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Ivan Sokolov
I Sokolov 
 

Number of games in database: 2,188
Years covered: 1986 to 2019
Last FIDE rating: 2595 (2626 rapid, 2526 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2706
Overall record: +799 -368 =877 (60.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 144 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Nimzo Indian (179) 
    E32 E48 E34 E41 E39
 Queen's Gambit Declined (123) 
    D37 D31 D35 D39 D30
 King's Indian (113) 
    E77 E70 E94 E97 E92
 Slav (89) 
    D15 D10 D18 D17 D16
 Semi-Slav (87) 
    D47 D45 D43 D44 D48
 Grunfeld (84) 
    D85 D92 D80 D82 D83
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (258) 
    C80 C84 C77 C78 C69
 Slav (136) 
    D10 D17 D15 D12 D11
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (107) 
    C84 C89 C87 C95 C91
 Grunfeld (81) 
    D85 D97 D78 D91 D86
 English, 1 c4 e5 (63) 
    A21 A20 A29 A28 A25
 Sicilian (51) 
    B22 B40 B45 B21 B44
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   R Janssen vs I Sokolov, 2002 0-1
   I Sokolov vs Kasparov, 1999 1-0
   Z Almasi vs I Sokolov, 1995 0-1
   T Hillarp Persson vs I Sokolov, 2009 0-1
   I Sokolov vs Polgar, 2003 1-0
   I Sokolov vs Caruana, 2010 1-0
   G Vescovi vs I Sokolov, 1995 0-1
   I Sokolov vs G Pap, 2012 1-0
   I Sokolov vs Timman, 1997 1-0
   I Sokolov vs Shirov, 2005 1-0

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (1999)
   FIDE World Championship Knockout Tournament (2004)

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Yugoslav Championship (1988)
   Dutch Championship (1995)
   Dutch Championship (1996)
   Dutch Championship (1998)
   Staunton Memorial (2006)
   Reykjavik Open (2010)
   Vidmar Memorial (1987)
   Dutch Championship (2006)
   Dutch Championship (2004)
   Politiken Cup (2012)
   European Youth Championship 1986/87 (1986)
   Vidmar Memorial (1991)
   Rilton Cup 2016/17 (2016)
   Gibraltar Masters (2009)
   Reykjavik Open (2013)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   0ZeR0's Favorite Games Volume 90 by 0ZeR0
   0ZeR0's Favorite Games Volume 91 by 0ZeR0
   Winning Chess Middlegames by isfsam
   Winning Chess Middlegames by jakaiden
   Ivan Sokolov's Best Games by Resignation Trap
   book: Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by trh6upsz
   book: Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by PassedPawnDuo
   Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by Friedeggsof
   Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by Ziiggyy
   livro: Sacrifício e Iniciativa (Sokolov) by BrendaVittoria
   book: Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by Baby Hawk
   Sacrifice and Initiative (Sokolov) by doug27
   Biel 1989 by suenteus po 147
   Wijk aan Zee Hoogovens 1997 by suenteus po 147

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 28th TCh-CRO Div 1b
   V Ivic vs I Sokolov (Oct-05-19) 1/2-1/2
   I Sokolov vs B Bok (Jul-07-19) 1-0
   Tiviakov vs I Sokolov (Jul-06-19) 1/2-1/2
   J Werle vs I Sokolov (Jul-05-19) 0-1
   I Sokolov vs L van Foreest (Jul-04-19) 0-1

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Ivan Sokolov
Search Google for Ivan Sokolov
FIDE player card for Ivan Sokolov


IVAN SOKOLOV
(born Jun-13-1968, 55 years old) Bosnia and Herzegovina (federation/nationality Netherlands)

[what is this?]
Ivan Sokolov was born on the 13th of June 1968 in Bosnia (formerly Yugoslavia). Awarded the GM title in 1987 and Yugoslav Champion in 1988 he was 1st= at Portoroz 1987, 1st= in Belgrade and 1st= in Saltsjöbaden. He also played on the Yugoslav Olympiad team in 1988. He now represents the Netherlands in Olympiads and various other team championships.

Video: Eric Hansen played him at the 2013 Canadian open: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-J... and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87p...

Wikipedia article: Ivan Sokolov


 page 1 of 88; games 1-25 of 2,188  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. I Sokolov vs V Petrovic  1-0231986Novi SadB63 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer Attack
2. G Tringov vs I Sokolov 0-1301986Novi SadB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
3. I Sokolov vs F Izeta Txabarri  1-0391986Novi SadE21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights
4. I Sokolov vs S Djuric 1-0401986Novi SadD85 Grunfeld
5. I Sokolov vs L Jovic  ½-½341986Novi SadE16 Queen's Indian
6. I Cervenka vs I Sokolov  0-1311986Prague opB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
7. M Popchev vs I Sokolov  ½-½101986Novi SadA47 Queen's Indian
8. S Bojkovic vs I Sokolov  1-0401986Novi SadB50 Sicilian
9. M Lazic vs I Sokolov  0-1391986Novi SadB22 Sicilian, Alapin
10. I Sokolov vs J Polko  1-0311986Prague opC86 Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack
11. I Sokolov vs T Rakic  ½-½121986Novi SadD55 Queen's Gambit Declined
12. J Trmal vs I Sokolov  0-1301986Prague opA46 Queen's Pawn Game
13. I Sokolov vs F Nepustil  1-0371986Prague opB12 Caro-Kann Defense
14. Smagin vs I Sokolov  1-0491986Novi SadB22 Sicilian, Alapin
15. D Rajkovic vs I Sokolov  1-0291986Novi SadE10 Queen's Pawn Game
16. I Sokolov vs H Gruenberg  1-0541986Budapest Spring OpenE46 Nimzo-Indian
17. I Sokolov vs J van Mil  1-0331986Budapest Spring OpenD85 Grunfeld
18. I Sokolov vs P San Segundo Carrillo  ½-½421986European Youth Championship 1986/87A56 Benoni Defense
19. N Dedes vs I Sokolov  0-1321986European Youth Championship 1986/87B90 Sicilian, Najdorf
20. I Sokolov vs Blatny  1-0521986European Youth Championship 1986/87A52 Budapest Gambit
21. Piket vs I Sokolov  0-1511986European Youth Championship 1986/87D91 Grunfeld, 5.Bg5
22. I Sokolov vs I Manor  0-1231986European Youth Championship 1986/87A57 Benko Gambit
23. J Gdanski vs I Sokolov  1-0711986European Youth Championship 1986/87B88 Sicilian, Fischer-Sozin Attack
24. I Sokolov vs N McDonald  1-0521986European Youth Championship 1986/87B08 Pirc, Classical
25. J Howell vs I Sokolov  1-0611986European Youth Championship 1986/87B93 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6.f4
 page 1 of 88; games 1-25 of 2,188  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Sokolov wins | Sokolov loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-13-13  brankat: Happy Birthday GM Sokolov!
Jun-13-13  MoonlitKnight: Congrats Ivan! I have his book "Winning Chess Middlegames", which I highly recommend if you want to understand the subtleties of the Nimzo-Indian tabiya.
Jun-13-13  Katlego: Happy birthday GM Sokolov
Jul-18-14  Mr. V: Whiteshark, that is a great interview, thanks for posting it! Some GMs I've seen try to answer everything briefly, as if all questions have yes or no answers. But Ivan Sokolov is talkative and very nice to listen to.
Jan-09-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: "I lived through Karpov-Kasparov matches, I remember analyses room, Tal usually leading the analyses and I also remember that when some games were finished we would all sit and analyse for hours and then think why didn’t Karpov or Kasparov play this move and we would say, hang on, there should be something because such a genius would not miss it. Sometimes we were right, sometimes not. But now thanks to chess engines this is lost. So I don’t like engines. Chess World Champions were heavily promoting it with all these computer matches in order to make money for themselves, not stories like we want artificial intelligence in the sport which Kasparov was coming up when he played a match against IBM. He wanted to make money. There was nothing else. And then coming up with stories like he got cheated is a complete crap."
Jan-09-15  zanzibar: <HMM> where's that quote from? I assume from Sokolov and not you, but where exactly?
Jan-10-15  PhilFeeley: Another interview

Part 1:
http://en.chessbase.com/post/interv...

Part 2:
http://en.chessbase.com/post/interv...

Jan-10-15  zanzibar: From Part 1:

Game Ref: <Sokolov--Kasparov, Hoogovens, R9 (1996)>

<IS: I was able to get Kasparov in an unpleasant psychological situation. How did I get him into this condition? Kasparov enjoys very much when people are scared of him and if you show him that you are not, he gets intimidated and is less self-assured. And by the line that I was chose I was very clearly showing that I was neither scared of him nor his preparation. He did not like it. And then he had to remember his preparation and for even a player with a fantastic memory like Kasparov it is not easy to recollect everything. He even recalled the right game but not the right move. Once he realised that he was unable to remember the correct game he quickly collapsed. From the slightly minus position that he was in, he lost the game in just a few moves. He made a horrible blunder Kh7 when the position was quite playable.

SS: When you saw that Kh7 was a mistake and that you could win the game now what went through your mind?

IS: It was kind of a funny moment because we both had plenty of time on the clock. I realised that after I triple on the g-file it was going to be mate. Kasparov was already prepared to resign and leave. He had his Rolex back on his hand, his chocolate was taken away from the board, his jacket was on. <Basically he was saying- Come on make this move and get it over with! Then I said to myself - Hang on, when is the next time that I will have such a position against Kasparov from which I can demolish him in just one move! Perhaps never! How much time did I have on my clock? 40 minutes! Well let’s wait for a while then! Have a look at this beautiful position, look at miserable him (Garry really looks miserable when he is lost!), there is no reason to rush! So I took 10 minutes and then executed the move and he immediately resigned. (Smiles)>>

Jan-10-15  zanzibar: Thanks <Phil> and <HMM>.

I see <HMM>'s quote is from part 2. Ciao.

Jan-10-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I always thought Kasparov's whining after losing a $1M match to a computer was one of the few embarrassing moments of his career, in which his behavior was not that of a champion's.
Jan-10-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <HMM> There were others: see Kaspy's loss to Radjabov.
Jan-10-15  john barleycorn: My personal favourite from this interview:

<I don’t think so. Free-flow of information and computer engines has changed chess to the point of no return. I would not say chess engines are good for the game, I would have preferred that they would have never happened because now even a stupid amateur can sit at home and confidently mock the world champion by putting stupid comments or status on Facebook like, “look at how Anand has blundered on this move.” Come on, you smart ass, if you wouldn’t have had Houdini running in front of you, you would have seen nothing!>

Jan-10-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <john b> A clear cut verdict with which I agree.
Jan-10-15  Pulo y Gata: Indeed, indeed.
Jan-10-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: might the above apply to the "2700 players" here going up against Naditsch?

(Uh, oh...better to not go down that rabbit hole again).

Jan-10-15  zanzibar: Correction to my post above, the Sokolov--Kasparov game is from 1999:

I Sokolov vs Kasparov, 1999

Sorry 'bout that.

May-25-15  TheFocus: <You have a chance to become a good chess player if you travel to play chess, not play chess to travel> - Ivan Sokolov.
Feb-28-16  The Kings Domain: Nice quotes, interesting man and a talented Chess master.
Jun-13-16  cunctatorg: The late Victor Korchnoi had GM Ivan Sokolov in high esteem, he had written about that implicitly in his book with his best games as White. It seems to me that Korchnoi considered Ivan Sokolov's chess as ... worthy of chess!...

Such a high praise only for few Grandmasters!!

Jun-13-16  posoo: LOOK at DIS man! his FACE, wat is gong ON?!
Sep-25-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  DrNyet: I browsed Sokolov's book "Winning Chess Middlegames" at a library today and was impressed enough that I just ordered it. It's advanced material but well explained and includes some 45 (I'm not sure I remember the exact number) thoroughly annotated games. One reviewer wrote that this is the book for where opening manuals end, and from what I saw, that sounds right.
Sep-11-17  Arconax: He is a very fine commentator. He doesn't just give the variations, but he is good at explaining themes and ideas in the position. And he sees things very quickly.
Sep-11-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: All he needs now is a personality transplant.
Sep-11-17  Arconax: <MsScarlett> I do not know what you are talking about. He seems like a nice, cordial person.
Feb-25-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  Messiah: https://twitter.com/GMSokolovIvan/s...
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