Elena Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Elena Donaldson Akhmilovskaya (born 11 March 1957 in St. Petersburg) is a Woman Grandmaster of chess
. She has been one of the strongest woman players in the world. She won the Woman's Candidates tournament and in 1986 played a match against Maia Chiburdanidze
in Sofia
for the Woman's World Chess Championship
, but lost by 8½–5½.
Although an ethnic Russian
, she lived in Tbilisi
, Georgia
until 1988 when she abruptly eloped to the United States
by marrying U.S. Team Captain John Donaldson at the World Chess Olympiad
in Thessaloniki
, Greece
.
Elena has lived in Seattle with her new husband, Georgi Orlov (himself an International Master), and their son since 1990. She also has a daughter from a previous marriage who also lives in Seattle. She won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship
in 1990 and 1994 and tied for the championship in 1993. She now lives in Seattle, Washington.
On the January 2009 FIDE list her Elo rating is 2375. Her peak rating was 2430 in 1990.
In 2010 she was awarded the title of FIDE Instructor.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. She has been one of the strongest woman players in the world. She won the Woman's Candidates tournament and in 1986 played a match against Maia Chiburdanidze
Maia Chiburdanidze
Maia Chiburdanidze is a Georgian chess grandmaster, and the seventh Women's World Chess Champion. She is the only chess player in history who has won nine Chess Olympiads....
in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
for the Woman's World Chess Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
, but lost by 8½–5½.
Although an ethnic Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, she lived in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
until 1988 when she abruptly eloped to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by marrying U.S. Team Captain John Donaldson at the World Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Elena has lived in Seattle with her new husband, Georgi Orlov (himself an International Master), and their son since 1990. She also has a daughter from a previous marriage who also lives in Seattle. She won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship
U.S. Women's Chess Championship
The U.S. Women's Chess Championship tournament is to determine the woman chess champion of the United States.-List of U.S. Women's Chess Champions:*1937 Adele Rivero*1938 Mona May Karff*1940 Adele Rivero*1941 Mona May Karff*1942 Mona May Karff...
in 1990 and 1994 and tied for the championship in 1993. She now lives in Seattle, Washington.
On the January 2009 FIDE list her Elo rating is 2375. Her peak rating was 2430 in 1990.
In 2010 she was awarded the title of FIDE Instructor.