Leif Erlend Johannessen
Encyclopedia
Leif Erlend Johannessen, born 1980, is a Norwegian chess
player, and Norway's fifth International Grandmaster
. He received his title in 2002. He picked up his first norm in Oslo
, the second at Bermuda
and finally the third in the Sigeman tournament in Malmö
. Johannessen has yet to win the Norwegian championship
, the closest he has come is second place in 1999 after losing the play-off 0-2 to Berge Østenstad
. Johannessen did win the Norwegian blitz chess
championship the same year however.
Johannessen usually plays 1.d4 when he is White. With Black, Johannessen employs a variety of defenses including the Sicilian Defence
and Caro-Kann Defence
against 1.e4 and the Queen's Gambit Declined
, Slav Defense
, or Semi-Slav Defense
against 1.d4.
Johannessen, often nicknamed "Leffi", writes the column "Leffis lille lure" (Leffi's little smart one) for the official Norwegian chess magazine Norsk Sjakkblad. Johannessen is a member of the Oslo chess club Oslo Schakselskap.
Johannessen is also a lawyer and seems to have put in less time in chess over the last few years.
Johannessen is an honorary member of the Portuguese amateur team Mata de Benfica and played in the Portuguese First League Team Championship in the season 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 for this team.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0–0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0–0 Bg4 13.Bg5 Qe6 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Qd7 16.d5 Na6 17.Qe2 Nc5 18.e5 Rae8 19.Rfd1 f6 20.Be3 Rc8 21.d6 b6 22.Bxc5 Rxc5 23.e6 Qc8 24.dxe7 Re8 25.Rd8 Rxd8 26.exd8=Q+ Qxd8 27.e7 Qe8 28.Qe6+ Kh8 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Qxc8 Qxc8 31.Rd8+, Black resigns
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...
player, and Norway's fifth International Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
. He received his title in 2002. He picked up his first norm in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, the second at Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and finally the third in the Sigeman tournament in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. Johannessen has yet to win the Norwegian championship
Norwegian Chess Championship
The Norwegian Chess Championship is an annual tournament held in Norway during the month of July, in order to determine the national chess champion. The tournament is held at different venues each year as part of the Landsturnering...
, the closest he has come is second place in 1999 after losing the play-off 0-2 to Berge Østenstad
Berge Østenstad
Berge Østenstad is a Norwegian chess player and Norway's sixth International Grandmaster. Østenstad plays for the chess club in Asker. He appears on the official FIDE rating list as "Ostenstad, Berge"....
. Johannessen did win the Norwegian blitz chess
Blitz chess
Fast chess, also known as blitz chess, lightning chess, sudden death, speed chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60 to 180 minutes per player.-Overview:The different...
championship the same year however.
Johannessen usually plays 1.d4 when he is White. With Black, Johannessen employs a variety of defenses including the Sicilian Defence
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
and Caro-Kann Defence
Caro-Kann Defence
The Caro-Kann Defence is a chess opening —a common defense against the King's Pawn Opening characterised by the moves:The usual continuation isfollowed by 3.Nc3 , 3.Nd2 , 3.exd5 , or 3.e5 . The classical variation has gained much popularity...
against 1.e4 and the Queen's Gambit Declined
Queen's Gambit Declined
The Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
, Slav Defense
Slav Defense
The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be explored extensively...
, or Semi-Slav Defense
Semi-Slav Defense
The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
against 1.d4.
Johannessen, often nicknamed "Leffi", writes the column "Leffis lille lure" (Leffi's little smart one) for the official Norwegian chess magazine Norsk Sjakkblad. Johannessen is a member of the Oslo chess club Oslo Schakselskap.
Johannessen is also a lawyer and seems to have put in less time in chess over the last few years.
Johannessen is an honorary member of the Portuguese amateur team Mata de Benfica and played in the Portuguese First League Team Championship in the season 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 for this team.
Sample Game
- White: Leif Erlend Johannessen
- Black: Hikaru NakamuraHikaru NakamuraHikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....
- Opening: Grünfeld DefenceGrünfeld DefenceThe 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...
, Exchange Variation - Played at BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
January 28, 2002, round 7
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 0–0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0–0 Bg4 13.Bg5 Qe6 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Qd7 16.d5 Na6 17.Qe2 Nc5 18.e5 Rae8 19.Rfd1 f6 20.Be3 Rc8 21.d6 b6 22.Bxc5 Rxc5 23.e6 Qc8 24.dxe7 Re8 25.Rd8 Rxd8 26.exd8=Q+ Qxd8 27.e7 Qe8 28.Qe6+ Kh8 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Qxc8 Qxc8 31.Rd8+, Black resigns