Juan Manuel Bellón López

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Juan Manuel Bellón López
Bellón López in 2009
Born (1950-05-08) 8 May 1950 (age 74)
Spouse
(m. 1988)
ChildrenAnna Cramling Bellón
Chess career
CountrySpain (until 2017)
Sweden (since 2017)[1]
TitleGrandmaster (1978)
FIDE rating2270 (July 2023)
Peak rating2510 (July 1991)

Juan Manuel Bellón López (born 8 May 1950) is a Spanish chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster (1978). He is a five-time Spanish Chess Champion (1969, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1982), Chess Olympiad individual silver medal winner (1978), and European Team Chess Championship (1989) individual bronze medal winner.

Biography

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From the late 1960s to the mid-1990s, Bellón López was one of the top Spanish chess players. In 1969,[2] 1971, 1974, 1977 and 1982 he won Spanish Chess Championship five times. Juan Manuel Bellón López has participated in international chess tournaments many times, achieving successes including first place or shared first place in: Torremolinos (1978),[3] Stockholm Rilton Cup (1986/87), Barcelona (1988), Terrassa (1990), Castell-Platja d'Aro (1994), Santa Clara (1999), Varadero (2000).

Bellón López played for Spain in the Chess Olympiads:[4]

Bellón López played for Spain in the European Team Chess Championships:[5]

  • In 1970, at fifth board in the 4th European Team Chess Championship in Kapfenberg (+0, =1, -5),
  • In 1989, at second board in the 9th European Team Chess Championship in Haifa (+4, =3, -1) and won individual bronze medal.

Also Bellón López three times participated in Clare Benedict Chess Cup (1970, 1974–1977) and in team competition won gold (1970) medal.[6]

In 1974, he was awarded the FIDE International Master (IM) title and received the FIDE Grandmaster (GM) title four years later. Bellón López is also a FIDE Developmental Instructor (2014). He is also known for inventing the Bellon Gambit in 1969 and it is still used by many players. One of his chess heroes was Mikhail Tal, former world champion for his creative and aggressive style of play. Juan finally beat him in a match in 1984 in a very memorable game.

Personal life

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He is married to Swedish chess FIDE Grandmaster Pia Cramling,[7] and their daughter Anna Cramling Bellón (born 2002) also plays chess and has a chess YouTube channel.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "FIDE Player transfers". ratings.fide.com.
  2. ^ "Utlandet" (PDF). Tidskrift för Schack. No. 10. December 1969. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Tarjan 4th at Torremolinos" (PDF). Chess Life & Review. July 1978. p. 349.
  4. ^ "OlimpBase :: Men's Chess Olympiads :: Juan Manuel Bellón López". www.olimpbase.org.
  5. ^ "OlimpBase :: European Men's Team Chess Championship :: Juan Manuel Bellón López". www.olimpbase.org.
  6. ^ "OlimpBase :: Clare Benedict Chess Cup :: Juan Manuel Bellón López". www.olimpbase.org.
  7. ^ Frey, Eduard (23 April 2023). "Ten Highlights in the Life and Career of Chess Grandmaster Pia Cramling". chessbase.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Cramling Bellon, Anna FIDE Chess Profile - Players Arbiters Trainers". ratings.fide.com.
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