Mikhail Robertovich Kobalia (Михаил Робертович Кобалия; born May 3, 1978) is a Russian chess Grandmaster (1997).

Mikhail Kobalia
Mikhail Kobalia at Superfinal of the Russian Chess Championship, Satka, 2018
Full nameМихаил Кобалия
CountryRussia (until 2022)
FIDE (since 2022)
Born (1978-05-03) May 3, 1978 (age 45)
TitleGrandmaster (1996)
FIDE rating2542 (April 2024)
Peak rating2679 (May 2011)
Peak rankingNo. 36 (July 2003)

Together with 43 other Russian elite chess players, Kobalia signed an open letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin, protesting against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.[1]

Chess career edit

In 1994 he won European Youth Chess Championship (U16) in Guarapuava. In 2001 was clear first in the Chigorin Memorial at St. Petersburg.[2] In 2005 came first in the Masters Open Tournament in Biel.[3] In 2007, he tied for 1st–6th with Vitali Golod, Mateusz Bartel, Yuri Yakovich, Michael Roiz and Zahar Efimenko in the 16th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International tournament.[4] In 2009 he tied for 9th–11th with Boris Grachev and Tomi Nybäck in the European Individual Chess Championship in Budva.[5] In 2010 he tied for 1st–2nd with Manuel León Hoyos in the Arctic Chess Challenge.[6] He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011, but was eliminated in the first round by Igor Lysyj.[7] In the 2016 Aeroflot Open, he tied 3rd-10th with Vladimir Fedoseev, Gata Kamsky, Daniil Dubov, Mateusz Bartel, Sanan Sjugirov, Maxim Matlakov, and Vadim Zvaginsev.[8]

Notable games edit

References edit

  1. ^ "'Stop the war.' 44 Top Russian Players Publish Open Letter To Putin", Chess.com, 3 March 2022
  2. ^ "Archive. Tournament report January 2002". World Chess Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Biel: Master Open Tournaments". BielChessFestival.ch. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  4. ^ Crowther, Mark (2007-10-01). "TWIC 673: 16th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man". London Chess Center. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  5. ^ "Chess News: The European Individual Championship 2009". Chessib.com. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Arctic Chess Challenge 2010 September 2010 Norway". FIDE. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  7. ^ Crowther, Mark (2011-09-21). "The Week in Chess: FIDE World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk 2011". London Chess Center. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - Aeroflot Open 2016 A". chess-results.com. Retrieved 2020-07-08.

External links edit