Vladimir Wigman Soviet and Latvian sportsman (Russian and international draughts) and journalist Date of Birth: 10.05.1952 Country: Latvia

1. Early Life and Hockey Career
2. Sports Career: Russian Draughts and International Success
3. International Draughts: World Championships
4. Coaching and Writing
5. Journalism Career
6. Documentary Films and Awards
7. Personal Life

Early Life and Hockey Career

Vladimir Vigman, a prominent figure in the world of draughts (checkers), was born in Riga, Latvia. In his early days, he excelled in ice hockey. As a goalkeeper for a team in the prestigious "Golden Puck" tournament, he led his side to second place in Latvia in 1966.

Sports Career: Russian Draughts and International Success

Vigman's passion for draughts began to take precedence over hockey. In 1968, at the age of 16, he achieved the title of Master of Sports of the USSR. His talent blossomed in the following decade, culminating in three consecutive titles as Champion of the USSR in Russian draughts (1976-1978). In 1978, he was bestowed the prestigious title of Grandmaster.

Oltre ai campionati sovietici, Vigman si distinse anche nella Coppa dell'URSS di draughts e nei campionati sovietici di draughts internazionali, dove si classificò costantemente nella top five. Nel 1984, difese i colori dell'Unione Sovietica al Campionato del Mondo di Draughts Internazionali a Dakar, classificandosi al sesto posto.

International Draughts: World Championships

Vigman's international career reached new heights in 1985, when he secured second place at the inaugural World Championship in Brazilian draughts in Galatina, Italy. This success was followed by two more second-place finishes in San Lorenzo, Brazil (1987 and 1989).

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Vigman continued to compete for the Latvian national team, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Team Draughts Olympiad. In 1995, he clinched a bronze medal at the World Championship in Russian draughts, representing the International Association of Russian Draughts.

Coaching and Writing

Alongside his playing career, Vigman served as a prominent coach and author. Together with Grandmaster Alexander Mogilyansky, he founded and taught at the All-Union Draughts School. He was also part of the USSR national team's coaching staff at the World Championships in International draughts in 1983 and 1986.

Vigman's literary contributions include the widely distributed book "Joy of Creativity" (1986) and "Grand Master, Surrender!" (1991), which featured 300 combinatorial positions from grandmaster games. He authored several monographs and educational materials on draughts theory.

Journalism Career

Vigman's journalistic endeavors began in 1971 with the magazine "Draughts" in Riga, where he eventually became editor-in-chief. He contributed to the chess magazine "64-Chess Review" and held positions as deputy editor-in-chief of the business newspaper "Business & Baltic" and the daily Latvian newspaper "Telegraf." In 2010, he became deputy editor-in-chief of the magazine "Open City."

Documentary Films and Awards

Vigman's journalistic work extended beyond print media. He co-authored the television series "Without Witnesses" and produced documentaries such as "Lullaby for Yeltsin" and "Anatomy of a Provocation." For his documentary investigation into the banking crisis in Latvia, he received the Cicero National Award for Journalism in 2005.

Personal Life

Vigman's family life included his father, Yakov Vigman; his mother, Polina Dubova; and his brother, Vitaly. He was married to Galina Vigman, who passed away in 1994. They had a daughter, Diana, and granddaughters.