Echesspedia

American Woman Grandmaster (1977) who moved to the United States in 1988 and is currently residing in Seattle.

Her long list of chess accomplishments include being two-time Olympic Champion, 1978 and 1986 and winning the National Championship for Women in Russia in 1978, 1980 and 1981. She became the Women’s World Vice-Champion after losing the world-title match to Maya Chiburdanidze in 1986.

Once in the U.S. she became Women’s Champion three times: 1990, 1993, 1994. Other accomplishments include being two-time Winner of Women Candidate Tournaments 1986, 1988;  Washington State Co-Champion, 1995; Winner of International Women’s Chess Tournaments in Sinaia (Romania) 1976; Moscow (USSR) 1979; Belgrade (Yugoslavia) 1979; Sochi (USSR) 1980, 1982; Budapest (Hungary) 1985, 1986; Yer (France) 1984, 1979; Bale-Herculane (Romania) 1984; Lvov (USSR) 1985; Denmark 1987; Piatigorsk (USSR) 1978; Tapolca (Hungary) 1987.

Elena enjoys reading, downhill skiing, tennis and films. She is married to International Master Georgi Orlov and has two children. Every week the Sunday Seattle Times publishes her chess puzzles.