Siaperas Triantafyllos (August 1, 1931 – February 25, 1994) dedicated his life to the promotion of chess in Greece as a player, problem composer, journalist, and author. He achieved success in every field he pursued and is remembered as a decent, highly knowledgeable man with an exceptional memory and a polite teaching style.
He held the Greek record for blindfold chess, playing on six boards simultaneously.
Until his early twenties, Siaperas lived in Yugoslavia, where he composed chess problems and taught composition. International Grandmaster in composition Milan Vuksevich frequently acknowledged him as a mentor. In his book Chess by Milan (1981), Vuksevich wrote:
“Great teachers never die – they are the only life form which reincarnates! … Trandaphilos Siaperas, friend of the family… was the problem editor of Belgrade’s ‘Sah’ from 1946 to 1951. He had a gift to hide his superiority while giving you the knowledge. He played ferocious attacks and created beautiful Bristols and reciprocal effects.”
Move to Greece and Competitive Success
Siaperas settled in Greece in 1952. For nearly fifteen years he played in Thessaloniki with the club Enossi Skakiston Thessalonikis. He remained undefeated in 110 games across local championships and cup tournaments, finishing first every time.
In 1956 he became Greek Chess Champion for the first time and earned the title of National Master. He represented Greece on first board at the 12th Chess Olympiad in Moscow.
First Greek International Master
In 1968, Siaperas became the first Greek player to achieve the title of International Master (IM), sharing eighth place at the international tournament Acropolis 1968 with Lazaros Vyzantiadis.
Although he topped the selection trials for the national team, he was assigned to second board at the 18th Chess Olympiad in Lugano, Switzerland. Known for his strong theoretical preparation and positional style of play, he competed successfully at the highest level.
Author and Editor
In August 1967, Siaperas published the first major chess book written in Greek: Chess: Complete Development of Theory and Its Practical Application, Volume I (356 pages). The work systematically covered openings, middlegames and endgames and served as a self-teaching manual for two generations of Greek chess players.
From May 1968 to July 1969 he also served as chief editor of the monthly chess magazine O Skakistis (issues 6–19).
Siaperas Triantafyllos left a lasting mark on Greek chess through his playing strength, educational work, and lifelong dedication to the game.