Boris Gulko turns 75!

by André Schulz
2/10/2022 – In the 1970s Boris Gulko was one of the best players in the USSR and the world, and he is one of the few players who has a positive score against Kasparov. In 1976, after Kortschnoi had fled the USSR, Gulko refused to sign a critical statement against Kortschnoi, and as a result Gulko was targeted by the authorities. For seven years, Gulko fought to emigrate from the Soviet Union, and in 1986 he moved to the USA, where he continued his chess career. On 9 February 2022 Gulko celebrated his 75th birthday. | Photo: Les Glassman

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There are very few players in the world who can claim to have a positive record against Garry Kasparov. Gulko is one of them. He has a life-time score of 3:1 (draws not counting) against Kasparov.

Gulko was born on 9 February 1947, in Erfurt, East Germany. His father Franz Gulko was a soldier in the Red Army and stationed in Erfurt after the Second World War. At the beginning of the 1960s, Boris Gulko began playing tournament chess, and in 1967 he won the World Student Championship with the Soviet team.

Young Boris Gulko

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Qe2 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bb3 d5 7.0-0 Bg4 8.h3 Bh5 9.Nbd2 Nbd7 10.c3 Re8 11.Rd1 Bd6 12.Nf1 Nc5 13.Ng3 Bg6 14.Bc2 Ne6 15.Nf5 Bxf5 16.exf5 Nf4 17.Qf1 e4 18.dxe4 Nxe4 19.c4 Ng3 20.fxg3 Ne2+ 21.Kh2 Bxg3+ 22.Kh1 Bc7 23.Qf2 Ng3+ 24.Kg1 Re2 25.Qd4 Rxc2 26.Qd3 Bb6+ 27.Kh2 Qd6 28.Qxc2 Nf1+ 29.Kh1 Qh2+ 0–1
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Ubilava,E-Gulko,B-0–11969C24URS Young Masters-ch03

In 1975 he became an International Master, and only one year later, in 1976, he became a Grandmaster.

In the 1970s Gulko played in a number of strong tournaments, and usually was among the top players.

In 1975, at the 43rd USSR Championship in Yerevan, Gulko shared second place – behind Tigran Petrosian, who won the tournament with 10.0/15 – with Oleg Romanishin, Mihail Tal and Rafael Vaganjan. By winning the 1975 zonal tournament in Vilnius, Gulko qualified for the 1976 Interzonal Tournament in Biel, where, however, he finished on a disappointing 15th place in a 20-player field.

Earlier that year, at the International Tournament 1976 in Yerevan, Gulko had finished second behind Romanishin, and then went on to win the Capablanca Memorial in Havana.

In 1977 Gulko won the 45th USSR Championship, together with Josif Dorfman, after a six-game play-off had ended in a draw.

At the 1976 USSR Team Championship in Tbilisi, Gulko met Anna Akhsharumova whom he later married. In 1979 their son David was born.

Gulko and Dorfmann | Photo: Chesspro.ru

After his success in the USSR Championship 1977, Gulko was part of the Soviet team at the Chess Olympiad 1978 in Buenos Aires, the only Olympiad after World War II, in which the Soviet team took part and did not win gold. In Buenos Aires the Soviets finished "only" second behind Hungary.

In 1976, Gulko had refused to sign a statement in which the leading Soviet players publicly criticised Viktor Kortschnoi for fleeing the Soviet Union and was subsequently under surveillance by the authorities. He was also systematically obstructed by the federation's leadership, in particular Viktor Baturinsky, and, despite being a Soviet national champion, was largely left out of consideration to play in foreign tournaments.

One of the few international tournaments in which Gulko was allowed to participate was Niksic 1978. He shared first place with Jan Timman, in front of a first-class field, and this tournament win is one of the highlights of Gulko's long career.

At the Olympiad in Buenos Aires, Gulko only played five games (+1, =2, -2). He felt badly treated and suspected that he was observed by the KGB. During the Olympiad Gulko decided to leave the USSR.

After the Olympiad, Gulko and his wife Anna Akhsharumova, the 1976 USSR Women's Champion, applied to emigrate to Israel, but their application was rejected. For the next seven years Gulko and his wife fought for their departure. Three times they went on a hunger strike, and for a time they demonstrated daily on a public square in Moscow. The couple was also arrested daily, and had to spend several hours at the police station afterwards. "It was the hardest time of my life," Gulko said later.

In 1981 Gulko again played in the final of the USSR Championship. He finished 16th in an 18-player field, but won against the young Kasparov, who in the end shared first place with Lev Psakhis. Gulko later won two more times against Kasparov, in 1982 and in 1990.

Gulko and Kasparov

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f3 Bg7 8.Bg5 a6 9.a4 Nbd7 10.Nh3 h6 11.Be3 Ne5 12.Nf2 Bd7 13.Be2 g5 14.Qd2 Qe7 15.a5 Rb8 16.Na4 Nh5 17.Nb6 Bb5 18.0-0 0-0 19.b4 c4 20.Rac1 f5 21.Nxc4 Bxc4 22.Bxc4 g4 23.fxg4 fxg4 24.Nh1 Qh4 25.Be2 g3 26.Nxg3 Nxg3 27.hxg3 Qxe4 28.Rxf8+ Rxf8 29.Bf4 h5 30.Rc7 Qb1+ 31.Qc1 Qg6 32.Qc2 Qe8 33.Qe4 h4 34.gxh4 Qd8 35.Rxb7 Qc8 36.Re7 Qd8 37.Bg5 1–0
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Gulko,B2590Kasparov,G26301–01981A65URS-ch49 Final10

 

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.e4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nbd7 11.Nc3 Ne5 12.Ncxb5 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 axb5 14.Rfd1 Be7 15.Qxb5+ Qd7 16.Qb3 Bxe4 17.Nf5 Bd5 18.Nxg7+ Kf8 19.Qh3 h5 20.Qg3 Kxg7 21.Bxf6+ Kxf6 22.Rd4 Bd6 23.Qc3 Kg6 24.h3 Bc7 0–1
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Kasparov,G2640Gulko,B25650–11982D27URS-chT Cup 12th2

 

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 c6 7.Bd3 e5 8.d5 b5 9.cxb5 cxd5 10.exd5 e4 11.Nxe4 Nxd5 12.Bg5 Qb6?! Dieser Zug wurde 1988 von Kasparov selbst, wie auch von Timman getadelt. Ließ das sonst so tadellose Gedächtnis den Weltmeister im Stich? 12...Qa5+ 13.Qd2 Qxd2+ 14.Bxd2 Bxb2 15.Rb1 Bg7 16.Ne2 Nd7 16...Be6 Von Kasparov empfohlen. 17.Ng5 Nd7 18.Nxe6 fxe6 19.0-0 19.Bc4 Ne5 20.Bxd5 Nd3+ 21.Kf1 exd5∞ Kasparov 19...Ne5 20.Be4 Nc4∞ Muir-Vogt/Bern-Open/1990 17.Nxd6 Nc5∞ Timman-Kasparov/Reykjavik/1988/CBM10/i46/0-1; Die Stellung wurde von Timman als vorteilhaft eingeschätzt, während Kasparov an Gleichgewicht glaubte. 13.Qd2 Nd7 14.Bc4 Gulko folgt damit dem Vorschlag von Kasparov selbst. N5f6 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.Ne2± Re8 18.0-0-0 d5 19.Bd3 a6 20.bxa6 d4 21.Kb1 Re3 22.Bc4 Bxa6 23.Bxa6 Rxa6 24.Nxd4 Re8 25.Ne2 Rb8 26.Nc3 Qb4 27.Rhe1 Rd6 28.Qc2 Rdb6 29.Re2 Qf4 30.h3 Rc6 31.Qd2 Qf5+ 32.Ka1 Rb7 33.Qh6 Rc8 34.Red2 Qa5 35.Qe3 Kg7 36.g4 Re8 37.Qd4 Rd7 38.Qf2 Rc7 39.Rd3 Ra8 40.Qd2 h6 41.Rd6 Rc4 42.Rd4 Rac8 43.Kb1 Qe5 44.f4 Qe6 45.Qe2 Rxd4 46.Rxd4 Qb6 47.Qd2 Qa6 48.Qd3 Qc6 49.a3 Qg2 50.Rd6 Rb8 51.Qe2 Qh1+ 52.Ka2 Re8 53.Qd3 Re1 54.Qd4 1–0
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Gulko,B2610Kasparov,G28001–01990E88Linares 08th8

In the period of glasnost and after international protests, Gulko and Akhsharumova were finally allowed to emigrate to Israel in 1986. But after participating in the US Open 1986, the couple finally moved to the USA and settled down in Fair Lawn (New Jersey).

The Gulko family, Chess Life Januar/1987

Anna Akhsharumova, who had become USSR Women's Champion again in 1984, also managed to win the US Women's Championship in 1987. However, she gave up her chess career in 1997 to work as a programmer.

In 1987 Gulko won the tournament in Biel and at the Olympiad 1988 in Saloniki he played for the first time for the USA. Between 1988 and 2004, Gulko played a total of nine times for the USA in Olympiads, winning silver twice and bronze once with the team. Gulko was also a member of the US team at the 1993, 1997 and 2005 World Team Championships, winning gold with the team in 1993 and silver in 1997.

In 1993 Gulko finished third in the PCA Qualifier in Groningen and qualified for the PCA Candidates Matches. But in the quarter-finals, played at the Trump Tower in New York, Gulko lost to Nigel Short after a play-off.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.0-0 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Qd2 Qd6 12.Rad1 Na5 13.Bd3 c5 14.d5 e6 15.c4 Ba6 16.Qc2 exd5 17.exd5 Qd7 18.Ng3 Rae8 19.Bd2 Nb7 20.Ne4 Nd6 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Qa4 Bc8 23.Qxa7 Be5 24.h3 Bd4 25.Kh1 Qf6 26.Be3 Bxh3 27.Bxd4 cxd4 28.d6 Re5 29.f4 Re3 30.Qb7 Qh4 31.Kg1 Bxg2 32.Qxg2 Rg3 33.Be4 Rxg2+ 34.Bxg2 Qf6 35.d7 Qd6 36.f5 Qxd7 37.Bd5 Qe7 38.Rf3 Qe5 39.Rdf1 g5 40.f6 Re8 41.Kh1 g4 42.Rf5 Qe3 43.Rh5 Re5 44.Rh2 d3 45.Bxf7+ Kxf7 46.Rxh7+ Kg6 47.f7 Kxh7 48.f8Q Qh3+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Jussupow,A2610Gulko,B26100–11989D86Hastings 89901

 

 
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1.c4 Kortschnoj Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 3...c5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6 7.d4 7.Nf3 b6! 7...e5 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 Nc6 11.Qc2 h6 12.Be4 Bd7 13.Bb2 Rae8 14.d4 Sunye Neto,J-Ashley,M,New York CITS,1996,CBM52. 7...Nc6 8.d4 e5 9.Bg5 Qg6 10.d5 Nb8 11.Bd3 Bf5 12.Qa4+ Nd7 13.0-0 Kortschnoj,V-Ashley,M,New York CITS,1996,CBM52. 8.d4 Bb7 9.Bd3 h6 10.0-0 Nd7 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.Be4 Bxe4 13.Qe3 0-0 14.a4 e5= Huebner,R-Sosonko,G,Polanica Zdroj,1995,CBM49. 7...b6?! .7...e5,und 7... c5 sind die Hauptvarianten. 7...e5!? 8.Nf3 exd4 9.Bg5 Qe6+ 10.Be2 f6 11.Nxd4 Qf7 12.Bf4 Bc5 13.Nb3 Na6 14.Nxc5 Nxc5 15.Be3 Ne4 16.Bd3 f5 17.f3 Nf6 18.0-0 0-0∞ Salov,V-Yusupov,A,Madrid,1995,CBM47. 7...c5 8.Be2!? Ribli. Das scheint logischer als 8.Nf3. Weiss tauscht die beste schwarze Figur. Bb7 9.Bf3 Bxf3 10.Nxf3 Bd6 11.Qa4+ c6 12.0-0 0-0 Ribli.Das war schon in einer Partie Pilnik-Evans,New York 1949 gespielt. 13.Rb1 Ribli.Weiss hat Druck am Damenfluegel (halboffene b-Linie) und bis jetzt auch keinen Nachteil aus dem Doppelbauern c3-c4. Bc7 13...Rc8? 14.Rxb6 13...Qd8!? 14.Re1 Rc8 14...Qf5 15.Ba3 Rc8 16.Rbd1 b5 17.Qb3 Nd7 18.cxb5 cxb5 19.d5 Ballman,M-Burgess,M,WchJ Baguio,1987. 15.Ba3 Nd7 16.Rbd1 a6 16...b5? 17.cxb5 Nb6 18.Qb3 cxb5 19.Qxb5 Nc4 20.Bc5 17.d5 b5 18.Qc2∞ cxd5 19.cxd5 exd5 20.Rxd5 Qc6?! 20...Nf8!? Ribli.Mit spaeterem Ne6. 20...Nb6 21.Rf5 21.Rf5 Qg6 22.Nh4 Qc6 23.Rh5 g6 24.Nf5! 20...Ba5? 21.Be7 21.Rxd7 Rxc3 22.Qe4+- 21...Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Rxc3 23.Rxd7 Rxf3 21.Rdd1 Re8 21...Ba5 22.Rd6 22.Re7 22...Qxc3 23.Qxc3 Rxc3 24.Rxa6 Rcc8 22.Nd4 Ribli. Die Aktivitaet ist fuer Weiss wichtiger als eine Schwachung auf c3. Qf6 22...Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 Qc4 23...Qg6?? Kortschnoj 24.Qxg6 hxg6 25.Re7 Rd8 26.Nc6+- 23.Nf5 Das ist eine typische Position fuer Gulko. Mit aktivem Figurenspiel kompensiert er die strategischen Nachteile. Es ist kein Zufall, dass er schon dreimal gegen Kasparov gewonnen hat! Re5 24.Ne7+ Kh8 25.c4∞ 25.Nd5 Kortschnoj Qc6 26.Nxc7 Qxc7 27.Rxe5 27.Qd2 Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Nf6 29.Re7 Qd8 27...Qxe5 28.c4 25...Rxe1+ 25...bxc4 26.Qxc4 Bb6!? 26.Rxe1 Qh4 26...Qf4 27.g3 Qxc4 Fuehrt zur Zugumstellung. 26...bxc4 27.Bb2 27.Qxc4= 27...Be5 27...Qh4?? 28.Bxg7+ 27.g3 Qxc4 28.Qf5 Qc3?! 28...Qxa2!? 29.Qxd7 Bb6 28...Nf6 Kortschnoj 29.Rc1 Qxa2 30.Rxc7 Qxa3 31.Rc8++- 28...Nb6 Kortschnoj 29.Re4 Qxa2 30.Qxh7++- 29.Re3 Qa1+ 29...Qd2 30.Nd5 Bb6 31.Nxb6 Nxb6 32.Qxf7 Qd1+ 33.Kg2 Qd5+ 34.Rf3 30.Kg2!? Nf6 30...Ne5 31.Qc5 31.Nd5!? Kortschnoj Ba5 32.Re7 31...Ba5 32.Nc8± h6 33.Qc6 Rb8 34.Bd6 Rxc8 35.Qxc8++- Kh7 Ribli.Nur materiell steht Schwarz nicht so schlecht, aber Weiss pflegt seinen Angriff. 36.Qf5+ Kg8 37.Be5 Qxa2 38.Bxf6 gxf6 39.Re8+ Kg7 40.Qg4+ Und Matt mit Qg8. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gulko,B2615Huebner,R25951–01996A18Rubinstein Memorial 33rd10

In 1994 Gulko won the US Championship, a success which he repeated in 1999. Gulko is thus the only player to have been both Champion of the USSR and Champion of the USA.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gulko was successful in a number of tournaments. He won in Bern in 1994, in Las Palmas in 1996, the US Open in 1998 together with Judit Polgar, and in Malmö 2001 together with Timman.

Gulko also played in the 2000 FIDE World Knockout Championships in Moscow but in 2004 he protested and refused to play in the FIDE World Knockout Championship in Libya.

Boris Gulko, 2013 in Prague | Photo: Prague Chess

After a long break from tournament chess, Gulko took part in the Israli Team Championship 2020, where he played two games.

Since 2004, Gulko has also been working as a coach and also writes regularly for the magazine Ewrejskij. Together with Joel Sneed he published the three volume training series Lessons with a Grandmaster.

On 9 February 2022 Gulko celebrated his 75th birthday.

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Grandmaster Chef: Boris Gulko


André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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