Never outstanding a cadet, the biggest of the chess playing Gabrielsen-brothers (reportedly there is a third not playing one, which is even bigger!) swept like a hurricane into Norwegian junior chess at age 17-19 with a powerful "total-chess" - attacking when allowed, and otherwise outplaying his opponents by positional means in the middle-game. His strength even at the peak was less obvious both in the openings and in the endgame, but he was then able to decide most of his games inbetween.
When crowning his success by winning one of the stronger Norwegian Junior Championship, everybody in Norwegian chess (but especially the Bergens) was waiting for his next step into the national elite and an international breakthrough. After waiting since 1993, we will all resigns our hope unless he succeeds in his mini-comeback this summer. Hopefully not only because of fast growing problems to defeat his younger brother Stig, Trond Gabrielsen already in his last year as a junior lost both some of his interess and some of the touch.
His few attempts in international tournaments then made no headway, and so his ELO stayed around 2200. As a student suddenly declaring himself to unpatient for anything slower than rapid chess, he has hardly played any individual tournament during the last five years. Against opponents below a title-holding level he has still showed some his old capacity in glimse when appearing for the Bergen team in later finals, and will do here too. Despite being bored of it he use much more time than earlier, and his openings now is a question mark as big as himself - as Black probably two!