23-year-old GM Jorden van Foreest has, for the last couple of years, been one of the Dutch top players.
Already in 2013, he won the U-14 European Junior Championship, and in 2016, he won the Dutch Championship for the first time. In 2017, he finished 5th in the World Junior Championship, half a point behind winner Aryan Tari.
In 2021, his rating for the first time has reached above 2700, after winning the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk an Zee (after winning the playoff against Anish Giri). This was the first time a Dutch player won in Wijk an Zee since Jan Timman in 1985. He also won the 2021 TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament.
He is participating in the TePe Sigeman Chess Tournament for the second time.
10 quick questions:
1) How many years have you played chess professionally?
4 years.
2) At what age did you learn how to play chess?
At the age of 6 years.
3) Who taught you how to play chess?
My father.
4) What was your first big tournament success (tournament win or similar)?
Winning the Open Dutch Championships until 10 years old in 2009. I was 10.
5) Do you sometimes also participate in other sports/games? If so, which and at what level?
I like doing other sports such as football or table tennis, but unfortunately I am not good at them.
6) Do you have any family members or relatives that also play chess? If so, who and at what level?
My brother Lucas is a GM, and my sister Machteld is around 2200 strength.
7) What would you be doing today, if you did not play chess professionally?
Most likely study in university, perhaps computer science.
8) How many languages do you speak?
English and Dutch.
9) Who, in your opinion, is the greatest chess player of all time? Why?
Kasparov. The way he dominated over his contemporaries was unprecedented.
10) What do you hope to achieve in the 2022 TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament?
I hope to defend my title!