Vlastimil Jansa
Encyclopedia
Vlastimil Jansa is a Chess Grandmaster from the Czech Republic
(formerly Czechoslovakia).
He learned chess while in hospital at the age of eight and at fourteen, became the youth champion of Prague. In 1959, he finished second in the Czechoslovak national junior championship. Academically, he qualified in sports sciences from the Charles University in Prague
, before becoming a professional soldier and reaching the rank of captain. As part of his chess education, he studied under the tutelage of IM Emil Richter (1894–1971).
A deep and original thinker, Jansa has been one of the Czech Republic's leading players for many years, collecting experience across a range of chess activities. Representing his country at the Chess Olympiad
s on a number of occasions, he won a team silver medal in 1982. He has also been a coach and a writer of books and theoretical articles.
In terms of his fine reputation as a trainer, he developed a test in the 1970s from which the talent of young players could be measured. Of his students, the Czech Republic's strongest player (as of January 2008), David Navara
is probably the best known. Jansa has also been the national coach of Luxembourg
.
Along with IM Josef Pribyl, he is known as one of the creators of an opening system known as the 'Czech Pirc
'. The opening, distinguished by an early c6, offers the player of the black pieces the opportunity for greater flexibility, in order that an appropriate plan can be formulated, once white's strategy is revealed.
In international tournaments, he has been many times a winner, taking outright or shared first prize at Cerveny Kostelec
1959, Prague 1968, Madonna di Campiglio
1973, Amsterdam
1974, Vrnjacka Banja
1981, Trnava
1982, Borgarnes
1985, Gausdal
1987 (and twice in 1988), Badenweiler
1990, Munster
1992 and Lazne Bohdanec
1997. He was a runner-up at Zinnowitz
in 1964.
A loyal servant of the Czechoslovak Chess Championship
, he was the national champion in 1964, 1974 and 1984. Indeed, prior to the splitting into Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, he finished in the top three on no fewer than fourteen occasions. Post-millennium, he remains actively engaged in playing chess and finished second at the 2006 World Senior Chess Championship
in Arvier
.
Vlastimil Jansa was awarded the International Master title in 1965 and became a Grandmaster in 1974.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(formerly Czechoslovakia).
He learned chess while in hospital at the age of eight and at fourteen, became the youth champion of Prague. In 1959, he finished second in the Czechoslovak national junior championship. Academically, he qualified in sports sciences from the Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, before becoming a professional soldier and reaching the rank of captain. As part of his chess education, he studied under the tutelage of IM Emil Richter (1894–1971).
A deep and original thinker, Jansa has been one of the Czech Republic's leading players for many years, collecting experience across a range of chess activities. Representing his country at the Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s on a number of occasions, he won a team silver medal in 1982. He has also been a coach and a writer of books and theoretical articles.
In terms of his fine reputation as a trainer, he developed a test in the 1970s from which the talent of young players could be measured. Of his students, the Czech Republic's strongest player (as of January 2008), David Navara
David Navara
David Navara is a chess Grandmaster from Czech Republic. On the April 2007 FIDE rating list he was ranked number 14 in the world with an Elo rating of 2720, making him the highest ranked Czech player....
is probably the best known. Jansa has also been the national coach of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
Along with IM Josef Pribyl, he is known as one of the creators of an opening system known as the 'Czech Pirc
Pirc Defence
The Pirc Defence |grandmasters]]), sometimes known as the Ufimtsev Defence or Yugoslav Defence, is a chess opening characterised by Black responding to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish an impressive-looking centre with pawns on d4 and e4...
'. The opening, distinguished by an early c6, offers the player of the black pieces the opportunity for greater flexibility, in order that an appropriate plan can be formulated, once white's strategy is revealed.
In international tournaments, he has been many times a winner, taking outright or shared first prize at Cerveny Kostelec
Cervený Kostelec
Červený Kostelec is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 8,450 inhabitants.Villages Bohdašín, Horní Kostelec, Lhota za Červeným Kostelcem, Mstětín, Olešnice and Stolín are administrative parts of Červený Kostelec....
1959, Prague 1968, Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m...
1973, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
1974, Vrnjacka Banja
Vrnjacka Banja
Vrnjačka Banja is a town, municipality, and a resort, mineral spa located in Raška District of Serbia. It contains the world's only hot spring with a temperature measuring exactly that of the human body ....
1981, Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
1982, Borgarnes
Borgarnes
Borgarnes is a town located on a peninsula at the shore of Borgarfjörður in Iceland.It has a population of 1,763 . The town is located 60 km north of the capital Reykjavík and is connected to other places in Iceland through the second largest bridge in Iceland, Borgarfjarðarbrú...
1985, Gausdal
Gausdal
Gausdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Segalstad bru...
1987 (and twice in 1988), Badenweiler
Badenweiler
Badenweiler, a health resort and spa of the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, historically in the Markgräflerland. It is 28 kilometers by road and rail from Basel, 10 kilometers from the French border, and 20 kilometers away from Mulhouse...
1990, Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
1992 and Lazne Bohdanec
Lázne Bohdanec
Lázně Bohdaneč is a small town in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic, near the city of Pardubice. It has approximately 3,300 inhabitants.-External links:* *...
1997. He was a runner-up at Zinnowitz
Zinnowitz
Zinnowitz is a spa town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on the northern German island of Usedom on the Baltic Sea. The town has rail connections to Wolgast and Ahlbeck.-History:...
in 1964.
A loyal servant of the Czechoslovak Chess Championship
Czechoslovak Chess Championship
The Czechoslovak National Chess Championship was the chess competition, which has determined the best Czechoslovak chess player.- History :First Czechoslovak championships were held in Prague in year 1919...
, he was the national champion in 1964, 1974 and 1984. Indeed, prior to the splitting into Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, he finished in the top three on no fewer than fourteen occasions. Post-millennium, he remains actively engaged in playing chess and finished second at the 2006 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...
in Arvier
Arvier
Arvier is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.- Geography :-Wine:The local wine, Enfer d'Arvier, had its own DOC designation before being subsumed into the Valle d'Aosta DOC...
.
Vlastimil Jansa was awarded the International Master title in 1965 and became a Grandmaster in 1974.
Partial bibliography
- Dynamics of Chess Strategy - Jansa (Batsford, 2003)
- How To Play The Pirc; A New System For Black - Jansa & Pribyl (Münster International, 1988)
- The Best Move - HortVlastimil HortVlastimil Hort is a chess Grandmaster of Czech nationality. During the 1960s and 1970s he was one of the world's strongest players and reached the Candidates stage of competition for the world chess championship, but was never able to compete for the actual title.Hort was born in Kladno,...
& Jansa (Pitman, 1980)