Format
Olafsson, Helgi
GM🇮🇸FIDE 2300010· Male· Iceland· Born in 1956
Follow Helgi OlafssonTrack his monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more.
Helgi Olafsson, a 70-year-old Icelandic Grandmaster, is rated 2447 and ranked 5th among Icelandic players, and in the top 1% worldwide. He plays occasionally (7 games in the last 12 months) and had 3 career breaks: 18 months (2008–2009), 37 months (2019–2022, COVID-19 included) and 14 months (2022–2023). Recent appearances: Icelandic Team Chess Championship 2025-26 - Premier League Round 6-10 and Icelandic Team Chess Championship 2025-26 - Premier League Round 1-5. Also played 1 blitz event (including Fridriksmot Landsbankans - Islandsmotid i skak 2025) recently. His peak of 2555 was reached at age 58 (Apr 2014); he also reached World #389 in Jul 2004 and spent 45 months in Icelandic top 3, with a longest streak of 2 consecutive years.
Awarded GM in 2001 (age 45).
Current rating
2447
Standard
Rpd2496·Blz2404
All-time high
2555
−108 pts below
Apr 2014 · age 58
Apr 2014 · age 58
Activity
13
games / yr avg. · ≈1/mo
15 past 12 mo · ≈1/mo
classical only
Moderately active
classical only
Moderately active
Signature stat
#5
#5 · Icelandic players · of 451
45 months in National top 3 (2004–2023)
45 months in National top 3 (2004–2023)
Career timeline
19 entries2023
4th 65-70 player worldwide
at age 67 · rated 2481
Oct 2023
45 months in national top 3
longest streak 27 months · since Apr 2004
Jun 2023
2022
Inactive for 14 months
paused at 2491 → returned at 2481
Jul 2022
2019
3rd 60-65 player worldwide
at age 63 · rated 2511
Jun 2019
Inactive for 37 months
paused at 2511 → returned at 2491
May 2019
2014
All-time peak 2555
at age 58 · −116 from today
Apr 2014
Standard rating history
Peak
FIDE title
Threshold
First rated
Inactive period
COVID-19
Activity & highlights
Top opponent
Evolution
-5
2452 → 2447
Tournaments
3
15 games
Score
8/ 1553.3%
3W10D2L
Top 3 wins
Top 2 losses
1.[L]vsBardur Orn BirkissonFM2,233·Icelandic Team Chess Championship 2025-26 - Premier League Round 6-10·R10·-7.7
2.[L]vsBrewington HardawayGM2,522·Icelandic Team Chess Championship 2025-26 - Premier League Round 1-5·R1·-3.9
Last 12 months — tournaments
3 events| Event | Date | Score | Rank | Perf | Δ Elo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | Apr 2026 | 5.5/8 | #37 | 2509 | +8.2 |
Team | Mar 2026 | 1.5/4 | #41 | 2305 | -7.9 |
Team | Nov 2025 | 1/3 | #48 | 2323 | -5.3 |
Most-Played Opponents
vsBjorn ThorfinnssonIM
🇮🇸ISL·2343
+5 −10 =4
19 games·last met Dec 2025
View head-to-head →
vsThrostur ThorhallssonGM
🇮🇸ISL·2397
+5 −3 =8
16 games·last met Dec 2025
View head-to-head →
vsJohann HjartarsonGM
🇮🇸ISL·2467
+5 −6 =4
15 games·last met Dec 2025
View head-to-head →
vsGudmundur KjartanssonGM
🇮🇸ISL·2395
+5 −6 =4
15 games·last met Jan 2023
View head-to-head →
vsHannes StefanssonGM
🇮🇸ISL·2419
+3 −6 =4
13 games·last met Mar 2026
View head-to-head →
Rankings
/
Iceland
#5
out of 643 players
Europe
#639
in continent
World
#1,047
out of 400,000+
National ranking
Europe & World
Europe
World
Iceland
| 1 | 🇮🇸Follow Vignir Vatnar StefanssonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,540 |
| 2 | 🇮🇸Follow Hedinn SteingrimssonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,502 |
| 3 | 🇮🇸Follow Johann HjartarsonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,467 |
| 4 | 🇮🇸Follow Henrik DanielsenTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,466 |
| 5 | 2,447 | |
| 6 | 🇮🇸Follow Helgi Ass GretarssonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,420 |
| 7 | 🇮🇸Follow Hannes StefanssonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,419 |
| 8 | 🇮🇸Follow Jon Viktor GunnarssonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,414 |
| 9 | 🇮🇸Follow Karl ThorsteinsTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,407 |
| 10 | 🇮🇸Follow Jon L ArnasonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,404 |
Europe
| 1 | 🇳🇴Follow Magnus CarlsenTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,841 |
| 2 | 🇩🇪Follow Vincent KeymerTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,767 |
| 3 | 🇳🇱Follow Anish GiriTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,764 |
| 4 | 🇫🇷Follow Alireza FirouzjaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,744 |
| 5 | 🇵🇱Follow Jan-Krzysztof DudaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,739 |
| 6 | 🇭🇺Follow Richard RapportTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,729 |
| 7 | 🇳🇱Follow Jorden Van ForeestTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,728 |
| 8 | 🇫🇷Follow Maxime Vachier-LagraveTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,721 |
| 9 | 🇦🇿Follow Shakhriyar MamedyarovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,717 |
| 10 | 🇹🇷Follow Yagiz Kaan ErdogmusTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,713 |
| ... | ||
| 639 | 2,447 | |
World
| 1 | 🇳🇴Follow Magnus CarlsenTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,841 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Follow Hikaru NakamuraTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Follow Fabiano CaruanaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 4 | 🇺🇿Follow Nodirbek AbdusattorovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,777 |
| 4 | 🇺🇿Follow Javokhir SindarovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,777 |
| 6 | 🇩🇪Follow Vincent KeymerTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,767 |
| 7 | 🇳🇱Follow Anish GiriTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,764 |
| 8 | 🇮🇳Follow Erigaisi ArjunTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,761 |
| 9 | 🇺🇸Follow Wesley SoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| 9 | 🇨🇳Follow Yi WeiTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| ... | ||
| 1047 | 2,447 | |