O’Kelly de Galway, Alberic (17.05.1911-03.10.1980.)

First Belgian chess Grandmaster (1956) and International Arbiter is born in Anderlecht, Belgium. International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster (1962) and the third ICCF World Champion in correspondence chess (1959–1962). He was also a chess writer.

Belgian chess champion thirteen times between 1937 and 1959.

Best results:

Beverwijk in 1946, 1st; Zonal at Hilversum, 1st; Leeuwarden 1947, 1st; Sao Paulo 1948, 1st; Saarbrüken 1950, 1st; Dortmund 1951, 1st;  Dublin 1954, 1st; Ostende 1956, 1st: Tarragona 1957, 1st: Zurich 1960, 1st: Utrecht 1961, 1st: Malaga 1963 and 1967, 1st and Palma 1967, 1st.
His main success came in 1962 when he won the title of ICCF (correspondence) World Champion.

O’Kelly played eight Olympiads from 1950 till 1968. A talented speaker and polyglot (he spoke perfectly eight languages).
Chief Arbiter in two World Championship finals in 1966 and 1969 and finally in 1974, for the Candidates finals Karpov-Korchnoi in Moscow.

In 1958, the Belgian government awarded him the decoration of the Golden Palm of the Order of the Crown for his achievement in chess.

O’Kelly was made an International Arbiter in 1962 and was the chief arbiter of the world championship matches between Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky in 1966 and 1969. In 1974, he was the arbiter for the Moscow Karpov–Korchnoi match.

He spoke French, Dutch, German, English, Spanish, and Russian fluently, and also some Italian. He published many books and articles, often in languages other than French. As a youth, he took lessons from the legendary Akiba Rubinstein.

The O’Kelly Variation in the Sicilian Defence: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 is named after him.

Author of 34 Mal Schachlogik (1965), Tigran Petrosian World Champion (1965), The Sicilian Flank Game (1969), Assess Your Chess Fast (1976).

O’Kelly died of leukemia.

Peak rating: –