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Vasyl Ivanchuk’s breakthrough occurred in the late 1980s, and the main triumph was a victory on tournament in Linares in 1991, where he ahead of such grandmasters as Harry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Since then, it has remains a reputable figure in the chess world, continuing to surprise fans with their skills.
Despite the absence of the title of world champion, Ivanchuk is considered one of the most gifted chess players of their generation. On the birthday of a great chess player, we suggest to immerse themselves in history and remember how the Great Chaki became world -famous Grossmasterwhich is respected and appreciated for the creative approach to the game and inexhaustible ideas.
As it all started The Ukrainian chess player was born in Kopychyntsi in an ordinary Soviet family. Mother is a physics teacher, a father is a lawyer. In the USSR, the chess was extremely popular among young people and older people, so chekhov-chef clubs always had demand, and there were some places in the parks where there were tables with boards and there was always someone playing.
Already at the age of 10, the future Olympic champion joined “Avangard”, and his first coach was Oleg Kalinin, who brought Ivanchuk to his first success – third place at the Junior Championship of the Union of Ukrainian Championship – 1985.
In 1988, the young Grandmaster won the open championship of New York, playing all 9 rounds without defeats, which surprised all the chess observers.
“Ivanchuk has a deep understanding of the position, a good knowledge of debuts. He has never felt a shortage of time to think. It seems that Ivanchuk would be another star of Soviet chess in the near future,” the New York Times wrote about the Ukrainian newspaper next year.
Vasyl Mikhailovich himself noted that since he was born in a small town where there were no quality coaches, he studied the method of analysis of prominent Botvinnica parties.
The chess player’s career developed very rapidly, and in the same 1988 he went to the Chess Olympiad as part of the USSR national team. The tournament presented 107 teams, and together with Ivanchuk played Kasparov, Karpov, Yusupov, Belyavsky and Elvest – prominent Soviet grasmen.
Saturated on the events ‘nineties’ Interestingly, Vasyl Mikhailovich himself received this title literally on the eve of the competition. And although Ivanchuk played not the first and not the second board, to become an Olympic champion in such a company – incredible success. The chess player’s career had three victories at the Linares tournament, but one of them stands separately – 1991. If you open YouTube, after the request of our chess player, the first to fall out – “Ivanchuk – Kasparov” Ivanchuk – Kasparov.
About this tournament wrote a lot, there are even more video views of the parties, but better than the winner, no one will say about it. In 1992, Ivanchuk published a book “Super tournament in Linarez”, which is still printed and available on sale.
“Ivanchuk’s party against Kasparov is one of my favorite. He plays some crazy, giving Harry to both elephants, bypassing all his knowledge of his knowledge about Sicilian defense,” Vasyl Mikhailovich admired the British Gravriel Gavriel.
This tournament presented not only world recognition, but also an apartment. At that time, Vyacheslav Chornovil was so fond of the Grossmaster’s game that he helped Ivanchuk with the “Solution of the Housing Question”.
“For me, every new tournament is an unfulfilled dream. When it comes to an end, I begin to think about the next. And so constantly,” – Vasyl Ivanchuk – about chess.
During this period of life, Ivanchuk got married for the first time – his fiancee was known by Russian chess player Alice Gallyamova, whom they met during preparation for one of the tournaments. Subsequently, she gave Vasily Misha Mishka, but the marriage broke up in a few years.
In fact, Ivanchuk – Quite a non -public person, and it is difficult to find information about his personal life on the network: why they decided to disperse, who became the son of a famous chess player …
It was at that time that the Ukrainian began to call the Great Chaki, and the next success did not slow down – Ivanchuk made his way into the final match for the title of world champion, but sensationally gave way to his countryman – Ruslan Ponomarev with a score of 4.5: 2.5.
Despite the defeat, the political leadership of Ukraine noted the achievements of Ivanchuk with the Order of Merit of the Second Degree – “for achieving high results at the World Chess Championship and strengthening the international sports authority of the country.”
“He is a very smart man, but you never know what he will have a sea. The instability of the mood of the chess player.
Ivanchuk’s emotions that do not hide In 2008, at the Chess Olympics in Dresden Ivanchuk played the first board in the national team of Ukraine and on the eve of the last round, our team was the second, having every chance of a medal. However, having lost the Gatie Kama, the chess player was so angry because of his game that he beat the pillar on the street for a long time. This raised some questions from the organizers of the tournament, who invited Ivanchuk to a doping test.
Fortunately, the scandal did not happen at the time, because Fide clear the feeling of a Ukrainian after an unsuccessful party and his non -ideal knowledge of English, through which he did not understand the referee’s invitation to test.
From the very beginning, Vasyl Ivanchuk was very emotional, which more often than not helped the chess player. In 2009, the early departure from the World Cup became a catalyst for a fervent interview, which society perceived as a career.
“From now on, I think that in serious chess I have nothing. It is just a hobby for me. Of course, I will fulfill all the obligations under contracts and take part in certain tournaments where I promised to play.
Maybe I will start some of my tournament. I have to win somewhere in this life, “Ivanchuk said.
Of course, the passionate chess player later changed his mind, because the chess is the lion’s part of his life.
“If Ivanchuk was able to open his talent as much as possible, he would undoubtedly become a real contender for the first place in the world, but he is a very emotional player who is difficult to endure defeat, he is inclined to hurry up with important decisions when he is under pressure and sometimes a lack of motivation.
According to the prominent Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar, Ivanchuk, together with Carlsen and Ananda, are the most talented players in the world. The same opinion and three -time champion of the UK Ein Jones, who put the Ukrainian in this list in the first place.
Fortunately, it was not necessary to start a separate tournament. In 2010, Ivanchuk became a triumphant of the Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk as part of the national team of Ukraine. Then Vasyl Mikhailovich showed an incredible game, scoring 8 points out of ten possible on the first board.
It is worth noting that during this period Ivanchuk not only regularly won in various tournaments, but also joined the three strongest chess players in the world, having a rating of Elo 2776 and second only to Ananda and shopkeeper.
In 2011, Ivanchuk opened a cheech school in Lviv, whose director was the second wife of the athlete – Oksana. Interestingly, the institution is still functioning, and Vasyl Mikhailovich himself even sometimes gave workshops for children from 5 to 16 years.
The victory at the Kapablanca Memorial and the third place of the World Cup was brought by Ivanchuk the title “Chess Hetman” in 2011, which awarded the best chess player of Ukraine. For this he thanked the bronze awards of the Chess Olympiad -2012, where he showed the result +4 = 4 -2 as a result of ten parties.
Vasily Ivanchuk – World Chess Champion Ivanchuk was very fruitful in the career of Ivanchuk – a Ukrainian in his career triumphant at the Capablanca Memorial, and later won the World Rapid Championship, ahead of the additional indicators of Alexander Grishuk and Magnus Carlsen, who then became worldwide.
At the tournament, the Ukrainian still played a party with outstanding Georgian Badur Joabava at the checkers tournament. Already, the top magnus Carlsen and the organizers were waiting for Vasyl Mikhailovich to complete his game and get to the award ceremony – an unforgettable video for all times.
“In checkers, it is interesting that the rules and the audience others. I am interested in playing checkers. It happened that they played checkers with chess grandmators. In Soviet times, many chess players played high levels,” Ivanchuk said.
Unfortunately, due to financial problems, the tournament in Linarez was stopped in 2011, but there is another “favorite” Ivanchuk competition in the world – a memorial of Capablanca, where he last won in 2019. By the way, in 2024 the tournament was won by another representative of the Ukrainian chess school-Ruslan Ponomarev, who in 2002 played Ivanchuk in the match for the world championship. In the same year, Vasyl Mikhailovich and his 5.5 points out of 9 possible helped Ukraine win the silver awards of the European Championship.
How did Vasyl Mikhailovich have a case now? Recently, the Ukrainian grandmaster fought with the best chess players at the World Cup with Rapid and Blitz, but was very unfortunate in the 11th round, after which he could not contain his emotions. Then Ivanchuk played against Daniel of the people, but lost his sense of time and lost, although he had a more interesting and promising position.
“Do I miss chess? No, look at Ivanchuk. Look at how he suffers. I do not miss this sports,” – commented on the tragedy of Ukrainian Vishanatan Anand.
Proponents of chess, commenting on the results of the match, began to operate the age of Ivanchuk, suggesting that at 55 years a person may no longer have that resource, reaction and concentration that was at a 20-year-old Grosmaster. However, the Great Chaki hardly said his last word in chess.
“I will play until I can. I still feel a young and promising chess player,” Ivanchuk said in 2007.
Since then, the Ukrainian has won many tournaments, has become a European champion and has a good mood demonstrated a really beautiful game that few people are capable of in the modern world.
At the beginning of 2025, the Ukrainian participated in the tournament on the island of Jerba, where he held a number of interesting parties, including David Navar and Daniel Durda, but could not be affected by high places, erecting most of his meetings.
Since a passionate statement to complete his career and start a personal tournament, 16 years have passed, but Vasyl Mikhailovich has kept love for chess and continues to look for the most beautiful of the possible combinations on the board.
“Chess is a large part of my life but not all. There are other things that interest me. I like to read, go to the theater, listen to good music.
I like to bake meat in the oven, cook borsch. Now I study how to do sushi. Well, you can buy everything for cooking. But I only cook when in a good mood. Here, as in chess – nothing will work without inspiration, ” – shared his hobby Ivanchuk.
The recognition that Ivanchuk for his career has not all the chess players who are at the top of the Elo ranking at this time. But the whole chess world knows that the best chess player on earth is Vasyl Ivanchuk, who is in the mood.
Bonus Sushi recipe from Vasily Ivanchuk
Thales thaw, peel, rinse, cut along and rub carefully on both sides with the following composition: two tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of sugar. Put the fish in the refrigerator for two days. Then peel the trout from the skin, cut the rectangular pieces across the fibers and grease them with a small amount of horseradish.
To prepare the sauce, take apple cider vinegar, dilute the sugar and put on low heat. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, remove from the stove, add the lemon and let cool. Then boil 300 g of rice, mix with 30 g of sauce so that each tray is soaked. Cool to room temperature. From the rice to form balls, put on pieces of fish, give a rectangular shape, turn and smooth the edges.
”, – WRITE: Champion.com.ua
Vasyl Ivanchuk’s breakthrough occurred in the late 1980s, and the main triumph was a victory on tournament in Linares in 1991, where he ahead of such grandmasters as Harry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Since then, it has remains a reputable figure in the chess world, continuing to surprise fans with their skills.
Despite the absence of the title of world champion, Ivanchuk is considered one of the most gifted chess players of their generation. On the birthday of a great chess player, we suggest to immerse themselves in history and remember how the Great Chaki became world -famous Grossmasterwhich is respected and appreciated for the creative approach to the game and inexhaustible ideas.
As it all started The Ukrainian chess player was born in Kopychyntsi in an ordinary Soviet family. Mother is a physics teacher, a father is a lawyer. In the USSR, the chess was extremely popular among young people and older people, so chekhov-chef clubs always had demand, and there were some places in the parks where there were tables with boards and there was always someone playing.
Already at the age of 10, the future Olympic champion joined “Avangard”, and his first coach was Oleg Kalinin, who brought Ivanchuk to his first success – third place at the Junior Championship of the Union of Ukrainian Championship – 1985.
In 1988, the young Grandmaster won the open championship of New York, playing all 9 rounds without defeats, which surprised all chess observers.
“Ivanchuk has a deep understanding of the position, a good knowledge of debuts. He has never felt a shortage of time to think. It seems that Ivanchuk would be another star of Soviet chess in the near future,” the New York Times wrote about the Ukrainian newspaper next year.
Vasyl Mikhailovich himself noted that since he was born in a small town where there were no quality coaches, he studied the method of analysis of prominent Botvinnica parties.
The chess player’s career developed very rapidly, and in the same 1988 he went to the Chess Olympiad as part of the USSR national team. The tournament presented 107 teams, and together with Ivanchuk played Kasparov, Karpov, Yusupov, Belyavsky and Elvest – prominent Soviet grasmen.
Saturated on the events ‘nineties’ Interestingly, Vasyl Mikhailovich himself received this title literally on the eve of the competition. And although Ivanchuk played not the first and not the second board, to become an Olympic champion in such a company – incredible success. The chess player’s career had three victories at the Linares tournament, but one of them stands separately – 1991. If you open YouTube, after the request of our chess player, the first to fall out – “Ivanchuk – Kasparov” Ivanchuk – Kasparov.
About this tournament wrote a lot, there are even more video views of the parties, but better than the winner, no one will say about it. In 1992, Ivanchuk published a book “Super tournament in Linarez”, which is still printed and available on sale.
“Ivanchuk’s party against Kasparov is one of my favorite. He plays some crazy, giving Harry to both elephants, bypassing all his knowledge of his knowledge about Sicilian defense,” Vasyl Mikhailovich admired the British Gravriel Gavriel.
This tournament presented not only world recognition, but also an apartment. At that time, Vyacheslav Chornovil was so fond of the Grossmaster’s game that he helped Ivanchuk with the “Solution of the Housing Question”.
“For me, every new tournament is an unfulfilled dream. When it comes to an end, I begin to think about the next. And so constantly,” – Vasyl Ivanchuk – about chess.
During this period of life, Ivanchuk got married for the first time – his fiancee was known by Russian chess player Alice Gallyamova, whom they met during preparation for one of the tournaments. Subsequently, she gave Vasily Misha Mishka, but the marriage broke up in a few years.
In fact, Ivanchuk – Quite a non -public person, and it is difficult to find information about his personal life on the network: why they decided to disperse, who became the son of a famous chess player …
It was at that time that the Ukrainian began to call the Great Chaki, and the next success did not slow down – Ivanchuk made his way into the final match for the title of world champion, but sensationally gave way to his countryman – Ruslan Ponomarev with a score of 4.5: 2.5.
Despite the defeat, the political leadership of Ukraine noted the achievements of Ivanchuk with the Order of Merit of the Second Degree – “for achieving high results at the World Chess Championship and strengthening the international sports authority of the country.”
“He is a very smart man, but you never know what he will have a sea. The instability of the mood of the chess player.
Ivanchuk’s emotions that do not hide In 2008, at the Chess Olympics in Dresden Ivanchuk played the first board in the national team of Ukraine and on the eve of the last round, our team was the second, having every chance of a medal. However, having lost the Gatie Kama, the chess player was so angry because of his game that he beat the pillar on the street for a long time. This raised some questions from the organizers of the tournament, who invited Ivanchuk to a doping test.
Fortunately, the scandal did not happen at the time, because Fide clear the feeling of a Ukrainian after an unsuccessful party and his non -ideal knowledge of English, through which he did not understand the referee’s invitation to test.
From the very beginning, Vasyl Ivanchuk was very emotional, which more often than not helped the chess player. In 2009, the early departure from the World Cup became a catalyst for a fervent interview, which society perceived as a career.
“From now on, I think that in serious chess I have nothing. It is just a hobby for me. Of course, I will fulfill all the obligations under contracts and take part in certain tournaments where I promised to play.
Maybe I will start some of my tournament. I have to win somewhere in this life, “Ivanchuk said.
Of course, the passionate chess player later changed his mind, because the chess is the lion’s part of his life.
“If Ivanchuk was able to open his talent as much as possible, he would undoubtedly become a real contender for the first place in the world, but he is a very emotional player who is difficult to endure defeat, he is inclined to hurry up with important decisions when he is under pressure and sometimes a lack of motivation.
According to the prominent Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar, Ivanchuk, together with Carlsen and Ananda, are the most talented players in the world. Gavenine Jones, who placed the first place in this list, the same opinion and the three -time UK champion.
Fortunately, it was not necessary to start a separate tournament. In 2010, Ivanchuk became a triumphant of the Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk as part of the national team of Ukraine. Then Vasyl Mikhailovich showed an incredible game, scoring 8 points out of ten possible on the first board.
It is worth noting that during this period Ivanchuk not only regularly won in various tournaments, but also joined the three strongest chess players in the world, having a rating of Elo 2776 and second only to Ananda and shopkeeper.
In 2011, Ivanchuk opened a cheech school in Lviv, whose director was the second wife of the athlete – Oksana. Interestingly, the institution is still functioning, and Vasyl Mikhailovich himself even sometimes gave workshops for children from 5 to 16 years.
The victory at the Kapablanca Memorial and the third place of the World Cup was brought by Ivanchuk the title “Chess Hetman” in 2011, which awarded the best chess player of Ukraine. For this he thanked the bronze awards of the Chess Olympiad -2012, where he showed the result +4 = 4 -2 as a result of ten parties.
Vasily Ivanchuk – World Chess Champion Ivanchuk was very fruitful in the career of Ivanchuk – a Ukrainian in his career triumphant at the Capablanca Memorial, and later won the World Rapid Championship, ahead of the additional indicators of Alexander Grishuk and Magnus Carlsen, who then became worldwide.
At the tournament, the Ukrainian still played a party with outstanding Georgian Badur Joabava at the checkers tournament. Already, the top magnus Carlsen and the organizers were waiting for Vasyl Mikhailovich to complete his game and get to the award ceremony – an unforgettable video for all times.
“In checkers it is interesting that the rules and the audience others. I am interested in playing checkers. It happened that they played checkers with chess grosses. In Soviet times, many chess players played high levels,” Ivanchuk said.
Unfortunately, due to financial problems, the tournament in Linarez was stopped in 2011, but there is another “favorite” Ivanchuk competition in the world – a memorial of Capablanca, where he last won in 2019. By the way, in 2024 the tournament was won by another representative of the Ukrainian chess school-Ruslan Ponomarev, who in 2002 played Ivanchuk in the match for the world championship. In the same year, Vasyl Mikhailovich and his 5.5 points out of 9 possible helped Ukraine win the silver awards of the European Championship.
How did Vasyl Mikhailovich have a case now? Recently, the Ukrainian grandmaster fought with the best chess players at the World Cup with Rapid and Blitz, but was very unfortunate in the 11th round, after which he could not contain his emotions. Then Ivanchuk played against Daniel of the people, but lost his sense of time and lost, although he had a more interesting and promising position.
“Do I miss chess? No, look at Ivanchuk. Look at how he suffers. I do not miss this sports,” – commented on the tragedy of Ukrainian Vishanatan Anand.
Proponents of chess, commenting on the results of the match, began to operate the age of Ivanchuk, suggesting that at 55 years a person may no longer have that resource, reaction and concentration that was at a 20-year-old Grosmaster. However, the Great Chaki hardly said his last word in chess.
“I will play until I can. I still feel a young and promising chess player,” Ivanchuk said in 2007.
Since then, the Ukrainian has won many tournaments, has become a European champion and has a good mood demonstrated a really beautiful game that few people are capable of in the modern world.
At the beginning of 2025, the Ukrainian participated in the tournament on the island of Jerba, where he held a number of interesting parties, including David Navar and Daniel Durda, but could not be affected by high places, erecting most of his meetings.
Since a passionate statement to complete his career and start a personal tournament, 16 years have passed, but Vasyl Mikhailovich has kept love for chess and continues to look for the most beautiful of the possible combinations on the board.
“Chess is a large part of my life but not all. There are other things that interest me. I like to read, go to the theater, listen to good music.
I like to bake meat in the oven, cook borsch. Now I study how to do sushi. Well, you can buy everything for cooking. But I only cook when in a good mood. Here, as in chess – nothing will work without inspiration, ” – shared his hobby Ivanchuk.
The recognition that Ivanchuk for his career has not all the chess players who are at the top of the Elo ranking at this time. But the whole chess world knows that the best chess player on earth is Vasyl Ivanchuk, who is in the mood.
Bonus Sushi recipe from Vasily Ivanchuk
Thales thaw, peel, rinse, cut along and rub carefully on both sides with the following composition: two tablespoons of salt and one tablespoon of sugar. Put the fish in the refrigerator for two days. Then peel the trout from the skin, cut the rectangular pieces across the fibers and grease them with a small amount of horseradish.
To prepare the sauce, take apple cider vinegar, dilute the sugar and put on low heat. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, remove from the stove, add the lemon and let cool. Then boil 300 g of rice, mix with 30 g of sauce so that each tray is soaked. Cool to room temperature. From the rice to form balls, put on pieces of fish, give a rectangular shape, turn and smooth the edges.