Nikolas Theodorou made history for Greece in chess, becoming the first player to ever defeat a reigning world champion since the establishment of modern international chess competitions in 1886.
The 25-year-old from Rethymno earned the distinction of earning Greece its first win over a world champion by defeating 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju from India at the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Uzbekistan, as announced by the Hellenic Chess Federation (HCF).
Theodorou, who won the title of Grandmaster in 2021 and is the number one player of Greece’s team, earned his biggest scalp yet as he continues to improve his reputation as a rising talent.
The HCF president, Professor Stathis Efstathopoulos, stated:
“Nikolas Theodorou’s victory is a milestone for Greek chess and a source of inspiration for all young people who love the top intellectual sport.
On behalf of the Federation, we express our warmest congratulations to Nikolas, who, with his talent, his hard work, his successes and his ethos, honours our country internationally.”
The mayor of Rethymno, Giorgos Marinakis, and the deputy mayor for sports, Nikos Provias, both expressed their warm congratulations to Theodorou.
“We are proud of the Rethymno champion. He is an example to follow and a source of inspiration for all young people who love the top intellectual sport,” said Marinakis.
Provias added:
“Nikolas Theodorou, with his talent and obviously with his hard work, dedication, ethos and fighting spirit, honours Rethymno and our country internationally.”
