dejan maksimovic biography en

dejan maksimovic

International Chess Master Dejan “Max” Maksimovic was born October 2, 1970 in Pristina, Serbia. He began to show interest in this ancient game played on 64 squares as a five year old boy. With his parents he moved to Smederevska Palanka, a city recognized in the former Yugoslavia and Europe for having a strong chess tradition. Thanks to the support from his father who was always beside him, his teacher Srbu Petru (“Bembi”) and his experience playing at the professional chess club “GOSA,” Max managed to cross all levels of Serbian chess (pioneer, cadet, junior and senior) and come out as a winner.

from 1977 - 1982 1st in many pioneer tournaments
from 1982 - 1984 1st in many cadet tournaments
from 1984 - 1986 1st in many junior tournaments
At the age of fourteen he became the youngest player on the team “GOSA”, playing in the professional league.
In 1987 he shared 5th place at the European Championship in Romania.
One of his greatest accomplishments in that period was in 1996 when he became Senior Champion of Serbia.

During the next few years he played in Serbia and Europe where, especially in Italy, he became a very well known player with many great results.

- In 1998-1999 the USCF sent him an invitation letter to participate in many tournaments in the U.S.
- In 1999 he was 2nd in the Illinois Open.
- The same year he shared 1st-2nd in the Midwest Class.
- In 2000 he became Blitz Champion of Iowa. - During 2000-2002 he won dozens of tournaments at the Elmhurst Chess Club and other clubs in the Chicago area. - From 2003 till 2005 won three norm for International Chess Master and officialy from 1st july his IM title was recognized from FIDE. - In 2006 won first GM norm.

Certainly Mr. Maksimovic’s greatest success is achieving 33rd place on the W.B.C.A (World Blitz Chess Association) of players.
The fact that he had so much success in this country gave him the motivation and desire to start the battle of his life, how to stay permanently in this country. He accomplished something that no other chess player had achieved when, in 2000, he received an “O-1” visa. This visa is only given for extraordinary ability to those who are the best of the best in their field, like NBA stars Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc.

Mr. Maksimovic has had tremendous success teaching in schools, colleges, chess camps and privately. Many of his students are among the top chess players in Illinois and the U.S. Mr. Maksimovic has dedicated his life to chess and to his students and his biggest joy and reward is to see his students reach an elite level. It is almost unbelievable that Mr. Maksimovic’s students have won between 2000-2500 trophies. This unprecedented success in U.S chess teaching has been achieved in a very short period of time.

His final goals are to have the first Serbian - American chess school, a school recognized around the world for its champions, and to become a Grandmaster, the highest title in chess.

There is no doubt that this young man has made a deep impact in Illinois and U.S chess and he will continue to do so for the rest of his life.