Introduction
Ján Markoš (born July 2, 1985 in Banská Bystrica) is a Slovak chess Grandmaster and three-time national champion.
Markoš learned to play chess from his sister at age six. He was trained by Štefan Blaho, Róbert Tibenský and Ľubomír Ftáčnik. He graduated in Philosophy and Evangelical theology in Prague.
He is a regular contributor to the Moderný šach magazine, as well as the Novoborský šachový server and the ChessFriends.com News section.
Career
In 1997, Markoš became Slovak Under-12 champion and subsequently U14 and U16. In 2000, he became the European Under-16 Champion and won for the first time the Slovak Chess Championship in Zvolen. Markoš was awarded the title of International Master in 2001. He finished second in the national championships of 2006, behind Tomáš Petrík, and 2007, behind Sergei Movsesian. In 2007, Markoš gained the Grandmaster title. He won the Slovak championship in 2011 and 2012.
In 2012 Markoš won the 2nd Riga Technical University Open.
Team competitions
He played for the Slovak national team at the Chess Olympiads of 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2014, at the European Team Chess Championship of 2001 in León, Spain, at the European Under-18 Team Chess Championship in 2000 and 2001, and at the Mitropa Cups of 2002, 2008 and 2014.
He also plays in the Slovak Extraleague for "Slovan Bratislava", in the Czech Extraliga for "Novoborský ŠK" (formerly for "Zlín"), in the German Bundesliga for "SF Berlin" (formerly "Bindbach"), in the Austrian Bundensliga for "Lackenbach" (formerly "Pamhagen").