Olga Rubtsova
The only person ever to hold both the Women's World Chess Championship and the Women's World Correspondence Chess Championship.
Photo: Gerhard Hund (International Correspondence Chess Federation) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Biography
Rubtsova won the 1956 championship tournament, taking the title from Bykova, and held it for two years before losing it back to Bykova in 1958.
Beyond over-the-board play, she was also a serious force in correspondence (postal) chess, eventually winning that discipline's own separate Women's World Championship as well — a genuinely unique double no other player has matched.
Playing Style
A well-rounded player equally comfortable in the deep, patient calculation style correspondence chess demands.
Notable Games
1956 Women's World Championship Tournament
The tournament in which Rubtsova took the title from the reigning Bykova.
Fun Facts
- She remains the only person in history to hold both the over-the-board and correspondence Women's World Championships.