Hans Tikkanen is a Swedish international chess Grandmaster and five-time Swedish Chess Champion. Born on February 6, 1985, in Lund, Sweden, Tikkanen learned to play chess when he was six years old. He won his first Swedish Chess Championship in 2011 and defended his title annually from 2012-2014. The only year he didn't win the championship was in 2015 when he didn't participate.
Tikkanen achieved the Grandmaster title in 2010 by meeting specific performance requirements at international chess tournaments. These included the Makita Tournament in Norway, where he scored four wins and six draws, as well as the Rilton Cup in Stockholm.
Tikkanen's 2011 victory at the Swedish Chess Championship saw him defeat Swedish chess legend, Ulf Andersson, a player known for being difficult to defeat.
In 2013, Tikkanen competed in the FIDE World Cup, one of the game's most prestigious events. However, his journey ended in the second round, where he was defeated by eventual.
Tikkanen is known for his over-the-board (OTB) and online chess success. In addition to his Grandmaster title, Tikkanen received an International Master title in 2007, which is a prerequisite to becoming a Grandmaster. Outside the world of chess, Hans Tikkanen is a Master of Science in Mathematics.
He has not played much competitive chess since 2017 but maintains his Grandmaster status because the title is awarded for life.