=4&turdet=YES&flag=30