Career
Elsness plays for the chess club in Moss. He has represented Norway three times in the Chess Olympiad, 1996 (second reserve), 2000 (board two) and 2004 (second reserve). Apart from chess, Elsness is a medical doctor.
Elsness was away from chess after dropping out of the Gausdal Classics tournament in 2001.
The arbiter Hans Olav Lahlum postponed the decision and watched the game"s progress before granting Trygstad"s claim when his time expired. Elsness played round 6, but dropped out of the tournament in protest against the decision in the Trygstad game.
Elsness" return to organized chess came in 2004, where he finished fourth in the Norwegian championship. Elsness" first Norwegian Chess Championship came in 2008.
Elsness and Jon Ludvig Hammer both finished with 6.5/9 points in the main event in Tønsberg in July.
The play-off between the two players was arranged September 26–27 in Moss.