GMLubomir Ftacnik

Ľubomír Ftáčnik was born in Bratislava in 1957. He won the 1976-77 European Junior Championship and became an international master during that season. FIDE awarded him the grandmaster title in 1980. He won the Czechoslovak championship four times, in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1985. At the 1982 Olympiad in Lucerne he helped Czechoslovakia win team silver.

Ftáčnik shared first place at Cienfuegos in 1980 and Dortmund in 1981. His later tournament victories included Esbjerg in 1982, Baden-Baden in 1987, Vienna in 1990 and Surfers Paradise in 2000. In 2006 he shared first at the U.S. National Open and won the South Carolina Open. His work beyond competition includes teaching at chess camps and coauthoring Winning the Won Game with Danny Kopec, published in 2004.