Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya

One of the strongest Russian female players of the 20th century, Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya made her international debut at the 1976 Women’s Interzonal where she tied for first. A frequent participant in the Women’s World Championship cycle for over 20 years, the highlight of her career was winning the 1986 Women’s Candidates tournament.  This qualified her to play a title match, which she lost to Maya Chiburdanidze. Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya had some sensational results in Olympiads while representing the Soviet Union, scoring 10 for 10 in 1978 and 8 ½ – ½ in 1988. She later emigrated to the United States, winning the U.S. Women’s Championship in 1990, 1993, and 1994.