Antonia Ivanova
Encyclopedia
Antonia Petrova Ivanova (born Sofia
, May 12, 1930 – died Sofia, May 25, 2004) was a Bulgaria
n chess
player with the title Woman Grandmaster.
She was the national girls' champion in 1948 and a short time later captured the first of her six Bulgarian Women's Championships. As the first very strong woman player in her country, she was chosen to be the subject of a propaganda film. Probably her best result in individual competition was first place at the 1954 Leipzig
zonal tournament. She became a Woman International Master the same year and much later, in 1983, was honoured with the title Woman Grandmaster.
Antonia Ivanova was 6 times Bulgarian Women's Champion
in 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1958 and 1967.
She played for Bulgaria in two Chess Olympiad
s; Emmen 1957 (the Netherlands) and Split
1963 (Yugoslavia, today's Croatia).
She was married to the International Grandmaster
Milko Bobotsov
, but continued to play under her maiden name.
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, May 12, 1930 – died Sofia, May 25, 2004) was a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player with the title Woman Grandmaster.
She was the national girls' champion in 1948 and a short time later captured the first of her six Bulgarian Women's Championships. As the first very strong woman player in her country, she was chosen to be the subject of a propaganda film. Probably her best result in individual competition was first place at the 1954 Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
zonal tournament. She became a Woman International Master the same year and much later, in 1983, was honoured with the title Woman Grandmaster.
Antonia Ivanova was 6 times Bulgarian Women's Champion
Bulgarian Chess Championship
The Bulgarian Chess Championship is an event inaugurated in 1933 to crown the best chess player in Bulgaria. The championship has been held on a nearly annual basis since, with only a few years missed...
in 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1958 and 1967.
She played for Bulgaria in two Chess Olympiad
Chess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s; Emmen 1957 (the Netherlands) and Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
1963 (Yugoslavia, today's Croatia).
She was married to the International Grandmaster
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
Milko Bobotsov
Milko Bobotsov
Milko Georgiev Bobotsov was the first Bulgarian to attain the chess title of Grandmaster, achieving this title in 1961. Prior to gaining the title he won the Bulgarian national championship in 1958. Probably his best result was equal second at the powerful Alekhine Memorial tournament in Moscow...
, but continued to play under her maiden name.