Tkachiev and Skripchenko win French Championships

Hi Almira,

Congratulations on winning the French Championship. You've done it a couple of times before, haven't you? I remember you won it last year, but didn't the previous two years, mainly because you played in the Men's Section in 2002 and 2003. I also recall that you won the Ural Supertournament with the world's strongest female players in 2004. So when are you becoming a (male) grandmaster?

Yeah, I know I could phone, or send an SMS (remember when people would communicate personal messages by writing letters?). But I am writing a report on the ChessBase news page, which I know you read quite diligently, so why not do it this way? Incidentally you said you would be in Hamburg three times during the next Bundesliga season. Tell us when, you are always welcome to come and stay.

But I carry this too far. Fond greetings.
Frederic

Dear Vlad,

Congratulations to you too! Great stuff – I thought you were a blitz specialist. I noticed that you won the French Championship in a rapid chess playoff against Laurent Fressinet, which you won 1.5:0.5, but I haven't found those games yet. Please send them to me if you have them. I also realise that at 32 you are rated 2645, and had a 2700 performance in Besançon. So you are still definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Greetings and keep in touch.
Frederic

French Champions 2006

Open section

• Click to download all games in PGN

Vladislav Tkachiev, whose Russian name, Владислав Ткачев, is sometimes transcribed Tkatschjov, was born on November 9th, 1973, in Moscow. He is of Kazakh and in 1982 the family moved to Kazakhstan, where Vladislav learnt chess at the age of ten. Two years later he won the Youth Championship of the country and in 1992, at the age of 18, he became part of the Kazakh Olympic team. At 19 he became a grandmaster and in 1995 he moved to Cannes in France, and now represents this country in sporting events. His greatest tournament victories were Oakham 1993, Cannes 1996 and 1999, Isle of Man 1996 and Makarska 1997.

• On the brink of madness – ChessBase Magazine interview with Tkachiev
• Mr Cool wins Moscow Blitz Tournament
• Vladislav Tkachiev: the blitz revolution

Women's section

• Click to download all games in PGN

  
  French women's champion 2006: Almira Skripchenko

Almira Skripchenko was born on February 17th, 1976, in Kishinev (today Chisinau) Moldova. In 1992 the country became independent from Russia, and Almira was for the first time able to take part in world championships. She immediately won the Under 16 women's championship, and went on to win bronze in the Under 18 section a year later. In 2001, 25, she won the individual ladies European championship, was nominated "sportsman of the year" in Moldova, and received the Order of National Merit of her native country. In 2002 a new sports complex and chess club was set up in Kishinev, with the name "Elmira Skripchenko-Lautier" (Almira's dark secrets: her name was originally spelled with an E, and she was married to French GM Joel Lautier).

Today Almira lives in Paris and represents France in tournaments. She is famous for her elegance and good looks, and is regarded by many as the most beautiful of female Grandmaster in the world. Almira is certainly one of the greatest ambassadors for the game in Europe, USA, China and other parts of the world. She has been the subject of many spectacular articles on our news pages, and also written a number of them.

• Almira holds number four player to a draw
• Almira wins Ural Supertournament
• Almira in Paris
• Searching for the best woman chess player
• Lautier and Skripchenko French Champions
• Almira Skripchenko: Discovering China – part one
• Almira Skripchenko: Discovering China – part two
• Almira Skripchenko: Discovering China – part three
• Almira Skripchenko: Discovering China – part four
• Almira and the ChessBase Nikolaus

Almira as the Werder Bremen poster girl

• Official web site of the Championship
• French chess federation web site