Natalia Zhukova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Natalia Zhukova
Zhukova at the 42nd Chess Olympiad in 2016
Full name	Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova
Country	Ukraine
Born	(1979-06-05) 5 June 1979 (age 46) Dresden, East Germany
Title	Grandmaster (2010)
Peak rating	2499 (May 2010)

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova is a famous Ukrainian chess player. She was born on June 5, 1979. Natalia is a Grandmaster, which is the highest title a chess player can earn. She has won the European women's chess championship two times. Natalia started playing chess at a young age and quickly became very good. She won many titles as a teenager. She has also played for the Ukrainian national team since she was 17.

Early Chess Journey

Natalia Zhukova started her chess journey very early. When she was just 12 years old, she played in the World Youth Chess Championship in 1991. She finished in a strong 3rd–4th place in the Girls' Under-12 group.

Winning Youth Championships

Natalia continued to show her talent in youth championships.

• In 1993, she won the European Youth Chess Championship for Girls Under-14. This event took place in Szombathely.
• The next year, in 1994, she won the European Championship for Girls Under-16. This victory was in Herculane.
• Also in 1994, she became the World Champion for Girls Under-16 in Szeged.
• In 1995, she placed second in the World Championship for Girls Under-20. This competition was held in Halle.

Ukrainian Champion at a Young Age

In 1996, when Natalia was only 16, she played in the Ukrainian women's championship. She was the youngest player there! She tied for first place and showed amazing skill.

Earning Chess Titles

Natalia earned important titles from FIDE, which is the World Chess Federation.

• In 1995, she became a Woman International Master.
• In 1997, she was promoted to Woman Grandmaster.
• Later, in 2019, she won the Ukrainian Chess Championship for women.

Playing for Ukraine: The Olympiads

Natalia's great results earned her a spot on the Ukrainian national women's team. She started playing for her country in 1996. Since 1998, she has played on board one, which is usually for the strongest player.

Olympiad Achievements

Natalia has represented Ukraine in many Chess Olympiads. These are big international team chess tournaments.

• Yerevan 1996: She played on board 4.
• Elista 1998: She played on board 1.
• Istanbul 2000: She continued on board 1.
• Bled 2002: Again, she played on board 1.
• Calvià 2004: She was still on board 1.
• Turin 2006: This was a huge success! Playing on board 1, she helped her team win a gold medal. She also won a gold medal for her individual performance on board 1.

International Tournament Wins

Natalia Zhukova has also had many successes in international chess tournaments.

• In 1998, she tied for first place in a tournament in Belgrade.
• She won the Groningen Women's Festival in 1998.
• In 1999, she won the EU Cup for Women in Nova Gorica.
• She placed second at the Alushta Women's Zonal in 1999.

European Women's Champion

One of her biggest achievements is winning the European Women's Championship twice. She won this prestigious title in 2000 and again in 2015.

Personal Life

Natalia Zhukova was born in Dresden, which was in East Germany at the time. Today, she lives in Odesa, Ukraine. She was married to another chess Grandmaster, Alexander Grischuk.

Natalia has also been involved in public life. In 2020, she was part of the "Servant of the People" party's list for the Odesa City Council election.

See also

In Spanish: Natalia Zhukova para niños