Joel Lautier

Born April 12, 1973 in Toronto

Member quarter-finals of the FIDE world championship contenders.
The winner of international tournaments Polanica Zdroj (1991), Pamplona (1992), Amsterdam (1995), Ubeda (1997) and others.
Grandmaster since 1990.

Professional rating of 1 November 2001. - 2584
FIDE Rating October 1, 2001. - 2653

France - a country with a rich chess tradition. However, many years old game dragged it truly miserable existence. It took the success of a native of the distant, not even the French-speaking Toronto, a child of mixed parentage, and Japanese women Frenchman Joel Lautier, that in the 90's in the country of cheese and wine began an unprecedented chess boom. Since the rules Joel met at the age of three. It soon became apparent that the boy's great abilities. In fifteen years, Joel became World Junior champion. In the Soviet Union in those years there were many skeptics, but after playing a confident young Frenchman on a very tight tournament in Sochi (where Joel has divided the second place), they had to bite their tongues.

Generally Lautier many links with our country. Suffice it to say that his wife - from the former USSR. Mid-nineties is marked by the onset Lautier on all fronts. In 1993, Joel has a long-standing dream of the French chess fans - he becomes a contender. However, already in the quarterfinals Frenchman concedes Timmanu. 'Step is the hardest' seemed to many in the west, yes, and probably the most Joц?l. However, with the world championship from the Frenchman has not yet formed. Here and in the last FIDE world championship, but in the first round tripped on Leitцёo. Joel still had a hand in the conquest of the chess crown - the Frenchman was one of the seconds of the fourteenth world champion, with whom he has excellent personal relationships.

Lately it has become fashionable to speak of untwisted Lautier unprecedented sponsorship, etc.. First, all this is more in the past, and secondly, as a chess player does not get the ball rolling, but if he will play all in a row, then no one will be interesting. Incidentally, it was his birthday, at a tournament in Engen-le-Bene, Lautier has a chance to prove that 'strip horseshoe' with him is clearly premature. As noted in its forecast of our expert Maxim Notkin, Joel to demonstrate that the 28 years for a chess player does not age!