Zvonko Vranesic

Zvonko Vranesic (born 4 October 1938, Zagreb) is a Croatian–Canadian International Master of chess. He is an electrical engineer, a university professor, and a developer of computer chess software.

Vranesic won the Junior Championship of Yugoslavia in 1957. He immigrated to Canada in October 1958. He graduated in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto, earning bachelor and doctoral degrees. He began competing with success in Canadian chess tournaments, soon after his arrival. Vranesic won the Toronto City Championship in 1959, and repeated in 1967, 1970, and 1972. He won the Ontario Open Championship in 1959 and 1963 (source: David Cohen's Canadian Chess site). Vranesic placed 2nd, to Pal Benko, at the 1964 Canadian Open Chess Championship. He represented Canada in the Interzonal at Amsterdam 1964, but placed 24th (last). However, his game was improving with the chance to compete at high levels. He tied for first place at the Closed Canadian Chess Championship, Pointe Claire 1969 (http://www.chessmetrics.com, the Zvonko Vranesic player file). But he lost the playoff match to Duncan Suttles.

He represented Canada at five Chess Olympiads; here are his detailed results, from olimpbase.org:
* In 1964, he played at third board at 16th Olympiad in Tel Aviv (+4 –6 =5).
* In 1966, he played at second board at 17th Olympiad in Havana (+6 –2 =9).
* In 1970, he played at third board at 19th Olympiad in Siegen (+7 –4 =5).
* In 1972, he played at third board at 20th Olympiad in Skopje (+4 –0 =10).
* In 1980, he played at first reserve board at 24th Olympiad in La Valletta (+4 –1 =3).

In 1970, he scored a Grandmaster norm at Siegen. He also served as the captain of the 1980 Canadian team. His totals in Olympiad play for Canada are (+25 -13 =32), for 58.6 per cent.

Dr. Zvonko Vranesic now works as a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto. He was a co-developer (provided chess input) of Chute 1 (later Chute 1.2), a computer chess program which competed in the North American Computer Championships (1974–77) and World Computer Championship 1977. He has been virtually retired from serious chess competition since the early 1990s.

Vranesic was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1969, and the IMC title in 1973.

Notable chess games

* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132287, Zvonko Vranesic vs Leonid Stein, Tel Aviv Olympiad 1964, Modern Benoni Defence (A78), 1-0] Vranesic catches the Soviet champion Stein in an incorrect tactic, gains an advantage, then pursues it relentlessly.
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1037439, Zvonko Vranesic vs Lawrence Day, Canadian Zonal Championship, Toronto 1972, Modern Benoni Defence (A79), 1-0] A hard grind between Toronto's top two players eventually goes to the veteran.
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1434722, David Levy vs Zvonko Vranesic, Lone Pine 1975, Sicilian Defence, Velimirovic Attack (B89), 0-1] The Scot Levy, a well-known chess author and Master, tries the ultra-sharp Velimirovic Attack, but finds his plans dashed.
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1131129, Zvonko Vranesic vs Kevin Spraggett, Canadian Zonal Championship, Montreal 1981, King's Indian Defence, Saemisch Variation (E84), 1-0] The rising star Spraggett learns that Vranesic is a guru of King's Indian formations.
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1390742, Vladimir Tukmakov vs Zvonko Vranesic, Mississauga Croatia Club International 1990, Modern Benoni Defence (A73), 0-1] The Soviet professional Grandmaster has to concede defeat to the amateur Vranesic.

References