National Archives of Iceland
The Speed Chess Tournament of the National Archives of Iceland and the Icelandic Chess Federation
20th January 2026
On Friday, 23 January, a speed chess tournament will be held under the auspices of the National Archives of Iceland and the Icelandic Chess Federation. The tournament is by invitation only, but interested visitors are welcome to attend and watch the event in the National Archive's Reading Room at Laugavegur 162. It is expected that there will be around twenty competitors.
The primary occasion for the tournament is the handover of the Icelandic Chess Federation’s original archival records to the National Archives of Iceland for permanent preservation. The tournament is also held in connection with Chess Day on 26 January, which marks the birthday of Friðrik Ólafsson, Iceland’s first chess grandmaster. The image above shows a postage stamp issued in 2008 in honour of Friðrik Ólafsson.
The chess tournament will take place in the reading room of the National Archives of Iceland at Laugavegur 162 and will begin at 3:30 p.m. It is scheduled to conclude at around 5:30 p.m. The event is open to the public, space permitting.