{"id":3345,"date":"2023-10-31T16:47:06","date_gmt":"2023-10-31T16:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/?p=3345"},"modified":"2023-11-16T13:25:48","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T13:25:48","slug":"author-of-the-month-nikolaos-ntirlis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/author-of-the-month-nikolaos-ntirlis\/","title":{"rendered":"Author of the Month: Nikolaos Ntirlis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Get to know our Forward Chess author of the month for October 2023, Nikolaos Ntirlis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your chess career<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned chess in my 20s! That\u2019s really late if someone wants to become a strong chess player. Also, at that point, I had a very demanding university school and I had to work to make a living. So, naturally, it wasn\u2019t possible for me to dedicate a lot of my time to chess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a way, I was back then what today is known as an \u201cadult chess improver\u201d. Today, there is an awesome internet community for these improvers, and a lot of resources to help them, but back in the start of the 00s, the possibilities were far more limited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, I was lucky to have met great people who became longtime friends and helped me improve by playing local friendly games and analyzing my tournament games. I soon reached 1900 FIDE. Something not incredible of course, but I still feel proud I was able to achieve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I soon discovered that what really fascinated me, was the interconnection between computer science (the topic I was studying on) and chess. So, I decided to spend more time understanding chess engines and even programming my own chess apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 2011, I became a correspondence player. A natural evolution for people who are fascinated by computer chess. I managed to become an ICCF IM. I currently play at the finals of the European Championship and the semi-finals of the World Championship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the rise of new chess engines, it has become nearly impossible to win correspondence games, but I\u2019ll still ask you to cross your fingers for me to get one of these two titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A computer chess geek spends a lot of time analyzing chess openings. So, this became my area of expertise. I was soon approached by GMs and other ambitious players who realized that someone with my skill set could help them get an edge in their opening play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s where my chess career has been more successful. Helping GMs and other ambitious titled players win national championships, norms or play in important tournaments like Olympiads, top tournaments and World Championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is your favorite chess game that you\u2019ve played?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still remember this game that I played after about a year that I started playing chess. Unfortunately, I have lost the name of my opponent. I remember that it was a 1300 FIDE-rated young player. I was so enthusiastic about this game that what mattered to me was how I played in the following position:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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