

Small biographical articles written by Elizaveta Bykova in the early 1950s for her book Sovetskie Shakhmatistki, with relevant games and interviews if there were any included. Games annotated by Bykova unless noted otherwise.

Players listed in the same order as in Bykova's book. Texts translated as current for late 1950.

Nina Bluket (1902 - 1978)

Nina Alexandrovna Bluket is one of the earliest pioneers of the Soviet chess movement. Here are her memories of her first chess performances:

"The former Golitsyn Agrarian Courses. There was a tournament in 1921. My opponent, a student, sat at the board and said he would beat me easily. Thankfully, it was he who got mated, not me. Other partners also weren't particularly tactful. I made them all shut up when I won the first prize without losing once, but it seemed to me that many felt offended by that.

I also remember the Lomonosov Institute. 30 or 40 students were getting ready to play against NM Nenarokov. I also set up my board. The organizer came to all boards and wrote down the participants' names. He passed me by, without even thinking that I would actually play. Only after he wrote down everyone else and saw that I was still sitting at my board, he came back and asked for my name. I defeated Nenarokov in our game.

The next simultaneous display was played by NM Grigoriev. In his lecture, he said that women were still weak in chess. It was especially satisfying to draw my game against him. After that, I have finally assumed my chess authority among the students."

Nina Bluket was born on 24th April 1902 in the town Oboyan (Kursk oblast), in a clerk's family. She got her secondary education in Kursk, finishing school in 1920. She learned chess from her father at the age of ten. Later, Nina would often play chess in her Kursk school.

In 1920, Bluket moved to Moscow. In 1924, she graduated from the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy's Agronomy School, and in 1928, she finished the Higher Pedagogic Courses at the same Academy.

Nina Alexandrovna Bluket is a botanist, associate professor with a Ph.D. in biology. She took part in many scientific expeditions (1926-1950), including Altai and Pamir mountains.

In 1939, she published an interesting book called Plant Hunters. In 1947, 200,000 copies of Bluket's brochure The Life of Plants were published. In 1949, she wrote three more books: The Structure and Life of Plants, The Great Transformers of the Nature and The Botanical Garden of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy.

Nina Alexandrovna's civic chess activity is great and wide. In 1923, she already worked in the students' chess bureau of the Timiryazev Academy. In 1924, she was elected into the board of the Universities' Chess and Checkers Department, where she worked until 1927. In 1925, Bluket became the first woman to complete the chess education program and receive the title of Instructor.

In 1935, Bluket was elected into the Moscow Chess Section, where she oversaw women's chess, and in 1945, she became member of the All-Union Chess Section plenum. She was also the president of the Moscow House of Scientists from 1944 to 1948. Currently she is a member of the Russian SFSR Chess Section.

During the war, Bluket took active part in chess work in hospitals.

Nina Bluket played in many Moscow and national tournaments and team matches. In the first USSR Women's Chess Championship in 1927, Bluket was awarded with third category. In the 1934 USSR Women's Chess Championship, she won the semi-final and then shared 2nd-5th place in the finals. In the 1936 championship semi-final, she finished second.

Bluket also achieved good results in the Moscow tournaments. She shared 1st-3rd in the 1926 Moscow Championship and the 1935 Moscow Trade Union Council Championship, finished 4th in the 1938 Moscow Championship and 3rd in the 1939 championship.

Bluket played in men's first- and second-category tournaments, with moderate success.

In 1936-1939, Bluket played for Kolos sports society, of which she was perennial champion. In 1937, she played in both men's and women's all-Union championships of this society. She won women's championship and finished 5th in men's championship. She also shared 4th-5th in the Kolos society 1939 men's championship. Since 1939, Bluket plays for the Nauka sports society; she has second category.

Bluket was a member of the organization committee for the 1950 Women's World Chess Championship.

Nina Alexandrovna Bluket is a woman scientist, communist, highly qualified chess player, energetic and active civic worker.

Nina Golubeva (1905 - unknown)

Nina Grigorievna Golubeva is a tireless propagandist of chess art among women, a great organizer and active civic worker. She was a member of Moscow's chess sections and trade clerks' union since 1926. She would often work as an organizer of the same tournaments she played, but extra work didn't stop her from finishing high. Golubeva's chess work from 1926 to 1939 did a great deal to advance women's chess.

Nina Golubeva was born on 7th September 1905 in Moscow, in a clerk's family. She finished school in 1924 and went to work. In 1930, she enrolled externally into a financial and economic college and graduated in 1934. She was taught chess in her childhood by her father.

In 1925 Golubeva came to the trade clerk union's chess club together with her brother. Her first performance was at the 1926 trade clerks' union tournament. She shared 1st-2nd in the qualifying tournament and then won the finals.

Golubeva shared 1st-3rd in the 1931 Moscow Women's Chess Championship; she put much effort into organizing that tournament. In the same year, she played in the USSR Women's Championship, finishing second. In the 1934 championship, she only shared 6th-8th, but then won the 1935 Moscow Women's Championship together with Morachevskaya.

In the 1935 Russian SFSR Women's Championship Golubeva scored 10.5/12, without losing a single game, and became the champion. In 1935-36, she would play in many second-category men's tournaments, and in 1937, she played in a first-category men's tournament.

In 1938, Golubeva won the all-Union championship of the Strela sports society (6.5/8), and in 1939, she played for this society's team at the Trade Unions' Central Council Championship. That was Golubeva's last major tournament.

She came out of retirement only in 1948 to play in the Moscow Team Championship for the CDKA (Army) team.

Nina Grigorievna Golubeva is a member of the VKP(b). During the war, she volunteered to join the Soviet Army; she's still serving in the army as a Captain of Quartermaster Service.

Play like Nina Golubeva! This is from a match against men's team in 1930.

Vera Chudova (1908 - 1977)

Vera Sergeyevna Chudova was born on 25th December 1908. In 1926, she finished school, and in 1934, she graduated from the transport engineers' college in Moscow. Currently, she is a traffic police lieutenant colonel.

Chudova is one of the country's leading chess players. She's been playing chess ever since the first women's tournaments.

Her first tournament was in 1927; at a Moscow Trade Clerks' Union Championship she finished second, losing one game and winning all the others; she won the championship next year. Chudova also won the 1934 USSR Women's Chess Championship semi-final.

Among Chudova's greatest achievements are shared 2nd-3rd at the 1947 USSR Women's Chess Championship and victories in the 1934 Russian SFSR Championship and 1937, 1941 and 1949 Moscow Championships. In 1947, Chudova was awarded with first category.

In 1950, Vera Chudova was the Women's World Championship's arbiter.

Chudova actively participates in chess civic work. She's a member of the Moscow Chess Section, overseeing women's chess in the city.

In December 1950, Chudova was elected as a deputy of Moscow's Sverdlovsky District Council.

Vera Chudova is a member of the Iskra sports society.

Important career results:

1927 USSR Women's Championship 3rd 1931 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st 1931 USSR Women's Championship 3rd 1934 Russian SFSR Women's Championship 1st 1934 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st 1934 USSR Women's Championship 2nd-5th 1935 Russian SFSR Women's Championship 2nd 1936 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st 1936 USSR Women's Championship 5th 1937 USSR Women's Championship 5th 1937 Moscow Women's Championship 1st 1940 Moscow Women's Championship 2nd 1941 Moscow Women's Championship 1st 1947 USSR Women's Championship 2nd-3rd 1948 USSR Women's Championship 4th-5th 1949 USSR Women's Championship 5th-6th 1949 Moscow Women's Championship 1st 1950 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 3rd-5th

Olga Semenova-Tyan-Shanskaya (1911-1971)

Olga Izmailovna Semenova-Tyan-Shanskaya, the granddaughter of a well-known explorer Petr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, was born in St. Petersburg on 9th September 1911. Her father and brothers taught her to play chess in 1929. In a 1932 men's qualifying tournament she achieved fourth category, then quickly moved on to third.

Semenova's first major tournament was 1933 Leningrad Women's Championship. In 1934, Semenova played in the Russian SFSR and Leningrad championships and finished third in both tournaments. Her great success came in the 1934 USSR Women's Chess Championship, which she won, achieving second category.

Olga Izmailovna lost the subsequent match against Rubtsova* and the Soviet champion title, but not for long! She won the next championship tournament in 1936. In the 1937 USSR Women's Championship she shared 2nd-3rd. In 1938, she successfully took part in a men's second-category tournament.

In the post-war period, Olga Izmailovna would place high in the Soviet Women's Championship qualifying tournaments and go on to the finals. Her most successful performance at that time was winning 1948 Soviet Women's Championship semi-final in Tbilisi. For that, she received first category.

Olga Semenova works as a proofreader in the Leningrad branch of Goslitizdat. She's a member of Trudovye Rezervy sports society.

Semenova's tournament results:

1934 Leningrad Women's Championship 3rd 1934 Russian SFSR Women's Championship 3rd 1934 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd 1934 USSR Women's Championship 1st 1936 USSR Women's Championship 1st 1937 USSR Women's Championship 2nd-3rd 1940 Leningrad Women's Championship 2nd 1945 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3nd-5th 1945 USSR Women's Championship 5th-6th 1946 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 2nd-3rd 1947 USSR Women's Championship 10th-11th 1947 Leningrad Women's Championship 3rd 1947 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd 1948 USSR Women's Championship 6th-7th 1948 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 1st 1949 USSR Women's Championship 7th 1949 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd-4th 1950 USSR Women's Championship 6th-7th 1950 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd-6th

* In the Rubtsova-Semenova match, Rubtsova "did a Fischer" 25 years before Bobby, winning the first six games. After drawing two games and winning one, Semenova then decided not to play on.

Olga Morachevskaya (1906 - unknown)

Olga Vyacheslavovna Morachevskaya was born on 10th November 1906 in Kiev, in a teacher's family. She's been living in Moscow since 1922, playing in chess tournaments since 1925. She was a champion of the Moscow trade clerks' union (1927), won the Moscow Women's Championship three times (1931, 1935, 1938) and trade union team championship (1939). Played in the Soviet Women's Championships in 1927, 1931, 1934 and 1937. She achieved her best result in the 1937 championship, where she shared 2nd-3rd.

During the war, Morachevskaya was president of the Tatar ASSR Chess Section, took active part in the hospital chess work in Kazan (1941-43) and Moscow (1944-45). She played more than 400 simultaneous displays in hospitals.

In the post-war years, Morachevskaya played in semi-finals of the 6th, 7th, 10th and 11th Soviet Women's Championships and in the 1946, 1949 and 1950 Moscow Women's Championships.

Morachevskaya teaches chess to chilrden. She's a member of the Iskra sports society and has second category.

Natalia Lobanova (1909 - unknown)

Natalia Vladislavovna Lobanova (born in 1909) won Leningrad Women's Championships of 1935, 1938 and 1946. In the 1936 Leningrad Championship, Lobanova shared first place with Rudenko, but lost a play-off match; in 1949, she finished second, only half-point behind the winner Ignatyeva.

Lobanova learned chess at the age of 15. She's been playing in the national tournaments since 1936. She shared 1st-3rd in the semi-final, then finished 6th in the final. Since 1946, Lobanova played in all Soviet Women's Chess Championship semifinals, qualifying for the finals in 1947, 1948 and 1949.

Lobanova is a research assistant. She's a member of Lokomotiv sports society, winning the society's championship in 1949. She has second category.

Zinaida Artemyeva (1910 - unknown)

Zinaida Andreyevna Artemyeva (born in 1910) is playing in tournaments since 1935. Her best results: 1936 and 1937 Kiev Oblast Women's Championships - 1st-2nd; 1936 Southern Railroad Union Central Committee Championship - 1st; Ukraine Oblast Team Championship - 1st; Kiev Trade Union Team Championship - 1st; 1936 USSR Women's Championship semifinal - 2nd-3rd; Ukrainian SSR Women's Championships: 1936 - 2nd-3rd, 1937 - 2nd, 1938 - 1st-3rd, 1948 - 2nd-3rd, 1949 - 3rd-5th, 1950 - 4th-5th. Participated in the 1937 USSR Women's Championship and semifinals of the 4th, 9th, 10th and 11th USSR Women's Championships. She has second category and is a member of Nauka sports society.

Zinaida Artemyeva is a graduate student of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, her occupation is engineer economist.

Varvara Zargarian (1895 - unknown)

Varvara Stepanovna Zargarian-Vartazarian (born in 1895) is a multiple-time champion of Georgian SSR and Tbilisi (1929-36, 1938, 1939). Won the Tbilisi Women's Championship in 1949. Played in the 1945 USSR Women's Championship and in the semifinals of 3rd, 6th and 10th Soviet Women's Championships. She has second category. She's a member of Iskra sports society.

Berta Weisberg (1911 - 1972)

Berta Iosifovna Weisberg (born in 1911) is one of the strongest Ukrainian players. She's been playing in tournaments since 1935, usually finishing in top places.

Weisberg won the Ukrainian SSR Women's Championships in 1935, 1936, 1938, 1946 and 1950. In the 1947 championship, she finished second. In 1948, Weisberg won the Kiev Women's Championship; in 1940 and 1949, she finished second. Weisberg won the national championships of KIM (1938) and Trud (1947, 1948) sports societies. She played at her first Soviet Women's Championship in 1950, and quite successfully - she shared 4th-5th places and was awarded with first category.

Berta Weisberg works as a sports instructor in the Kiev branch of Trud sports society.

Berta Kresberg (1911 - unknown)

Berta Davidovna Kresberg (born in 1911) has been playing in tournaments since 1936. Her biggest successes: 1936 Georgian SSR Women's Championship - 1st-2nd; 1937 Georgian SSR Women's Championship - 1st; 1945 Moscow Women's Championship - 2nd; 7th USSR Women's Championship semifinal - 1st; 9th USSR Women's Championship semifinal - 2nd. Played in the 1937, 1947, 1948 and 1949 USSR Women's Championships.

Kresberg has second category. She's a member of Lokomotiv sports society.

Berta Kresberg is a member of VKP(b), works as a senior constructor at one of Moscow factories and president of that factory's chess section since 1938. During the war, Kresberg took active part in hospital chess work.

Olga Strelova (1910 - 1995)

Olga Ivanovna Strelova (born in 1910) is a 1947 Russian SFSR Women's Champion, multiple-time winner of Chelyabinsk and Chelyabinsk Oblast Women's Championships.

Strelova started playing chess in 1928-29. When she worked as a teacher in Petropavlovsk, she would often play in local men's tournaments. In 1933, she won one of them. 1934 was a successful year for her: she finished second in the Russian SFSR Women's Championship semifinal, 6th in the Russian SFSR Women's Championship, shared 3rd-5th in the USSR Women's Championship semi-final and was 9th in the final. In 1936, Strelova moved to Chelyabinsk.

Lately, Strelova played in three USSR Women's Championship semi-finals (1945, 1946, 1949) and in two Russian SFSR Women's Championships (1947, 1948). In 1947, she successfully played in the three republics' (Russian SFSR, Georgian SSR, Azerbaijani SSR) friendship tournament, scoring 3.5/4 at her board for the Russian team.

Olga Strelova is a member of VKP(b), a City Council deputy, works as a girls' secondary school headmaster. She's a member of Iskra sports society and has second category.

Natalia Ivashina (1917 - unknown)

Natalia Fedorovna Ivashina (born in 1917) shared first place at the 1947 Russian SFSR Women's Championship. She's a perennial champion of Kuibyshev and Kuibyshev Oblast. She's been playing chess since 1935. In the same year, she took place in the three-family tournament (Ivashins, Zhoglevs and Karabekovs), which the Ivashin family won. Natasha scored 3/4 at the 6th board, without losing once. She played successfully in the 1936 USSR Women's Championship qualification tournament (1st-2nd) and in the Women's Championship semi-final (3rd). In 1937, she played in the USSR Women's Championship. Since 1947, she's a regular in the Russian SFSR women's championships. Her best results are 1st-2nd in the 1947 championship and 2nd-4th in the 1949 championship.

Natalia Ivashina is an engineer by occupation. She's a member of Krylya Sovetov sports society and has second category.

Lili Gelovani (1911 - 1973)

Lili Aslanovna Gelovani (born in 1911) won Georgian SSR Women's Championships of 1947 and 1948/49. In the 1950 championship, she finished second. She played in the semi-finals of 9th and 11th USSR Women's Championships. She has second category. She's a member of Iskra sports society and a geological engineer by occupation.

Lili Gelovani was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and a Defender of Caucasus medal.

Lyubov Kogan (1922 - 2013)

Lyubov Iezekiilevna Kogan (born in 1922) won the Ukrainian SSR Women's Championship in 1947 and 1948 and Kiev Women's Championship in 1949. She learned chess in 1937 and studied in NM Konstantinopolsky's chess school in the Kiev Palace of Pioneers. A year later, she won Kiev Schoolgirls' Championship and defended her title in 1939 and 1940.

Some of Kogan's best results in 1946-50:

Ukrainian SSR Women's Championship: 1946 - 3rd-4th; 1947, 1948 - 1st; 1950 - 3rd. Kiev Women's Championship: 1947 - 2nd-3rd; 1949 - 1st; 1950 - 2nd-4th. USSR Women's Championship semi-final: 1946 - 2nd-4th; 1950 - 3rd-5th (qualified for the finals both times).

Lyubov Kogan works as a technology engineer at a Kiev factory. She's a member of Mashinostroitel sports society and has second category.

Salme Rootare (1913 - 1987)

Salme Jaakobovna Rootare (born in 1918) is the strongest woman player of Estonian SSR and Tallinn. She's been playing chess for more than ten years. Since 1947, she's successfully playing in major tournaments. She won the national championships of Spartak sports society three times (1947, 1948, 1949). She also played in the 1948 USSR Women's Championship and in semi-finals of 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th USSR Women's Championships. She's winning the Estonian SSR Women's Championships since 1948. In 1950, she won the Baltic Republics tournament and was awarded with first category.

Rootare works as an accountant.

Larisa Volpert (born 1926)

Larisa Ilyinichna Volpert was born in Leningrad in 1926. She learned chess at an early age, taught by her brother. When she was in 4th grade, her school organized a tournament; Larisa played and won fifth category. In the next school tournament, she won fourth category, and in 1941, she got third category. In 7th grade Volpert started to study in the chess circle of Leningrad Palace of Pioneers.

Volpert's first major tournament was the 1945 Leningrad Women's Championship, when she finished 4th. In the same year, she played in the national championship and won second category. 1947 was a very successful year for her: she shared 1st-2nd with Rudenko in the Leningrad Women's Championship and won the 8th USSR Women's Championship semi-final. She got first category for that.

In the 1948 Leningrad Women's Championship, Volpert again shared first place (with Zvorykina this time), but lost the play-off match.

In the Leningrad semi-final of the 9th USSR Women's Championship, Volpert was the main rival of the winner Belova, and only a peaceful finish (four draws) put her on the second place. She had a good, stable performance at the 9th USSR Women's Championship, sharing 5th-6th with Chudova.

In 1949, Volpert graduated from the Leningrad University's School of Philology.

Some of Larisa Volpert's best results:

1946 USSR Women's Chess Championship semi-final 4th 1947 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st-2nd 1947 USSR Women's Chess Championship semi-final 1st 1948 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st-2nd 1948 USSR Women's Chess Championship semi-final 2nd 1949 USSR Women's Chess Championship 5th-6th 1950 USSR Women's Chess Championship semi-final 3rd-5th

Galina Voskresenskaya (1912 - unknown)

Galina Mikhailovna Voskresenskaya (born in 1912) is the strongest female player of Kyrgyz SSR and Frunze city, she has second category. She started to play in tournaments in 1927, while still a schoolgirl. From 1932 to 1936, Voskresenskaya studied in the Moscow Communication Officers' Institute. In 1936, she won the qualifying tournament for the 4th USSR Women's Championship and the big industrial factories' tournament. She moved to Frunze in 1939.

Voskresenskaya played in the semi-finals of 1946, 1948 and 1950 USSR Women's Chess Championships. Her best result is shared 2nd-4th in the 9th USSR Championship semi-final. She played in the 1949 USSR Women's Chess Championship.

Voskresenskaya is a physics teacher in the Frunze Industrial College. She's a member of Iskra sports society.

Nadezhda Bardina (1912 - unknown)

Nadeznda Leonidovna Bardina (born in 1912) won the 1948 Moscow Women's Championship and the 1949 USSR Women's Championship semi-final in Kiev. She's been playing in tournaments since 1937. She played in the 1949 and 1950 USSR Women's Championships. Bardina has first category. She's a member of Burevestnik sports society.

Tema Filanovskaya (1918 - 1994)

Tema Grigorievna Filanovskaya (born in 1918) is one of the strongest female players of Russian SFSR and Sverdlovsk city. She played in the 1947 USSR Women's Championship as well in the semi-finals of 6th through 9th USSR Women's Championships. Her best results: 1939 Sverdlovsk Oblast Championship - 1st-2nd; 1948 Sverdlovsk Women's Championship - 1st, 1949 - 1st-2nd; 1948 Russian SFSR Women's Championship semi-final - 1st; 1948 Russian SFSR Women's Championship - 2nd, 1949 - 2nd-4th; 1948 Russian SFSR team championship ("Russian Cup") - 1st, 1950 - 2nd-3rd; 1950 Russian SFSR inter-city team tournament (Chigorin Memorial) - 1st-2nd.

Tema Filanovskaya works as economist engineer. She's a member of Iskra sports society, has first category.

Alexandra Daibo (1900 - 1968)

Alexandra Stepanovna Daibo was born on 18th December 1900 in a small town Mikhailovsky Zavod. In 1922, she moved to Sverdlovsk, where she learned chess in 1923.

In 1931, she achieved third category in a men's tournament, and then, in 1931 USSR Women's Championship semi-final, she got second category. In 1928-40, she was a perennial champion of the Ural region, Sverdlovsk and Sverdlovsk Oblast.

In 1938, Daibo was the only woman at the first All-Union Chess Instructor and Organizer Courses; she was among the 10 (of 60) people awarded with the First-Grade Instructor title.

During the war, Daibo took active part in the Sverdlovsk hospital chess work. Currently, she is a member of Sverdlovsk Chess Section and a Republican-category arbiter.

Daibo achieved good results in 1945-50 as well. She finished second in the 1945 USSR Women's Chess Championship and qualified for the final. In the 1947 Russian SFSR Women's Championship she finished 4th, and convincingly won the tournament the next year. In 1949, she shared 2nd-4th in the Russian SFSR Championship and 1st-2nd in the Sverdlovsk Women's Championship.

Daibo played in all Russian SFSR Championships, three USSR Women's Championships, eight USSR Women's Championship semi-finals, many team matches and trade union tournaments.

Milda Lauberte (1918 - 2009)

Milda Rudolfovna Lauberte (born in 1918) is a multiple-time champion of Latvian SSR and Riga. She's been playing chess since 1935. Before the war, she played in the Women's World Championships twice: in 1937 she shared 3rd-4th place, and in 1939, she finished 6th. She's playing in the USSR Women's Championships since 1945. In the 6th USSR Women's Championship semi-final, she finished 6th and missed the qualifying top 5 only by half-point. Lauberte's best results were in the 9th through 11th USSR Women's Championship semi-finals, where she managed to qualify for the finals twice. In 1949 and 1950, she played in the USSR Women's Championship.

Milda Lauberte is a student of the Riga Medical Institute. She's a member of Daugava sports society and has second category.

Eugenia Biglova (1921 - 2007)

Eugenia Pavlovna Biglova was born on November 26th 1921 in Rostov-on-Don, where she spent her school and college years. She learned to play chess in 1938 and won fifth category in the same year. Biglova played in men's tournament and achieved fourth category in 1939, and third in 1940. She played in many tournaments of the Rostov Palace of Pioneers.

In the 1940 Rostov Oblast Championship she finished 3rd, and then won the 1941 Rostov Women's Championship with 13.5/14. In 1941, she also played in the men's Burevestnik sports society championship. The tournament was strong: apart from Biglova, there were six first-category and five second-category players. Biglova shared 4th-5th place. This tournament was the last for her before the war.

Biglova returned to chess in 1945. In the men's championship of Rostov branch of Uchitel sports society she finished 2nd, losing only to the winner, and got second category. In the 1945 Rostov Oblast Championship she shared 1st-2nd.

In 1946 Biglova graduated from the Rostov University with an astronomy engineer degree and moved to Leningrad. There she regularly played in the city championship and worked on chess theory.

In 1947, Biglova won the Leningrad semi-final of USSR Women's Championship, ahead of former Soviet champions Belova and Semenova. For that, she was awarded first category. In the 1949 USSR Women's Championship, Biglova led until Round 13, and only two losses in the last two rounds prevented her from winning.

Eugenia Biglova is a member of the Trudovye Rezervy sports society. Here are her most important tournament results:

1941 Rostov-on-Don Women's Championship 1st 1945 Rostov Oblast Women's Championship 1st-2nd 1946 Nauka Sports Society National Championship 1st 1946 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 2nd-4th 1947 USSR Women's Championship 6th-8th 1947 Nauka Sports Society National Championship 2nd 1947 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 1st 1948 Leningrad Women's Championship 4th-5th 1948 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd-7th 1949 USSR Women's Championship 2nd 1949 Leningrad Women's Championship 3rd-4th 1950 USSR Women's Championship 6th-7th 1950 Leningrad Women's Championship 3rd-4th 1950 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 3rd-6th

Olga Ignatyeva (1920 - 1999)

Olga Mikhailovna Ignatyeva was born on 16th October 1921 in a village teacher's family. Until 1934, she lived and studied in Kingisepp, then moved to Leningrad.

Olga learned to play chess in summer 1937, and in autumn, she was already playing in the district school tournament. She was intived to the chess circle of the Palace of Pioneers and became one of its most active members, playing in many qualification tournaments.

Ignatyeva won the 1938 Leningrad Girls' Championship and was included in the city schoolchildren's team. In the winter break, this team took part in the All-Union School Tournament and won the first place. Olga finished 5th among the girls.

Ignatyeva got second category in May 1939 after playing in a qualification tournament. In 1939 and 1940, she won the Zenit Leningrad sports society championship, and in 1940, also finished second in the Zenit society national championship. In April 1941, the young player enjoyed her first major success - she won Leningrad Women's Championship.

In November 1945, Ignatyeva played in the USSR Women's Championship for the first time. In the semi-final, she shared 2nd-4th with Rubtsova and Rudenko, and in the final, shared 5th-6th with Semenova.

In 1947, she was a real contender for the title, but finished only fourth after losing in the last round. She was awarded first category for that. In 1949 and 1950 Ignatyeva won the Leningrad championships and USSR Women's Championship semi-finals.

Olga Ignatyeva is a member of the Dynamo society. Here's the list of her best tournament performances:

1941 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st 1945 Leningrad Women's Championship 2nd-3rd 1945 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 2nd-4th 1945 USSR Women's Championship 5th-6th 1946 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 5th-6th 1947 USSR Women's Championship 4th 1947 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 2nd 1949 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st 1949 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 1st 1950 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st-2nd 1950 USSR Women's Championship semifinal 1st

Berta Korsunskaya (1900 - unknown)

Berta Ivanovna Korsunskaya (born in 1900) won the 1949 Ukrainian SSR Women's Championship (1st-2nd). She's playing in tournaments since 1936, took part in all Ukrainian championships, been a champion of Odessa and Odessa Oblast for many years. In 1937-38, she was a chess inspector of the Odessa City Physical Education Committee; she was also a member of Ukrainian and Odessa chess sections.

Her best results are the aforementioned victory in the 1949 Ukrainian championship and shared 2nd-3rd places in the 1949 USSR Women's Championship semi-final in Tallinn. In 1950, she played in the USSR Women's Championship.

Berta Korsunskaya is a member of Trud sports society. She has second category.

Tsilya Frid (1920 - unknown)

Tsilya Borisovna Frid (born in 1920) shared the 1949 Ukrainian SSR Women's Championship with Berta Korsunskaya.

She was taught chess by GM Verlinsky in 1934, and since 1935, she was a member of the Odessa Palace of Pioneers' chess club. Frid won all children's tournaments in Odessa and Odessa Oblast in 1935-38; in 1938, she also won USSR Schoolgirls' Championship.

In 1938, Frid played in her first Ukrainian SSR Women's Championship, sharing 4th-5th. In 1939, she won the national championship of Nauka sports society. In 1949, she played in the USSR Women's Championship semi-final and shared the win in Ukrainian championship.

Tsilya Frid completed her postgraduate work in 1946 with a Ph.D. in chemistry. She's a member of Nauka sports society and has second category.

Vera Tikhomirova (1918 - 2008)

Vera Nikolaevna Tikhomirova (born in 1918) is a Russian SFSR champion of 1949 and 1950. She's playing chess since 1935. Her major tournament successes include: 1936 USSR Schoolchildren's Team Championship - 1st; 1936 USSR Women's Championship semi-final - 1st; 1936 and 1937 Azov - Black Sea Region Women's Championships - 1st; 1939 and 1945 Rostov Oblast Women's Championships - 1st-2nd; 1947 Trade Union Central Council Championship - 2nd; 1950 Moscow Oblast Women's Championship - 1st.

Since 1936, Tikhomirova played in all USSR Women's Championship semi-finals. She qualified for the finals four times (1936, 1937, 1947, 1950). She won the Russian SFSR Women's Championships in 1949 and 1950.

Vera Tikhomirova is an engineer. She has first category.

Kira Zvorykina (1919 - 2014)

Kira Alexeyevna Zvorykina was born on 29th October 1919 in Nikolaev. In 1927, she moved to Leningrad. Everyone in her family played chess, there were many tournaments at home. In 1936, Kira won the "family championship". After that, she played at the school team championship for the 34th School from Oktyabrsky district and won all games. Her success was noticed, and Kira was referred to the Palace of Pioneers, where children were taught by NM Petr Romanovsky.

Zvorykina began to study chess theory in earnest and soon became one of the Soviet Union's best female players. In 1937, she won the Leningrad Schoolgirls' Championship with a perfect score.

In 1946, Zvorykina finished second the Leningrad Women's Championship and won the USSR Women's Championship semi-final; for such a successful performance, she was awarded first category.

Other successful results:

1946 Leningrad Women's Championship 2nd 1946 Nauka Sports Society National Championship 2nd-3rd 1946 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st 1947 Nauka Sports Society National Championship 1st 1947 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 2nd-4th 1947 Trade Union Central Council Team Championship 3rd-5th 1948 Leningrad Women's Championship 1st-2nd 1948 Play-off with Larisa Volpert for the Leningrad Championship +3-1=0 1948 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 2nd-4th 1949 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st 1949 Trade Union Central Council Team Championship 1st 1950 USSR Women's Championship 3rd 1950 USSR Women's Championship semi-final 1st

Kira Zvorykina is an engineer.