Vassily Ivanchuk
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Vasyl Mykhaylovych Ivanchuk, also transliterated as Vasyliy or Vasyl (Ukrainian: Василь Михайлович Іванчук) (born March 18, 1969 in Kopychyntsi, Ukrainian SSR), is a Ukrainian chessgrandmaster.
Ivanchuk has been a leading player in the world since 1988, ranking as high as #2 on the official FIDE Elo rating list (July 1991, July 1992, October 2007)[1] and #1 briefly on the unofficial live rating updates from September 10–12, 2008.[2] Ivanchuk often has erratic results, dropping as low as 30th in July 2009[3] before returning to the top ten in the very next list.[4]
He was the 2007–2008 World Blitz Chess champion.[5] He won the Amber blindfold and rapid chess championship in 1992 and 2010.
In 2011, by the decree of the President of Ukraine, Ivanchuk was awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise IV degree.[6]
Reaches world elite
Ivanchuk reached chess world fame at the age of 21 when he won the Linares tournament in 1991. Fourteen players participated, eight of them rated top-ten of the world, including World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov, while the rest were all among the world's top 50 players. Ivanchuk narrowly edged Kasparov by a half-point,[9] defeating Kasparov in their individual game.[10]
It was widely believed that Ivanchuk might become World Champion, but this has not yet happened, although he came close in 2002 when he reached the final of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002. Consistently among the top 10 since 1988, this did not prevent Mark Crowther's The Week in Chess from attributing his erratic play to a "poor temperament."[11] His inability to become World Champion despite his immense talent and longevity among the chess elite has been attributed to his admittedly poor nerves, which have been exposed during the high-tension atmosphere of World Championship match-format tournaments, such as in 2002 where he was heavily favored in the FIDE championship final after having defeated defending champion Viswanathan Anand in the semifinals, only to lose to countryman Ruslan Ponomariov in a significant upset, denying him the World Championship. Subsequent match-play tournaments in World Championship cycles have seen Ivanchuk consistently underperform; in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004, Chess World Cup 2005, Chess World Cup 2007, and Chess World Cup 2009, he failed to advance past the third round despite being seeded #5, #1, #1 and #6 respectively in those events.
Ivanchuk's world championship aspirations were also dampened by the unfortunate title split 1993 to 2006. Due to obligations with FIDE, Ivanchuk and Anand did not participate in the 2002 Dortmund Candidates tournament for the Classical World Chess Championship 2004.[12] He was then narrowly excluded, on the basis of rating, from the rival FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. Although he won one of the events of the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010, his overall performance was not good enough to qualify him for the World Chess Championship 2012 candidates tournament.
When he plays, Ivanchuk often stares at the ceiling and walls with a blank stare (although this is not uncommon with top players who calculate without looking at the board).[citation needed] His playing style is unpredictable and highly original, making him more dangerous but sometimes leading to quick losses as well.
After a string of unsuccessful performances culminated in his elimination at the early stages of the 2009 World Cup, Ivanchuk announced, in a highly emotional interview, his retirement from professional chess.[14] However, he soon recanted this decision.[15]
