Valentina Golubenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Valentina Golubenko |
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Golubenko in 2016
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| Country | Estonia (until 2007) Croatia (since 2007) |
| Born | 29 July 1990 Volgograd, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Woman Grandmaster (2007) |
| Peak rating | 2316 (July 2007) |
Valentina Golubenko, born on July 29, 1990, is a talented chess player. She was born in Russia and played chess for Estonia for many years. Later, she started playing for Croatia. Valentina holds the important chess title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). In 2008, she became a world champion for girls under 18.
Contents
About Valentina Golubenko
Her Family and Early Life
Valentina Golubenko was born in Volgograd, Russia. She grew up in a family that loved chess. Her father, Valery Golubenko, was a mathematician and a strong chess player. He won the Estonian championship in rapid chess several times. Valentina's mother, Anastasia Golubenko, was also a skilled chess coach. She even reached the finals of the Moscow women's championship in 1986. Sadly, her mother passed away at age 46.
Her Chess Journey
Playing Chess in Estonia
Valentina's parents were her first chess coaches. She quickly became very good at the game. She won many youth championships in Estonia. For example, she won the Estonian championship for girls under 10 three times. She also won titles for girls under 12, under 14, and under 16. In some tournaments, she won every single game!
In November 2007, Valentina earned the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). This was a big achievement. She was the first person living in Estonia to receive this special title.
However, there was a challenge. Valentina and her parents had Russian citizenship. According to Estonian sports rules, only Estonian citizens could represent Estonia in international championships. Because of this rule, Valentina was not allowed to play for Estonia in world or European events after 2003. Her family believed this rule was unfair. Despite discussions, the Estonian Chess Federation did not change its decision. Valentina's family did not want her to apply for Estonian citizenship.
Moving to Croatia
Since Valentina could not play for Estonia, she looked for other options. A chess club in Rijeka, Croatia, offered her a chance to play for them. They also offered her Croatian citizenship. Valentina decided to accept this offer. The international chess organization, FIDE, allowed her to play under the Croatian flag.
In October 2008, Valentina Golubenko achieved a major victory. She won the gold medal at the World Youth Chess Championship in the under 18 girls category. She scored 9 points out of 11 games, finishing a full point ahead of the second-place player. In 2014, she also won the Croatian women's championship.
Valentina has represented Croatia in many important team events. She played in five women's Chess Olympiads between 2008 and 2016. She also played in three European Team Chess Championships.
Valentina stopped playing chess professionally around 2017. However, she did appear on the national team again in 2019.
