Ulf Andersson

Ranking: World number four in 1983

Highest FIDE Elo Rating: 2655

Tournament Career: Winner of eleven super-tournaments:

3-time winner of the Hastings International Chess Congress

Winner of the Dortmund International Chess Meeting 1978, Tata Steel Masters 1983

and several others…

Chess Olympiads: Bronze individual medal

What earned him this:

At a time when players like Karpov, Korchnoi, and Kasparov were battling for dominance over the chess world, it was especially difficult for anyone else to leave a significant mark with their chess career. Yet, some managed to do so, and among them, we should certainly include Ulf Andersson from Sweden. This exceptionally positional and prophylactic endgame expert reached the fourth place in the world, won a respectable number of tournaments, and was not without success at the Chess Olympiad. He achieved tournament victories at the most prestigious events of that time, in Hastings, Dortmund, and of course, the Dutch Wijk aan Zee. He often outperformed even the best players there.

As proof of his exceptional standing in the chess world in the 1980s, it can also be noted that in 1984, in the prestigious second match USSR vs. the Rest of the World, he played for the world team on the first board. Indeed, outside the USSR, he was the best in the world at that time. On the first board, he faced world champion Karpov, losing one game and drawing three.

Karpov might have avenged the loss Andersson dealt him in Milan in 1975, which was Karpov’s first loss as world champion.

Why he isn’t higher: He might have had a bit of bad luck. His best years coincided with the era of chess kings. Otherwise, he could have easily reached even higher goals.

Best Game:

Anatoly Karpov vs Ulf Andersson

Milan 1975