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The 44-year-old Nigel Short belongs to the greatest of his craft.
He caused a stir with numerous successes in his early years and was considered a
prodigy. In the World Junior Championship 1980 he won the silver medal behind
Garry Kasparov and very soon he became a chess grandmaster at the age of 19, the
youngest in the world at that time.
After winning several tournaments and his victory against Jan
Timman in the Candidates final 1993 he got the opportunity to fight for the
highest chess crown. In the match against Garry Kasparov, which took place
detached from the World Chess Federation under the aegis of the Professional
Chess Association (PCA) and can be considered as the climax in his career, he
lost against the mighty Russian 12,5 – 7,5.
Although Short temporarily disappeared from the scene after this
defeat he still plays at the highest level to this day and is always a most
welcome guest especially because of his dynamic and aggressive play. His current
Elo is 2706 whereby he captures the 29th rank in the world.
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The 24-year-old Zahar Efimenko belongs to a group of young and
talented Ukrainian players. As a youngster, his biggest success was a victory in
the World Junior Chess Championship U-14 in Oropesa del Mar.
In spite of some strong rivals he plays in the national team and
won the Ukrainian championship in 2006. In Germany he is known for his
engagement with the Bundesliga team of Werder Bremen. The young Ukrainian, like
Short, is known for his constant search for the initiative and for the fact that
he has no fear of big names.
He is supported by the president of the Universal Event Promotion,
Josef Resch, and lives in Mukachevo. His current Elo is 2654 whereby he captures
the 83rd rank in the world.
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