Boris Gulko: the only dual USSR and USA champion
- País
- 🇺🇸 United States (born in USSR)
- Título
- Gran Maestro (GM)
- Nacimiento
- February 9, 1947, Erfurt, Germany (then Soviet zone)
- Estado
- retirado
- ELO máximo
- 2640 · jul 1990
There’s a record in chess that will probably never be repeated: Boris Gulko is the only player in history to have won both the Soviet Union championship and the United States championship. Behind that record lies a story of persecution, courage, and top-level chess.
Who Gulko was
He was born on February 9, 1947 in Erfurt, Germany, in the Soviet occupation zone. He grew up in the USSR and became one of the country’s best players. In 1977 he won the USSR championship, the strongest national tournament in the world.
The fight to emigrate
Gulko and his wife, Grandmaster Anna Akhsharumova, requested permission to emigrate, which made them “refuseniks”: banned from competing, working, and living normally. The persecution lasted almost a decade until they finally managed to leave the USSR in 1986.
United States champion
In America, Gulko resumed his career and showed that his level hadn’t diminished. He won the United States championship in 1994 and 1999, completing a unique and unrepeatable record: champion of the two most powerful chess countries.
His chess DNA
In our chess DNA system, Gulko represents the profile of the resilient universal player: solidity, technique, and a consistency forged under the most adverse circumstances. If your GM twin is Gulko, your strength is resilience and the ability to maintain your level under any pressure.
Keep exploring
- Viktor Korchnoi, another fighter who defied the system
- Wesley So, another player who emigrated seeking opportunities
- Bobby Fischer, the other great American champion
- All players
Preguntas frecuentes
How was it possible for Gulko to win both the Soviet and American championships?
Gulko won the USSR championship in 1977. Afterward, he fought for years for the right to emigrate (the 'refuseniks'), being punished by the Soviet authorities. He finally emigrated to the United States in 1986 and won the U.S. championship in 1994 and 1999. He is the only player in history with both national titles.
What difficulties did Gulko face in emigrating?
Gulko and his wife (WGM Anna Akhsharumova) applied for emigration permission in the 1970s, which made them 'refuseniks.' They were punished: banned from competing in tournaments, denied work, and harassed by the authorities. The struggle lasted nearly a decade before they managed to leave the USSR.