Vasilios Kotronias is a Greek chess Grandmaster (GM) and a chess author. Born in Athens, Greece on August 25, 1964, Kotronias became a Grandmaster in 1990. He is the first ever Greek who has claimed the title of a GM. Apart from having been a professional player for many years, he also served as a trainer and a writer for over three decades.
Kotronias won the Greek Chess Championship ten times from 1986 to 2015. As a player on the Greek team, he competed in 13 Chess Olympiads and was awarded the silver medal in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Torino in 2006. He also represented his home country on a European level at the European Team Chess Championship, earning both silver and bronze medals.
Beyond his national and regional accomplishments, Kotronias enjoyed success in several international events, too. He won the Acropolis International Tournament five times between 1986 and 1996. His other international victories include the Reggio Emilia chess tournament 1993/1994, the 1998 Benidorm chess tournament, and the Biel Chess Festival in 2008 and 2009.
Kotronias moved to Cyprus and played for the Cypriot team at the 2008 and 2012 Chess Olympiads. In 2011, he earned the title of FIDE Senior Trainer.
He is recognized for his significant contribution to chess literature, having written popular books on the King's Indian, Sicilian, and Grand Prix openings. According to GM Jacob Aagaard, Kotronias’ series on the Grand Prix Attack offers "world-class analysis" and his 'Kotronias on the King’s Indian' books are some of the best opening manuals ever written.
In 2019, Kotronias revealed he was battling serious health issues and had to quit chess as a professional due to these difficulties.