By Andrey Avsitidiysky
Cyprus joined the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1961. The first national championship was held in the same year. The first grandmaster on the island appeared 55 years later. Andreas Kelires’ talent gave him the opportunity to enter the world chess elite. At the age of 15-18, he repeatedly defeated grandmasters with a rating of 2600+. One of the Nicosia native’s “victims” was a participant in the