Person of day   -  4 JUNE 2023

OLGA GIRYA

OLGA GIRYA

Olga Girya was born in the distant city of Langepas. Olga’s first trainer was her father, Alexander. The girl from the Khanty-Mnaskiysk region won several youth championships in Russia, some of them with 9 points out of 9. Olga was always noted for her determination and efficiency; furthermore, Girya has looked after her physical fitness from a young age, running impressive distances. 

The champion from Langepas was noticed, and soon after she ended up in Moscow’s college of Olympic reserves No.1, where she was taught by grandmasters Sergei Chekhov and Sergei Arkhipov. In 2007, Olga won the world youth championship and won 10 points out of 12 with the Russian team at the youth Vladimir Dvorkovich Memorial Cup, as well as qualifying for the superfinal of the Russian championship for the first time. 

Two years later, under the guidance of her new mentor Alexander Kalinin, she became a grandmaster, won the national junior championship and joined the fight for the U21 world championship. Alas, the Russian was devoid of luck on two accounts, once when she finished half a point behind Anna Muzychuk and once when she was overtaken by Deysi Cori from Peru. 

Olga Girya is the winner of a tournament in Pushchino in 2012, finalist of the 2012 Russian Cup, winner of Moscow Open 2013 and 2014, Bhubaneswar in 2013, the Higher Leagues in 2011 and 2014 and, at the fourth stage of the FIDE Grand Prix in Khanty-Mansiysk in 2014, she came second after would champion Hou Yifan. She is a prize-winner of the Russian Superfinal and the world rapid championship of 2014, as well as the winner of the 2014 Russian Cup. She also played in two knockout world championships. 

She won the Russian team championships with ShSM-RSSU and ShSM-Legacy Square. She won three bronze Eurocup medals- twice with the team from Moscow and once with Yurga. She won two medals at her board at the European Cup.  

From 2013 onwards, Olga Girya has been an integral member of the Russian national team. She is the winner of the World Chess Olympiad (2014), the World and European Team Championships (2017 and 2019) as a member of the Russian national women's chess team. She won silver and bronze medals in world championships with Russia- Girya was the best among reseves both times. 

In 2018, Girya took second place at the Russian Women's Superfinal and became the Russian women's champion one year later. Then she won silver at the European Women's Rapid Championship in Monaco.

She graduated from the Russian State Social University’s social and family faculty. Despite the fact that Olga Girya is a fearless fighter at the chess board, she is known for her kind and caring character among her colleagues.