Vassily Ivanchuk: Displaying Chess Excellence as a Ukrainian Chess Grandmaster

Born at the administrative city of Berezhany in Ukraine, Vassily Ivanchuk is often referred to as an eccentric chess grandmaster. With his unique strategies and methods of play, he is able to win various international competitions. This very good reputation has earned him international respect and recognition from all over the competitive world of chess.

The Ukrainian has a career Elo rating of 2751 as of January 2008, which is good for ninth best worldwide. Simultaneously, this score is the best in his country. His best rating came in October 2007 as he placed second behind the world's top chess player Garry Kasparov. Furthermore, he is also a solid member of the Ukraine team that participated in the Calvia Chess Olympiad in 2004.

The early years of Ivanchuk was marked by obscurity. He participated very little in international chess competitions. His first crack at fame came after he won the New York Open chess tournament in 1988. The success was so great that he immediately followed it with a strong performance at the World Junior chess championship at Adelaide in South Australia. Unfortunately, he lost that match to Joel Lautier in a thrilling finish. He earned the grandmaster status during the same year.

The 1991 Linares chess tournament gave Ivanchuk the international fame he has long been searching for. This event was participated by some of the best chess players of the world led by Russian chess icon Garry Kasparov. The chess match was definitely a close one. In the end, Ivanchuk was able to pull off an impressive victory over the most dominant World Chess Champion of all time.

Despite the pretty impressive track record, Ivanchuk was still lacking something that serious chess players would consider as something that is really worth fighting for. Up until now, he has yet to win a major world championship. The closest thing he could get was a second place finish at the FIDE World Championship Knockout in 2002. This inability to bag a world championship was seen by critics as a sign of Ivanchuk's inability to handle the pressure associated with major events.

This Ukrainian chess sensation has racked up key victories throughout his entire career. The New York Open in 1988, Corus 1996, and multiple championships at the Linares events are among his most notable wins. Strong finishes at the European Championship in 2004, the Canadian Open Chess Championship in 2005, and the World Blitz Chess Championship in 2007 all pile up to build the reputation of Ivanchuk as one of the world's best chess players.