Nona Gaprindashvili

Nona Gaprindashvili was born in Zugdidi, Georgia which then was part of the former Soviet Union. As a chess player of the universal style, Gaprindashivi feels confidently both at the positional play, and at the tactical complications, demonstrates a high mastership of the ending's playing. The play of Gaprindashivi differs by a constant aspiration to the initiative, deepness and diversity of strategic and tactical plans.

Nona learned basic chess from her brother at the age of five. But from the age of twelve she actually began to study chess in the Tbilisi palace of pioneers under direction of skilled trainer Vakhtang Karseladze (1919—1966) after whom the Georgian female chess school was named after. In fifteen years, Nona became the women's champion of Tbilisi and Georgia. At the age of nineteen, Nona earned the right to participate at the fourth women's Candidates Tournament (1961, Yugoslavia), where she scored first place with 13 points out of a possible 16.

N. Gaprindashvili was awarded by the Lenin order (1966) and by the order "The sign of honours"(1985) for the achievements in the sphere of chess. She also was awarded by the medal "For the labour merits" (1965).