Biography

Spanish Grandmaster (1988). Started chess at 7 but didn’t get major success until the 90’s. He became then the best Spanish player since the legendry Arturo Pomar. Winner of Las Palmas 1987, Palma 1991, Logrona 1991, Pamplona 1991 and 2004, Lisbon 1991, Madrid 1996. Became eight times national champion: 1989 (co), 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010. A participant in 10 Olympiads since 1986. Lost two matches vs. Vladimir Kramnik and Viswanathan Anand by 4,5-1,5 and drew 4-4 in 1993 with Ljubomir Ljubojević and 1-1 in 2008 with the software world chess champion Deep Junior. A participant in two  Interzonals in 1990 and 1993 and in the 1997 World Chess Championship. Coach since 2000, he launched the online chess school - La Escuela de Ajedrez de Miguel Illescas -(EDAMI) and became chief editor of the Spanish monthly magazine Peon de Rey. In 1997, he was appointed to the IBM-led team that prepared the super-computer Deep Blue in the build up to a second match with Garry Kasparov. Later he joint Vladimir Kramnik as a second for his world championship clashes against Garry Kasparov (2000), Peter Leko (2004) and Vaselin Topalov (2006). Best ELO: 2640 in 1996.