Vlatko Kovačević is a Croatian chess grandmaster and writer.
Kovačević was born on 26 March 1942 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, and is best known for his two-time win of the championship of Yugoslavia in 1973 and 1980. He was awarded the grandmaster title in 1977 by the international federation for chess.
His career includes a number of international tournament victories, and he was also a contender in the World Championship Interzonal in 1980. Competing against renowned players, such as Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov, he played some noted games and had a considerable impact on Yugoslav and Croatian chess. Kovačević was ranked among the world’s top 50 players throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also won a bronze medal in the Chess Olympiad in 1980.
In addition to playing, Kovačević contributed to the development of chess as a writer. He has written an autobiographical work, 'od sumraka do svitanja' (“From Dusk to Dawn&rdquo😉, numerous articles in chess magazines, and a book where he shares his favorite chess matches. He also served as an editor of the chess magazine, "Šahovski Informator," from 1980 to 2003.
After retiring from playing, Kovačević began working as a chess trainer, and since then, he has been the coach for several Yugoslav and Croatian national teams. He has made a significant contribution to the education of young chess masters.
In his hometown, Zagreb, an open tournament known as the "Vlatko Kovačević Grandmaster Tournament" was established in his honor.