Vladimir Tukmakov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vladimir Tukmakov |
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| Country | Ukraine |
| Born | March 5, 1946 Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Grandmaster (1972) |
| FIDE rating | 2540 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2610 (January 1998) |
| Peak ranking | No. 17 (July 1983) |
Vladimir Borisovich Tukmakov (Ukrainian: Володимир Борисович Тукмаков, romanized: Volodymyr Borysovych Tukmakov) was born on March 5, 1946, in Odesa, Ukraine. He is a famous Ukrainian chess player. In 1972, he earned the highest title in chess, becoming a Grandmaster. This means he is one of the best chess players in the world.
Contents
A Champion's Chess Journey
Early Success and Team Wins
Vladimir Tukmakov's amazing chess journey began when he was young. He helped the Soviet Union win the World Student Team Championship many times. From 1966 to 1972, he won nine gold medals with his team. This championship was a big event for young chess talents.
Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, he joined the main Soviet team. He continued to win many gold medals. In 1984, he played in his only Chess Olympiad. This is like the Olympic Games for chess. His team won the gold medal there. He also played in the European Team Chess Championship in 1973, 1983, and 1989. In these events, he won five gold medals in total. Three were for his team and two were for his individual play.
Top Tournament Results
Vladimir Tukmakov had many great results in chess tournaments around the world. Here are some of his best finishes:
- In 1970, he came in second place in Buenos Aires, right after the legendary Bobby Fischer.
- In 1973, he was second in Madrid, after Anatoly Karpov, another chess legend.
- In 1974, he tied for first place at the IBM Amsterdam tournament.
- He won tournaments in Decin (1977), Vilnius (1978), and Malta (1980).
- In 1978, he tied for first place in Las Palmas.
- He also won the strong Lugano Open in 1985.
- In 1987/88, he won the 30th Reggio Emilia tournament.
- In 1990, he shared first place at Amsterdam OHRA-B with Judit Polgár, a famous female Grandmaster.
- He won the Canadian Open Chess Championship twice, in 1989 and 1994.
Rapid Chess Skills
Vladimir Tukmakov was also very good at rapid chess. This is a faster version of the game. In 1988, he tied for first place with Anatoly Karpov at the Gijon rapid tournament. This showed his skill even when playing quickly.
National Championship Attempts
He tried many times to become the Soviet champion. He came very close three times:
- In 1970, in Riga.
- In 1972, in Baku.
- In 1983, in Moscow, where he finished behind Korchnoi, Tal, and Karpov.
However, he did become the national champion of Ukraine in 1970.
USSR vs Rest of the World Match
In 1984, there was a very important chess match in London called USSR vs Rest of the World. Vladimir Tukmakov played a surprising but important role. He started as a reserve player for the Soviet team. He was asked to step in for other players three times. He played against strong opponents like Ljubojević and Korchnoi. He earned good results for his team, helping them win the match.
Later Years and Coaching
Even though he plays less now, Vladimir Tukmakov still has a strong Elo rating. This rating shows a player's skill level. In 2007, he played in a strong rapid tournament in Odesa. He started very well, drawing with Korchnoi and beating other top players.
Vladimir Tukmakov is also a respected chess coach. In 2004, he was the non-playing captain for the Ukrainian team. They won the gold medal at the 36th Chess Olympiad in Calvià. In the same year, he received the title of FIDE Senior Trainer. This means he is recognized as a top chess coach. From 2014, he worked with Anish Giri, a Dutch Grandmaster.
Books
Vladimir Tukmakov has also written books about chess.
