Leif Øgaard

Leif Øgaard (born January 5 1952) is a Norwegian chess player. He is ninth Norwegian to achieve the title of Grandmaster. Øgaard has won the Norwegian Chess Championship five times, in 1974, 1975, 1979, 1985 and 1993. He gained his IM title in 1974. In 1981 and 1982, Øgaard won two tournaments at Gausdal, each netting him a GM-norm. His third and final GM-norm was won in the Norwegian team chess championship in 2006-2007 [ [http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~runed/stormestergalleriet.html#Leif Rune Djurhuus gallery of Norway's grandmasters] ] . The GM title was finally approved at FIDE's presidential board meeting in Tallin June 22-24 2007. [ [http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1389 Titles awarded at the Presidential Board Meeting in Tallinn, Estonia] FIDE's website. Retrieved June 26, 2007] Øgaard is a member of the Oslo chess club "Oslo Schackselskap".

According to ChessBase, Øgaard usually plays 1.d4, 1.c4 or 1.Nf3 when he is White. With Black he usually responds to 1.e4 with the Sicilian Defence but occasionally plays the Caro-Kann Defence or Alekhine's Defence. Against 1.d4 he usually plays the Nimzo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Defense or Queen's Gambit Declined. In the 1970s Øgaard frequently played the Grünfeld Defense.

References

* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=23594 Some of Leif Øgaard's games at Chessgames.com]
* [http://www.sjakk.net/tidligere-vinnere.html List of winners of the Norwegian Chess Championship]
* [http://www.fide.com/ratings/card.phtml?event=1500074 FIDE Rating card for Leif Øgaard]