In honor of FM Venci Popov

This post is honor of one of the legends of the Macedonian chess history. And Venci Popov is one of those legends of our sport in my country. He is one of the best chess players ever lived in my country. A lot of great games and achivements by Venci in his career. 

Who is FM Venci Popov?

Venci Popov was born on February 22, 1962 in Gevgelija. He was introduced to the most ancient game of chess at the age of five, and he learned the first moves in chess from his father, a tailor, Dusan Popov. While his parents are at work, he, together with his sister, Nada Popova, make a board and chess pieces from cardboard and play chess themselves.

In 1975, at the invitation of Gjorgi Proshev and several other chess enthusiasts, he and his sister became members of the then established chess club "7th November".

His achievements:

As a pioneer champion of Gevgelija, Popov in 1976 participated in the Republic Championship of Macedonia in Krushevo, where he won the 5th place together with the later grandmaster Bogdanovski who is my coach. He finished elementary school and high school, majoring in physics and chemistry, in his hometown, which is why he devoted himself more studiously to chess and began to achieve success.

In 1977, he became the youth champion of Gevgelija, while in 1978, 1979 and 1980, at the championships in Ohrid and Oteshevo, he became the youth champion of Macedonia three times one after the other. In the meantime, he also performs in several domestic and international tournaments, where he attracts the attention of chess experts with his game.

After returning from military service, in 1980, Venci Popov, now a senior, performed at the tournaments in Mavrovo, where he won the 2nd place behind the legendary Risto Nichevski, in Skopje, at the "Alkaloid" tournament, he won the third place and the title of master candidate, 1983 in Kavadarci at the championship of Macedonia shares the third place, at the Marshall Tito Cup, 1983, playing for the team of "November 7", on the first board without defeat in 7 rounds, he was declared the best player.

Venci Popov achieved his greatest success up to that time, and also the greatest success of a Macedonian chess player, at the strong international tournament in Bela Crkva, in competition with five hundred players from all over the world. Then Popov defeated a large number of Yugoslav and world grandmasters, including world champion Nona Gaprindashvili, and grandmaster Slobodan Martinović. With this result, Venci gained an international rating of 2405 points, which was the best ranking of a Macedonian chess player and among the first Yugoslav chess players.

Here are couple games of his including 1 against my coach Grand Master Vlatko Bogdanovski from his recent games:

FM Andonovski Ljubisha vs FM Venci Popov

FM Venci Popov vs GM Mitkov Nikola

FM Venci Popov vs Hadzi Popovski Zvonko

GM Stanojoski Zvonko vs FM Venci Popov

FM Venci Popov vs IM Panchevski Filip

GM Bogdanovski Vlatko vs FM Venci Popov