Maia Chiburdanidze Former world chess champion Date of Birth: 17.01.1961 Country: Georgia

Biography of Maya Chiburdanidze

Maya Chiburdanidze, the former world chess champion, was born on January 17, 1961, in Kutaisi. She is known as the youngest world champion in the history of chess. In 1978, at the age of 17, Maya took the title from the seemingly unbeatable Gaprindashvili, carrying the prestigious title for 15 years and elevating women's chess to new heights. It was only in 1992 that she was defeated by the Chinese player Xie Jun in a match for the crown.

Throughout these years, Maya became a symbol of Georgian and Soviet chess, without being infected by the "virus of fame". She was known for her exceptional kindness, compassion, and deep faith. In the chess style, Maya always amazed with her remarkable ability to notice even the slightest disharmony in the arrangement of the opponent's pieces. She also had a talent for using these weaknesses to her advantage in a subtle and understated manner, allowing her to win many positions that seemed "problem-free" at first glance.

Behind the chessboard, Maya was completely detached from the result of the game and the opponent sitting across from her. "Scoring at any cost" was not her motto. She always maintained utmost politeness and sportsmanship as a competitor. Maya was an international grandmaster (1977) and an honored sports master (1979). She was the world champion from 1978 to 1991 and the champion of the USSR in 1977. She also received the "Chess Oscar" award from 1984 to 1987.

As of January 1, 2001, Maya had a professional rating of 2497 and a FIDE rating of 2525.