Irina Levitina

Irina Solomonovna Levitina (born June 8, 1954, Leningrad, USSR) is a Russian-American chess and bridge player. In chess, she has been a world championship Candidate and gained the title Woman Grandmaster. In contract bridge she has been four times the World Champion.

Chess career

In 1973, she tied for 2nd-5th in Menorca (interzonal). In 1974, she beat Valentina Kozlovskaya 6,5 : 5,5 in Kislovodsk (semifinal match). In 1975, she lost to Nana Alexandria 8 : 9 in a final match in Moscow. In 1977, she lost to Alla Kushnir 3 : 6 in a quarterfinal match in Dortmund.

In 1982, she took 2nd in Tbilisi (interzonal). In 1983, she beat Nona Gaprindashvili 6 : 4 in Lvov (qurterfinal), and Alexandria 7,5 : 6,5 in Dubna (semifinal). In 1984, she beat Lidia Semenova 7 : 5 in Sochi (final) and became World Women's Championship Challenger. Levitina lost to Maia Chiburdanidze 5 : 8 in a title match at Volgograd 1984.

In 1986, she took 7th in Malmö (Candidates Tournament; Elena Akhmilovskaya won). In 1987, she tied for 2nd-4th in Smederevska Palanka (interzonal). In 1988, she tied for 3rd-4th in Chaltubo (Candidates). In 1991, she tied for 3rd-4th in Subotica (interzonal). In 1992, she took 6th in Shanghai (Candidates; Susan Polgar won). [ [http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/wcc-womn.htm World Chess Championship for Women] ]

She was the Soviet Women's Champion four times -- in 1971, 1978 (jointly), 1979, and 1981, who was not allowed to play in the 1979 Women's Interzonal in Buenos Aires and for the World Women's Championship because her brother immigrated (legally) to Israel. [ [http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/who.htm Who's Who In Chess] ]

After her emigration to the United States, she has also been U.S. Women’s Champion in 1991 (jointly), 1992, and 1993 (jointly). [ [http://www.uschesschampionship.com/2006/news/pastuschampions.htm Past U.S. Women's Chess Champions] ]

Awarded the titles of WIM in 1972, and WGM in 1976.

Bridge career

Levitina is now a professional bridge player. She is a four time world champion and has won many national titles. As of January 2008 she ranks 2nd among World Bridge Federation Women Grand Masters in terms of masterpoints. [ [http://www.worldbridge.org/people/person.asp?qryid=4351 World Bridge Federation Profile] ] In 1986 Levitina won the "Alpwater Award" for the best played hand of the year by a woman player, then becoming the first Soviet citizen to win a bridge award. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFDD1E3EF93AA25753C1A960948260 Alan Truscott's column, The New York Times] ]

Awards

* Alpwater Award 1986

Tournament record

Wins

* Venice Cup (1) 2007
* World Women Team Olympiad (1) 1996
* McConnell Cup (1) 2002
* World Women's Pairs (1) 2006
* Transnational Mixed Teams (1) 2000
* North American Bridge Championships (7)
** Women's Swiss Teams (3) 2001, 2005, 2007
** Women's Board-a-Match Teams (2) 2004, 2006
** Women's Knockout Teams (2) 1993, 1995
* United States Bridge Championships (3)
** Women's Team Trials (3) 2001, 2005, 2007

Runner-ups

* McConnell Cup (1) 2006
* North American Bridge Championships (5)
** Women's Swiss Teams (1) 2008
** Women's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 2001
** Women's Knockout Teams (2) 1998, 2004
** North American Swiss Teams (1) 1995

ee also

* List of all-rounders in games of skill

References

External links

* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/arts/14brid.html?ref=bridge Controversy over anti-Bush placard]