After carefully reviewing the numerous applications received, the special panel appointed by the FIDE Council has selected eleven chess players, coaches, and organizers to benefit from the first installment of FIDE’s 2025 support program for chess veterans:
GM Jesus Nogueiras (CUB)
GM Igor Zaitsev (RUS)
GM Petr Velikov (BUL)
WGM Valentina Kozlovskaya (RUS)
WIM Maria Petrovic (SRB)
Viktor Chepizhny (RUS)
FT Larisa Pinchuk (UZB)
IA Barriquello (BRZ)
Mykola Matvienko (UKR) – organizer
Spouses IM Maryasin and WIM Tzifanskaya (ISR – one award jointly)
A total of €21,500 will be distributed among them. Since the inception of the program eleven years ago, FIDE has allocated nearly €500,000 in support of chess veterans. The next installment is scheduled for the third quarter of 2025.
As in previous years, we will honor these distinguished veterans with a few words about their careers and achievements, recognizing their enduring contributions to the game of chess.
Jesús Nogueiras (CUB)
Born in 1959 in Santa Clara, Cuba, Jesús Nogueiras made a name for himself at the World Student Championship in 1977, where he helped his national team win the bronze medal. Two years later, he earned the Grandmaster title following a strong performance in Kecskemét (1979).
In 1985, Nogueiras became the first Cuban to participate in the Candidates Tournament after finishing second at the Interzonal in Taxco, placing ahead of Tal, Romanishin, Balashov, Browne, and Speelman.
A five-time Cuban national champion, Jesús represented Cuba in 14 Chess Olympiads between 1980 and 2008, playing on the first board in seven of them.
Among his most notable tournament victories are the Capablanca Memorial (1984) and the Torre Memorial (1997).
Currently, FIDE Senior Trainer Jesús Nogueiras works with young Cuban players, continuing his dedication to the development of chess in his home country.
Igor Zaitsev (RUS)
First and foremost, Igor Zaitsev is known as a legendary coach, analyst, and trailblazer in chess opening theory. Born in 1938 in Ramenskoye, a small town near Moscow, he began taking chess seriously only after graduating from university.
In the early 1960s, Zaitsev began working with leading chess magazines and competing in various tournaments, including six USSR Championships. He was awarded the title of International Master in 1969 and became a Grandmaster in 1976. Soon after achieving this title, Zaitsev transitioned to coaching and analytical work, excelling in both fields.
His most notable contribution to opening theory is arguably the Zaitsev Variation—one of the most complex and deeply studied systems in the Ruy Lopez. He also introduced numerous innovative ideas in other Ruy Lopez lines, as well as in the Sicilian Defence and the King’s Indian Defence.
Zaitsev served as a trainer and second in 17 World Championship matches—including seven title matches—working with top players such as Tigran Petrosian, Lev Polugaevsky, and most notably, Anatoly Karpov. He joined Karpov’s team in the late 1970s, following the death of Karpov’s coach, Semyon Furman, in 1978. Zaitsev played a pivotal role in Karpov’s preparation during several of his World Championship matches, including the legendary encounters with Garry Kasparov from 1984 to 1990.
Igor Zaitsev holds the titles of Honored Coach of the USSR and Russia. In 2006, he was awarded the title of FIDE Senior Trainer.
Petar Velikov (BUL)
Born in Dobrich, Bulgaria, in 1951, Petar Velikov made his debut on the chess scene in 1966, when he shared 3rd–4th place at the National Junior Championship. Three years later, he claimed the national junior title. In his first international competition, the European Junior Championship in Groningen (1970), he finished fifth. Two years later, he earned the bronze medal in the same tournament.
Velikov became an International Master in 1975 and achieved the title of Grandmaster in 1982.
The Bulgarian chess champion of 1987, Velikov represented Bulgaria in four Chess Olympiads (1982, 1984, 1986, and 1990), playing 34 games with a record of 10 wins, 20 draws, and 4 losses.
Throughout his long and successful career, Velikov compiled an impressive tournament record, winning outright or sharing first place in numerous events, including: Tsinovits (1970), Ulm (1971), Wrocław (1976), Kalithea (1978), Pernik (1979), Reggio Emilia (1980), Vrnjačka Banja (1982), Primorsko (1986), Akropolis (1989), Clichy (1999, 2004), Rijeka (2001), Besançon (2003), Chasseneuil (2003), Guingamp (2004), and Condom (2005).
He also served as a trainer for the Bulgarian national team at the 38th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Dresden (2008) and the European Team Championship in Novi Sad (2009). From 2008 to 2016, he worked with Bulgaria’s junior team. Velikov earned the title of FIDE Trainer in 2015.
Valentina Kozlovskaya (RUS)
One of the first and oldest Women Grandmasters in the world, Valentina Kozlovskaya showed early promise and participated in numerous tournaments during her school years. A regular contender in the Women’s Soviet Chess Championships—competing in 15 editions throughout her career—she won the title in 1965. The following year, she placed fourth and qualified for the Women’s Candidates Tournament.
Kozlovskaya was a member of the victorious Soviet team at the Women’s Chess Olympiad in Havana in 1966.
In 1967, she finished second in the Women’s Candidates Tournament, just behind Alla Kushnir—whom she defeated in their direct encounter. That same year, she also placed second behind Women’s World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili at an international women’s tournament in Kyiv.
In 1973, Kozlovskaya won the Women’s Interzonal Tournament but was narrowly defeated by Irina Levitina in a dramatic semifinal match of the Candidates Tournament the following year. She qualified for the Candidates again in 1976, tying for second place with Maia Chiburdanidze at the Interzonal in Tbilisi, but lost to Elena Fatalibekova in the semifinal.
Kozlovskaya emerged victorious in many prestigious tournaments, including Bryansk (1965), Budapest (1966, 1980), Szarvas (1970), Irkutsk (1971), Voronezh (1973), Lipetsk (1974), Cherepovets (1975), Belgrade (1975), and Halle (1976).
She also achieved great success in veteran competitions. Kozlovskaya won the Women’s World Senior Championship in 1996 and, in 2014, claimed the title in the European Senior Championship (Women’s 65+), finishing ahead of the legendary Nona Gaprindashvili.
Marija Petrovic (SRB)
Born in 1953, Marija Petrović was one of the leading chess players of the former Yugoslavia during the final decades of the 20th century. A two-time national champion of Yugoslavia (1983 and 1984), she represented her country in various individual and team competitions from 1971 to 1992, including two Chess Olympiads—in 1984 and 1990.
Awarded the title of Woman International Master (WIM) in 1981, she went on to complete two Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norms and reached her peak rating of 2305 in 1989. For many years, Marija played for the “Bosna” chess club, with which she won numerous team titles.
Marija is a remarkable person both on and off the board, known for her integrity and high moral standards—qualities for which she is admired and fondly remembered by all who have had the pleasure of knowing her.
She currently resides in a rural area approximately 300 kilometers from the Serbian capital, Belgrade. Despite health challenges, she continues to participate in one or two tournaments each year.
Viktor Chepizhny (RUS)
The outstanding Soviet and Russian chess composer Viktor Chepizhny was born in 1934, in Dnepropetrovsk, USSR. An engineer-physicist by profession, he became interested in chess composition in the mid-1950s. Over his prolific career, he has focused primarily on twomovers with thematic changes, threemovers, and helpmates, although he has also worked successfully in other genres.
Chepizhny has composed just under 1,000 problems, with more than a third winning prizes in competitions. In the FIDE Albums, he has scored 237.58 points—well above the threshold for earning three grandmaster norms. His artistic contributions to chess composition are showcased in the book Viktor Chepizhny, published by M. Prcić in 2007 in the USA. To this day, the maestro continues to create innovative and compelling compositions. Several anniversary competitions have been held in his honor.
An International Arbiter in Chess Composition since 1965, Chepizhny was awarded the title of FIDE International Grandmaster in 1989.
A multiple world champion in both individual and team events, he won the World Championship in Composing for Individuals (WCCI) in the twomover section (1998–2000) and in the helpmate section (2004–2006). He is also a five-time USSR champion in the twomover section (7th–9th Championships, 1965–1969; 16th, 1985; and 17th, 1987). At the 1960 Chess Olympiad in Leipzig, he earned gold and silver medals in the twomover section, and a bronze in the threemover section.
Chepizhny has also made significant contributions to chess journalism. He served as head of the chess editorial office at the publishing house Physical Culture and Sports and was editor of the composition section in the weekly magazine 64. For many years, he led the chess columns in the magazines “Smena” and “Science and Life”.
He is also co-author of several books, including Tournament of Stars: Montreal-79, Interzonal Tournaments: Riga ’79; Rio de Janeiro ’79, as well as the anthologies Chess Composition, 1977–1982 and Chess Miniature Problems.
Photos: CFR, Mikhail Grafsky and ajedreznoticias.com/