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Probably everybody who follows ChessBase, knows who Svitlana Demchenko is. But little did I know, how much of an impact she would have, after all.
When I started at ChessBase, I wanted to create a weekly show, with a young, female, chess master. An English counter for the successful show "Ellis Schatztruhe" with GM Elisabeth Paehtz, on our German site. (Fun fact, Svitlana and I considered naming the show "Sveta's treasure chest")
I wrote to two, or three people, and Svitlana was the first to respond in less than 5 minutes, since she was online on her Instagram account. A nice coincidence.
Quickly, we agreed on our weekly show terms. And although Svitlana was just 17 years old, when we launched our first episode, it was clear, that she was born to perform in front of a camera. She prepares well, and her explanations are spot on, besides just serving an always happy, and professional vibe for each show.
Soon, the WIM even visited the ChessBase studios in Hamburg, Germany, all the way from Canada, to produce her very well received Fritztrainers, in 2021 and 2022:
The Leningrad Dutch Defence - A repertoire against 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3
The Leningrad Dutch Defence is a dynamic and aggressive opening choice for Black, perfect for players who want to add some adventure and spice to their repertoire.
Besides in-depth theory and exciting tactical exercises in the Scotch Game, this video course also includes a bonus section on the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Bc4), a lively variation often leading to very dynamic positions.
Understanding Material Imbalances
This DVD focuses on several types of material imbalances, such as Rook vs 2 Pieces, Queen vs 2 Rooks, and Queen vs Pieces.
Screenshot from Svitlana's Twitch channel
At that time, in 2021, Svitlana also started university, and she is now studying Translational and Molecular Medicine!
Surprisingly, her chess skills didn't decline, rather the opposite happened, and she reached a rating of 2285, from 2071. (With a little help of the K40 ELO score, though) Now, she has an ELO of 2176, and will participate for the Canadian Women National Team in Budapest this September 2024.
Svitlana claims: chess is a perfect addition to her studies, and she would probably never leave this game.
I think, we can all agree on this.
For the future, Svitlana is going to visit the ChessBase studios once again, in July! She will record at least one new Fritztrainer! Furthermore, we will participate at the Biel International Chess Festival in July together. We even made an episode about this.
In December 2023, Svitlana started streaming on Twitch, and quickly gained a significant number of almost 6000 followers. Very recently, she became a Twitch partner, fulfilling streaming time, watch time, and followers.
Whoever already enjoys either Svitlana's Fritztrainers, or our show "Svitlana's Smart Moves" will certainly enjoy her live streams. I highly recommend giving it a shot, and stopping by.
That time, she was paired against nobody else than Hikaru Nakamura in bullet chess
Daniel Naroditsky is one of the best bullet chess players in the world, but he had no chance against Svitlana. She couldn't believe it herself, though.
In a lost position, the Canadian WIM spotted the smothered mate, and executed it.
Another star of the show is Svitlana's cute dog Timka, who can not only fulfil tricks, but also calm down the streamer, after a losing streak.
