Igor Naumkin (10 August 1965 – 13 July 2022) was a Russian chess Grandmaster.

Igor Naumkin
Naumkin in Porto San Giorgio, Italy, in 2014
CountryRussia
Born10 August 1965
Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR
Died13 July 2022(2022-07-13) (aged 56)
Asti, Italy
TitleGrandmaster (1990)
Peak rating2510 (January 2007) [1]

Career

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He earned his International Master title in 1988 and his Grandmaster title in 1990. Notable victories included over ex-world champion Mikhail Tal, and David Bronstein.[2]

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he left for Europe to find better chess opportunities, eventually settling in Italy and becoming fluent in the language.[3] Naumkin traveled in Europe from tournament to tournament and was known for being a highly active player. In 2019, he was the #1 most active grandmaster with 258 games in 41 tournaments.[4]

Suspension

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Naumkin was suspended for six months in 2017 for trying to manipulate a game by offering an opponent a victory in exchange for 200 euros. His opponent refused, and after an investigation Naumkin, along with two other players, were suspended.[5]

Death

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He died in Asti, Italy on 13 July 2022. On 3 July he had won a weekend tournament in Pegli, finishing on 4½/5 points. He had remained in the area in order to go to the Russian consulate about his lost passport.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Naumkin, Igor". FIDE. 2022-05-26. Archived from the original on 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2022-10-27.
  2. ^ "Igor G. Naumkin (1965 - 2022)". Chess News. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  3. ^ a b "Chess world mourns GM Igor Naumkin". Times of Malta. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  4. ^ "Rating analytics: True chess grinders of 2019". FIDE. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
  5. ^ Doggers, Peter (4 May 2018). "Players Suspended In Italian Cheating Scandal". Chess.com. Retrieved 2022-10-12.