Sergey and Kateryna tie the knot

8/5/2009 – My, how time flies. Only last week (it seems) they were cute little kids, and now they are all grown up and have started to marry. Sergey Karjakin became internationally famous when he completed his GM norms at the record-breaking age of 12. That was in 2002. Today he is nineteen and a world-class GM. His bride is WIM Kateryna Dolzhikova, 20. Congratulations to the happy couple.

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Katya Lahno did it in February, and now Sergey Karjakin, sixteen days younger than his talented conpatriot, has also tied the proverbial knot. On July 24th he married twenty-year-old Ukrainian WIM Kateryna Dolzhikova, rated 2272, at the Central Registry in Kiev. This was followed by a ceremony at the St. George Church in Kiev, with two dozen members of their family and closest friends were present.

At nineteen Serge is the second highest ranked GM in the second-strongest chess nation in the world (Ukraine, ten points behind Ponomariov). He is of course famous for becoming the youngest grandmaster in the history of the game: he made his final norm in 2002, at the age of twelve years and seven months. At the same time he was the second of FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov. You can read about this and see a picture of the twelve-year-old GM here (warning: some readers may find the images in that report unbearable cute).

Sergey and Kateryna started a serious relationship after the Individual European Championchip 2007 in Dresden. Actually they had known each other for a long time, but, as Sergey puts it: "we became closer at the disco in Dresden. I invited Katya to dance and the next day we visited the Dresden gallery. A little after New Year's Eve we started thinking about the wedding." The honeymoon is in Yalta, but this weekend the couple will travel to Jermuk, Armenia, where the next FIDE Grand Prix is being held.

There is speculation whether Sergey (Elo 2717) and Kateryna (2272) may be the strongest chess couple in the world. Not by a long shot. Their average rating is 2495. Here is our table of contenders – note that in only one case in our list the wife is stronger than the husband:

Husband	Elo	Wife	Elo	Average
GM Alexander Grischuk	2733	WGM Natalia Zhukova	2465	2599.0
GM Daniel Fridman	2665	IM Anna Zatonskih	2466	2565.5
GM Laurent Fressinet	2667	IM Almira Skripchenko	2443	2558.5
GM Socko Bartoz	2656	GM Socko Monika	2449	2552.5
GM Mohamad Al-Modhiaki	2570	GM Zhu Chen	2473	2521.5
GM Suat Atalik	2607	IM Ekaterina Atalik	2434	2520.5
GM Zhang Zhong	2613	WGM Li Ruofan	2423	2518.0
GM Yuri Drozdovskij	2620	WGM Natalia Zdebskaja	2412	2516.0
GM Robert Fontaine	2540	GM Kateryna Lahno	2481	2510.5
GM Sergei Movsesian	2716	WGM Petra Movsesianova	2303	2509.5
GM Jiri Stocek	2584	IM Zsuzana Stockova	2413	2498.5
GM Sergey Karjakin	2717	WIM Kateryna Dolzhikova	2272	2494.5
GM Juan Manuel Bellon	2445	GM Pia Cramling	2525	2485.0
GM Vadim Malakhatko	2570	IM Anna Zozulia	2341	2455.5
GM Dmitry Kryakvin	2571	WFM Elena Tomilova	2308	2439.5

Addendum: We have been informed (by Vondra Zbynek) that the couple Sergei Movsesian, originally Armenian but living in the Czech Republic, and Petra Movsesianova (born Krupkova), who were married on 9.8.2003, have ratings of 2716 and 2303 respectively. The average is 2509.5, so that we deemed it right to add them to our list above.

Addendum 2: The ever watchful Vondra Zbynek has found another pair: GM Jiri Stocek of the Czech Republic, 2584, and Zsuzana Stockova (born Hagarova), rated 2413, with an average of 2498.5 – which pushes the Karjakins down one more notch.

Addendum 3: From the Arctic Challenge in Tromsø we get instructions to add GM Yuri Drozdovskij, rated 2620, and WGM Natalia Zdebskaja, 2412, both from Ukraine, to our list. Their average is 2516.

Addendum 4: YASC – yet another super-strong couple. GM Vadim Malakhatko, 2570 and IM Anna Zozulia, 2341, both originally Ukraine, but currently living in Belgium, reach an average of 2455.5. Thanks to our readers, this time Francois Vandamme of Ostend, Belgium, for helping to complete our list.

Addendum 5: YASC! Migla Kaspars of Liepaja, Latvia, reminds us that GM Daniel Fridman of Germany, rated 2665, is married to IM Anna Zatonskih, USA, 2466, for an average of 2565.5, which is the second-highest on our list.

Addendum 6: Newly-weds GM Dmitry Kryakvin, rated 2571, and WFM Elena Tomilova, 2308, have an average of 2439.5. We have added them to our list.

Sergey, who has been a good friend since he was thirteen, kindly sent us the wedding pictures on this page. We have great pleasure in sharing the rest with you.

Sergey Karjakin and Kateryna Dolzhikova have tied the knot