Friðrik Ólafsson is an Icelandic chess Grandmaster. Born on January 26, 1935, he was the first Icelandic player to earn the title of International Grandmaster from FIDE, the international chess federation. Ólafsson was awarded the title in 1958, after finishing in joint third-fifth place at the Interzonal tournament in Portorož, Slovenia.
Ólafsson's career in chess is marked by several significant achievements. He competed for the World Chess Championship five times, and has won the Icelandic Chess Championship multiple times. At the 1958 Interzonal tournament, he played a key role in preventing Bobby Fischer from advancing to the Candidates Tournament. Ólafsson also served as president of FIDE from 1978-82.
Since retiring from competitive chess, he has remained involved in the game as an organizer and official. He served as president of the Icelandic Chess Federation and as a member of FIDE's appeals committee. He was also the arbiter for several high-profile matches, such as the World Chess Championship 1972 match between Fischer and Boris Spassky.