Biography of Loek Van Wely

Name:	Loek Van Wely
Year of birth:	1972
Country:	NED
Title:	GM
(Current!?) Elo:	2641
Website:	-
On Fide playerlist:	yes
Biography	“6-time-Loek”, so nicknamed after another strong showing and victory at the Dutch championship, was leading his national team on board one for the gold in the European national champs in Gothenburg in 2005. With + 1 in 2003, 50% in 2004 and 2005, Loek signaled that gone are the days when the sympathetic and lighthearted Dutchman was the regular tail-ender in Corus. His results in 2005 were erratic: the above mentioned fine score here, +1 in Dortmund (shared second and only ½ point behind the winner) on the positive side; only 7.5/13 in the European individual champs and –30 or so rating points in league play on the negative side. Still, Loek who over the years won more open tournaments around the world that even he may recall, is a fearless player who doesn’t shy from a head-on battle against anyone from the top down. Recently, van Wely said that he was unsatisfied by his games in Corus last year, despite having a good result, as his preparation wasn’t up to snuff, and he vows to remedy this for the 2006 edition. To paraphrase from his own words from a recent interview: he is combining the fighting spirit of a ‘player’, and the ‘scientific’ aspect of a responsible person. Always the locals’ popular one, I am sure Dutch chess fans are eagerly waiting to see how their hero will score.
Tournaments:
Tournament (19) Final ranking Hoogovenstoernooi 1992, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 9 Hoogovenstoernooi 1993, Knock Out groep, Knock Out 17 Hoogovenstoernooi 1994, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 6 Hoogovenstoernooi 1995, Knock Out groep, Knock Out 17 Hoogovenstoernooi 1996, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 13 Hoogovenstoernooi 1997, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 8 Hoogovenstoernooi 1998, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 13 Hoogovenstoernooi 1999, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 12 Corustoernooi 2000, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 14 Corustoernooi 2001, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 10 Corustoernooi 2002, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 14 Corustoernooi 2003, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 4 Corustoernooi 2004, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 6 Corustoernooi 2005, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 8 Corustoernooi 2006, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 10 Corustoernooi 2007, Grootmeester A Groep, Round Robin 10 Corustoernooi 2008, Grootmeester A Groep, Round Robin 12 Corustoernooi 2009, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 8 Corustoernooi 2010, Grootmeester A groep, Round Robin 11