Mišo Cebalo
Encyclopedia
Mišo Cebalo is a Croatia
n chess
Grandmaster. He won the 19th World Senior Chess Championship
at Condino 2009.
His father, a good chess player himself, taught him to play chess when he was five years old. At 13 he began to frequent a local chess club and when he was 20 he played in the Croatian championship at Titograd, earning the Master
title. Thereafter he enrolled in a language course at the University of Zagreb
, stopping for a few years to play chess. After finishing the studies and having got an employment in the Center of Physical Culture of Zagreb, in 1977 he fully resumed his chess activity, earning the International Master title in 1978.
In 1980 he received the first Grandmaster norm
after he won a tournament in Smederevska Palanka
. In 1985 he came equal first in the Championship of Yugoslavia, but lost the play-off match with GM Slavoljub Marjanović. In the same year he won a zonal tournament in Kavala
(Greece), obtaining the full Grandmaster title. He advanced to the next phase of the World championship, which was played in the Mende-Taxco
Interzonal
, where he placed 6th-7th out of 16 players (Jan Timman
was the winner).
Cebalo played for Croatia in two chess Olympiads: on 1st board at Manila 1992
and on 4th board at Moscow 1994
. He often played in the Reggio Emilia chess tournament
, winning the "C" section in 1991 (the major section was won by Anatoly Karpov
and the "B" section by Ljubomir Ljubojević
).
He won many open tournaments, one of the last being the "Luigi Amalfi" festival of the Isle of Elba in 2007.
- Slovenian team championship 1994.
Grünfeld Defence
(D-85) - 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. Rb1 0-0 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12. 0-0 Nd7 13. Bb4 Nb6 14. Ra1 Qe6 5. e5 Bh6 17. d5 Nxd5 18. Bc4 b5 19. Nd4 bxc4 20. Nxe6 Bxe6 21. Ra6 Kf7 22. Ba3 Rfb8 23. Qc2 Rc8 24. Rd1 c3 25. g3 Rc7 26. Rd3 Bd2 ( See diagram at right )
27. Rxe6! Kxe6 28. Qb3 Rd7 29. Bd6 exd6 30. Qxd5+ Ke7 31. exd6+ Kf6 32. Qxa8 c2 33. Qxh8+ Kg5 34. Rc3 Bxc3 35. Qxc3 Rxd6 36. Qxc2 Rd7 37. Qc6 Rf7 38. Qe6 Rb7 39. h4+ Kh6 40. Qf6 (1-0).
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Grandmaster. He won the 19th World Senior Chess Championship
World Senior Chess Championship
The World Senior Chess Championship is an annual chess tournament established in 1991 by FIDE, the World Chess Federation.Participants must have reached 60 years old on 1 January of the year of the event...
at Condino 2009.
His father, a good chess player himself, taught him to play chess when he was five years old. At 13 he began to frequent a local chess club and when he was 20 he played in the Croatian championship at Titograd, earning the Master
Chess master
A chess master is a chess player of such skill that he/she can usually beat chess experts, who themselves typically prevail against most amateurs. Among chess players, the term is often abbreviated to master, the meaning being clear from context....
title. Thereafter he enrolled in a language course at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
, stopping for a few years to play chess. After finishing the studies and having got an employment in the Center of Physical Culture of Zagreb, in 1977 he fully resumed his chess activity, earning the International Master title in 1978.
In 1980 he received the first Grandmaster norm
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
after he won a tournament in Smederevska Palanka
Smederevska Palanka
Smederevska Palanka is a town and municipality located in Central Serbia. According to the preliminary results of the 2011 census, the municipality had a total population of 50,078, while the town proper has 23,152 inhabitants.-Geography:Smederevska Palanka lies in Pan-European Corridor X , just...
. In 1985 he came equal first in the Championship of Yugoslavia, but lost the play-off match with GM Slavoljub Marjanović. In the same year he won a zonal tournament in Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
(Greece), obtaining the full Grandmaster title. He advanced to the next phase of the World championship, which was played in the Mende-Taxco
Taxco
Taxco de Alarcón is a small city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word tlacheco, which means “place of the ballgame.” However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father...
Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
, where he placed 6th-7th out of 16 players (Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
was the winner).
Cebalo played for Croatia in two chess Olympiads: on 1st board at Manila 1992
30th Chess Olympiad
The 30th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between June 7 and June 25, 1992, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Philippines.-Individual...
and on 4th board at Moscow 1994
31st Chess Olympiad
The 31st Chess Olympiad, organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs and comprising an open and women's tournament, took place between November 30 and December 17, 1994, in Moscow, Russia.- Chess competition :...
. He often played in the Reggio Emilia chess tournament
Reggio Emilia chess tournament
The Reggio Emilia chess tournament is a chess tournament played in Reggio Emilia, Italy. In Italian the tournament is called Torneo di Capodanno , as it starts just after Christmas and ends on the day of Epiphany...
, winning the "C" section in 1991 (the major section was won by Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
and the "B" section by Ljubomir Ljubojević
Ljubomir Ljubojevic
Ljubomir Ljubojević is a Grandmaster of chess. He was born on November 2, 1950, in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia . Ljubojević was awarded the International Master title in 1970 and the GM title in 1971. He was Yugoslav champion in 1977 and 1982. He won the 1974 Canadian Open Chess Championship...
).
He won many open tournaments, one of the last being the "Luigi Amalfi" festival of the Isle of Elba in 2007.
Notable games
Mišo Cebalo - Zdenko KozulZdenko Kožul
Zdenko Kožul is a Croatian chess grandmaster and was the 2006 European champion.-Chess career:Kožul was born in the north-western Bosnian town of Bihać, . He was awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE in 1989. In 1989 and 1990, Kozul won consecutive Yugoslavian championships...
- Slovenian team championship 1994.
Grünfeld Defence
Grünfeld Defence
The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
(D-85) - 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. Rb1 0-0 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12. 0-0 Nd7 13. Bb4 Nb6 14. Ra1 Qe6 5. e5 Bh6 17. d5 Nxd5 18. Bc4 b5 19. Nd4 bxc4 20. Nxe6 Bxe6 21. Ra6 Kf7 22. Ba3 Rfb8 23. Qc2 Rc8 24. Rd1 c3 25. g3 Rc7 26. Rd3 Bd2 ( See diagram at right )
27. Rxe6! Kxe6 28. Qb3 Rd7 29. Bd6 exd6 30. Qxd5+ Ke7 31. exd6+ Kf6 32. Qxa8 c2 33. Qxh8+ Kg5 34. Rc3 Bxc3 35. Qxc3 Rxd6 36. Qxc2 Rd7 37. Qc6 Rf7 38. Qe6 Rb7 39. h4+ Kh6 40. Qf6 (1-0).
- Predrag Nikolić – Mišo Cebalo, Banja Luka 1981, Symmetrical English A-30
- Dragoliub Velimirović – Mišo Cebalo, Sarajevo 1986, Sicilian Scheveningen B-86
- Neboisa Illijin – Mišo Cebalo, Baden open 1999, Sicilian Dragon B-71
- Mišo Cebalo – Erald Dervishi, Bratto open 2001, Queen's gambit, Tartakower var. D-58
- Eduard Mnatsakanian – Mišo Cebalo, World Seniors championship 2008, Sicilian Dragon B-78