Following the successfully managed “100 Years of Mikhail Botvinnik” tournament, the organizers from St.Petersburg are hosting the Lyudmila Rudenko Memorial from 22nd to 31st August. 43 female players, including 8 Grandmasters, are participating in the 9-round Open honouring the second Women’s World Chess Champion.
The total prize fund is 7500 EUR, with 1500 EUR dedicated to the winner. The top finishers will qualify to the final stage of Russian Cup according to the Russian Cup 2011 regulations.
Lyudmila Vladimirovna Rudenko (27 July 1904 – 4 March 1986) was a Soviet chess player and the second Women’s World Chess Champion from 1950 until 1953. Rudenko held the FIDE International Master and Woman International Master titles, which were awarded to her in 1950. She was awarded the Woman Grandmaster title in 1976. She was USSR Women’s Champion in 1952.
Born in Lubny in the Poltava region of Ukraine, in the Russian Empire, her father taught her to play chess at age 10 although at first she was more serious about swimming. Rudenko became the Odessa swimming champion in the 400m breaststroke. In 1925, she was the holder of the title of Vice-Swimming Champion of Ukraine (breaststroke).
She began playing tournament chess in 1925 after a move to Moscow. In 1928, she won the Moscow Women’s Championship. She then moved to Leningrad where in 1929 she began training with chess master Peter Romanowski. She won the Leningrad Women’s Championship three times.
In World War II, Rudenko organized a train to evacuate children from the Siege of Leningrad. She would describe this as the most important thing she had accomplished in her life.
List of players:
1 IM Romanko Marina RUS 2402 1986
2 IM Galojan Lilit ARM 2389 1983
3 WGM Molchanova Tatjana RUS 2346 1980
4 WIM Tomilova Elena RUS 2317 1986
5 WIM Severiukhina Zoja RUS 2270 1990
6 WGM Zakurdjaeva Irina RUS 2268 1982
7 WGM Stjazhkina Olga RUS 2247 1970
8 WGM Eidelson Rakhil BLR 2242 1958
9 WGM Doluhanova Evgeniya UKR 2227 1984
10 WFM Baraeva Irina RUS 2204 1995
11 WIM Baraeva Marina RUS 2197 1995
12 WFM Shulakova Svetlana RUS 2177 1977
13 WFM Travkina Anastasia RUS 2176 1992
14 WIM Butuc Maria RUS 2172 1993
15 WFM Bivol Alina RUS 2171 1996
16 Balaian Alina RUS 2163 1992
17 WFM Kindinova Ekaterina RUS 2159 1991
18 WGM Shaydullina Sandugach RUS 2158 1981
19 WFM Goryachkina Aleksandra RUS 2153 1998
20 WFM Korchagina Viktoria RUS 2109 1992
21 Azimova Karina RUS 2087 1994
22 WFM Kostrikina Anna RUS 2079 1986
23 Markelova Lubov RUS 2074 1992
24 WFM Styazhkina Anna RUS 2039 1997
25 Kostitsina Liubov RUS 2017 1997
26 Grebennikova Tatyana RUS 2009 1992
27 Manina Ksenia RUS 2003 1991
28 Trapeznikova Darya RUS 1979 1993
29 WFM Botalova Yulia RUS 1969 1986
30 Katyshkina Anastasia RUS 1936 1996
31 Butneva Larisa RUS 1868 1950
32 Vronskaya Anna RUS 1864 1998
33 Maidanova Irina RUS 1861 1994
34 WCM Kiseleva Arina RUS 1846 1997
35 Chernyak Viktoria RUS 1768 1997
36 Tskhadadze Anna RUS 1761 1995
37 Gudkina Zhanna RUS 1759 1996
38 Sundukova Ksenia RUS 1755 1997
39 Yusupova Lilia RUS 1672 1961
40 Elizarova Taisia RUS 1662 1998
41 Savrova Lidia RUS 1591 1938
42 Petrochenko Maria RUS 1491 2001
43 Nazarova Anastasia RUS 0 2001
