Elena Konstantinovna Mikhailovskaya (russian: Елена Константиновна Михайловская; November 21, 1949,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

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– February 4, 1995, Moscow,

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) was the first female World champion in international draughts. She won this title five times in a row (1973–1977). Before that she was four-time champion of the Soviet Union in

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(1969–1972). Later she was coaching and heading the Moscow draughts federation.

Biography

As a child, Elena Mikhailovskaya was enjoying active sports, but at the age of 15 health issues forced her to settle down. She intended to start playing chess seriously but ended up in a draughts club. In about a year she won a personal-team youth championship of the Soviet Union with the Moscow team, and in 1968 she won the individual championship as well. Starting from 1969 she was playing for the Moscow club

Lokomotiv Moscow FC Lokomotiv Moscow (''FC Lokomotiv Moskva'', russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Локомотив" Москва, ) is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москв ...

, and the same year she won the senior title of the Soviet Union champion in

, defeating in the last game of the tournament the previous holder of the title, Iraida Spasskaya, and then winning the gold medal barrage against Janina Augustinaite. She then went to hold the title for three more years in a row, establishing the all-time Soviet record. In the early 1970s, Mikhailovskaya switched to

international draughts International draughts (also called international checkers or Polish draughts) is a Abstract strategy, strategy board game for two players, one of the variants of draughts. The gameboard comprises 10×10 squares in alternating dark and light co ...

. In 1973, she won a prestigious international tournament in

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which was retroactively considered to be first unofficial world female championship. In the next four years, she won four official

World champion A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

titles. Among these, her 1975 victory was considered the most special, since Mikhailovskaya has finished it with a nearly perfect score, drawing only the last game against Lenie Toonen-Geurts after winning eight in a row. Only in 1979 did she concede the world crown to Ludmilla Meijler-Sochnenko. When Elena Mikhailovskaya retired from active play, she continued coaching. She also was the president of Moscow draughts federation until the day of her death. She died in February 1995 in Moscow and was buried at the

Vagankovo Cemetery Vagankovo Cemetery (russian: Ваганьковское кладбище, Vagan'kovskoye kladbishche), established in 1771, is located in the Presnya district of Moscow. It started in the aftermath of the Moscow plague riot of 1771 outside the cit ...

. Ten years later, the Moscow Draughts Federation decided to proclaim 2005 the Year of Elena Mikhailovskaya.Moscow Draughts Federation: news for February 4, 2005

Record and statistics in the World female championships in international draughts

References

External sources

Profile
at the Dutch Draughts Union tournament database {{DEFAULTSORT:Mikhailovskaya, Elena Soviet draughts players Players of international draughts Players of Russian draughts 1949 births 1995 deaths