15 Facts About Eduardo Iturrizaga

Eduardo Patricio Iturrizaga Bonelli was born on 1 November 1989 and is a Venezuelan-born Spanish chess player.

Eduardo Iturrizaga was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2008, making him the first Venezuelan to achieve this.

Eduardo Iturrizaga competed in the FIDE World Cup in 2007,2009,2013, and 2015.

Eduardo Iturrizaga is a four-time Venezuelan champion and has represented his country at eight Chess Olympiads.

Eduardo Iturrizaga moved to Peru when he was seven, and it was upon his return to Venezuela at age nine he started to take the game seriously.

Eduardo Iturrizaga won four consecutive national championships from 2005 to 2008, and has been playing for Venezuela at the Chess Olympiad since 2004.

Eduardo Iturrizaga was set to face Peter Svidler in the first round, but forfeited the first game due to getting lost between Russian airports.

Eduardo Iturrizaga finished second in the 2008 Ibero-American Championship in Linares, Spain, losing to Julio Granda in the final.

Eduardo Iturrizaga was the last person to arrive at the tournament, had to play one game at night, and nearly arrived late for one of the matches.

Eduardo Iturrizaga was knocked out by Baadur Jobava in the second round, having defeated Sergei Tiviakov 3.5 - 2.5 in the first round.

Eduardo Iturrizaga placed fourth in the 2010 Ibero-American Championship held in Mexico City.

Eduardo Iturrizaga defaulted the third-fourth playoff, despite winning the first game, after arriving an hour late for the second.

Eduardo Iturrizaga competed in the Chess World Cup 2013, where he was knocked out in the first round by Alexander Onischuk.

In 2017, Eduardo Iturrizaga won the 21st Hogeschool Zeeland Open in Vlissingen, Netherlands on tiebreak from Jorden Van Foreest.

Eduardo Iturrizaga admires Bobby Fischer and is a follower of Levon Aronian's playstyle.