Gata Kamsky

Gata Kamsky is the strongest and best-known player on the current FIDE transfer list. Following an eventful career and a long association with the US Chess Federation, Kamsky has decided to move to the French Chess Federation. Born in Novokuznetsk, Siberia, in 1974, Kamsky developed into a top grandmaster in the early 1990s. In 1994, he competed in both the PCA and FIDE cycles for the World Championship. He became the challenger to Anatoly Karpov in the FIDE Candidates' Tournament, but lost to the defending champion in the World Championship match in 1996.

Shortly after the match against Karpov, Kamsky retired from professional chess to study law in the United States. After a ten-year break, during which he only participated in the 1999 FIDE Knockout World Championship in Las Vegas, Kamsky returned to professional chess and enjoyed a series of successes. In 2007, he won the FIDE World Cup. 

Kamsky transferred to the U.S. federation back in 1990 and first represented the United States at the Chess Olympiad in Manila in 1992. After a break from competitive play, he returned to win bronze medals with the U.S. team at the 2006 and 2008 Olympiads, both times playing on board one. Between 2010 and 2014, he competed in three more Olympiads for the U.S. At the 2014 Olympiad in Tromsø, Kamsky played on board two, behind Nakamura. However, he was no longer part of the team when the U.S. won gold in Baku in 2016.

Kamsky participated in multiple US National Championships, winning the title in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Kamsky has been living in France for several years and plays in the French Top 16 league for Chartres. This year, the team won the national championship for the second time.

Now, after 35 years with the US Chess Federation, Gata Kamsky has switched to the French Chess Federation, where he currently ranks fifth in the national rankings with an Elo rating of 2607. Kamsky's wife, Vera Nebolsina, also plays for the French federation. 

Olga Badelka

Photo: FIDE

Born in 2002 in Mogilev, Belarus, Badelka won multiple Belarusian girls’ championships and represented her country at various European and World Youth Championships. Her achievements include one gold medal (2017, U16 European Championship), three silver medals (2012, U10 World Championship; 2018, U16 European Championship; and 2019, U18 European Championship), and one bronze (2014, U12 World Championship).

From 2014 to 2017, she played for Belarus in four Youth Chess Olympiads, and in 2016 and 2018, she was part of the Belarusian women’s national team at the Chess Olympiad. Olga Badelka has held the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) since 2019.

In 2021, Olga Badelka began studying linguistics at the University of Missouri and joined the university’s chess team. In August of the same year, she transferred to the Russian Chess Federation. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Badelka began competing under the FIDE flag in international events.

In January 2025, she joined the Austrian Chess Federation and most recently took the host country’s spot at the Women’s Grand Prix held in Austria.

Olga Badelka now holds the top position in the Austrian Chess Federation’s women’s rankings.

Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova

Photo: Lennart Ootes

Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, born on July 16, 1999, in Uzbekistan, won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Youth Championship in the Girls U12 category. In 2017, she became the Asian Junior Champion (Girls U20). She represented Uzbekistan at the Women’s Chess Olympiad in 2016 and 2018, first on board two and later on board one. In 2018, she also won the Uzbek Women’s Championship and reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Knockout Championship.

In the fall of 2019, Tokhirjonova began studying business administration at the University of Missouri and played for the university’s chess team. Following a conflict with an official of the Uzbek Chess Federation, she transferred to the U.S. federation in 2020. She finished second at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Championship. Tokhirjonova has held the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) since 2016.

She has now returned to the Uzbek Chess Federation, where she currently holds the top spot in the women’s rankings.

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