Natalia Zhukova

Zhukova in 2007
Full name	Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova
Country	Ukraine
Born	June 5, 1979 Dresden, East Germany
Title	Grandmaster Woman Grandmaster
Peak rating	2499 (May 2010)

Natalia Oleksandrivna Zhukova (Ukrainian: Наталія Олександрівна Жукова) (born 5 June 1979 in Dresden, East Germany) is a Ukrainian chess Grandmaster. She won several age-group titles as a teenager, both at the European and World levels. She has also triumphed in several international women's tournaments. She has played for the Ukrainian women's national team since age 17 in 1996, the same year she won the Ukrainian women's championship in her debut. She played board one on the winning Ukrainian team at the Turin 2006 chess Olympiad. In May 2010 she became Grandmaster. She is married to grandmaster Alexander Grischuk.

Early years

Zhukova was just 12 years old when she made her debut at the World Youth Championship level at Mamaia 1991, with a tied 3rd-4th place in the Girls' U12 group, with 7½/11. She won the European Youth Championship for Girls U14 at Szombathely 1993 with 7½/9. She won the European Championship for Girls U16 at Herculane 1994 with 7/9. She won the World Championship for Girls U16 at Szeged 1994 with 7/9. She placed 2nd in the World Championship for Girls U20 at Halle 1995 with 9/12. She debuted at the Interzonal level at Kishinev 1995, with a middle of the field result, 6½/13.

Ukrainian women's champion at 16

Zhukova was the youngest player in the field, just 16 years old, when she made her debut in 1996 at the Ukrainian women's level. She tied for 1st-2nd places in the championship, with 6/10. In 1995, she earned the title of Woman International Master from FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and was promoted to Woman Grandmaster in 1997.

Olympian since age 17

Such an impressive series of results earned her selection to the Ukrainian national women's team, starting in 1996, and she has represented Ukraine in six straight Olympiads, since 1998 on board one. In 65 games, she has scored (+20 =32 −13), for 55.4 per cent. Her complete Olympiad results follow.

• Yerevan 1996, board 4, +5 =4 −2
• Elista 1998, board 1, +3 =3 −4
• Istanbul 2000, board 1, +3 =7 −1
• Bled 2002, board 1, +3 =5 −3
• Calvià 2004, board 1, +1 =8 −3
• Turin 2006, board 1, +5 =5 −0, team and board gold medals.

International successes

Zhukova has posted several excellent international results. She tied for 1st−2nd places at Belgrade 1998 with 6/9. She won the Groningen Women's Festival in 1998 with 7/10. She won the 1999 EU Cup for Women at Nova Gorica with 5½/7. She placed 2nd at the 1999 Alushta Women's Zonal with 6½/9. She won the 2000 EU Women's Championship at Batumi with 13/19.