Grandmaster Dejan Antic – Biography

Born on December 9, 1968. in a small town Jagodina, 140km away from the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, where he lives today. He learnt from his father the first chess steps at the age of 5. And as late as 13 he got actively engaged in chess; one rainy day and going to the local chess club changed his life and the love for that ancient game still lasts.

He compensated the late engagement in the game of chess and the time without computers by his hard work and dedication. The first results appeared later. At a tournament in the Military Club in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, March 1988. (at the time Belgrade Open) came as an unknowm master candidate and among 199 players, 4 grandmasters, 7 intermasters, 12 FIDE masters, 3 national masters and 99 master candidates won the first prize. Then the call and transfer to one of the best-known clubs in the world followed, chess club Partizan from Belgrade. Playing and learning from such chess legends like Gligoric, Ivkov, Matulovic, Sahovic left an unforgettable trace in his chess development. The following year, 1989, as a FIDE master, participated at the open tournament in Pula, Yugoslavia, one of the strongest open tournaments in the world at the time and among 500 players was one of the most successful Yugoslav players and ranking close to the top. Since then he successfully played at tournaments all over the world, most of which are described in the section about his chess biography. During his career he played against many world top players such as Carlsen, Caruana, Aronian, Leko, Wojtaszek, Beliavsky, etc. In 1991 his intermaster title was ackowledge. During 1998 - 2000 achieved the best results in Yugoslavia and in 2000. his grandmaster title was acknowledged. In the same year he became the vicechampion of the country, a participant at the zone tournament for the world championship and the candidate for the national team. Due to some life circumstances he could not advance further in chess and since 2001. he has actively turned to coaching. His experience he transfers to his students, using the combined methods of Russian and former Yugoslav chess schools. From 2003 – 2008, with breaks, stayed in Australia and from 2009 – 2013 he worked as a chess coach in Greece as the firs coach in Kavala where he fully developmed his coaching methods and as the crown of success, his students won two world titles, twice in a row, 2012 – 2013. In 2005. FIDE awarded him the title FIDE trainer and in 2015 the highest title FIDE Senior Trainer. More on his trainer success given in the section about his trainer biography. Alongside his trainer work, he also writes. Besides writing for „Chess Review (Sahovski Informator)“ since 2007, he regularly publishes expert theoretical articles for the world best known magazine „Yearbook“ in Holland, and 2013-2014 for the German Chessbase Magazine. He is the co-author of two well-known books „The Modern French“ in 2012 and „The Modern Bogo“ in 2014.