View source for Vasyl Ivanchuk

{{Short description|Ukrainian chess grandmaster (born 1969)}}
{{Redirect|Ivanchuk|the Ukrainian politician|Andriy Ivanchuk}}
{{Family name hatnote|Mykhailovych|Ivanchuk|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2012}}
{{Infobox chess biography
| name             = Vasyl Ivanchuk
| image            = VasylIvanchuk23.jpg
| caption          = Ivanchuk in 2023
<!-- Personal information -->
| birth_name       = Vasyl Mykhailovych Ivanchuk
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1969|03|18}}
| birth_place      = [[Kopychyntsi]], Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
<!-- Chess career -->
| country          = {{ubl|[[Soviet Union]] (until 1991)|[[Ukraine]] (since 1991)}}
| title            = [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] (1988)
| peakrating       = 2787 (October 2007)
| peakranking      = No. 2 (July 1991)
| FideID           = 14100010
}}

'''Vasyl Mykhailovych Ivanchuk'''{{efn|Many sources give Ivanchuk's first name as ''[[Vassily]]'', which is a transliteration of the Russian equivalent of his name ({{lang|ru|Василий}}).}} ({{langx|uk|Василь Михайлович Іванчук}}; born March 18, 1969) is a Ukrainian [[chess]] grandmaster. He was awarded the title of [[International Grandmaster|Grandmaster]] by [[FIDE]] in 1988. A leading chess player since 1988,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fidelists.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/july-1988-fide-rating-list.html|title=Fide Rating Lists - Archive: July 1988 - FIDE Rating List|website=fidelists.blogspot.co.uk|date=March 7, 2008 |access-date=2016-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914220736/http://fidelists.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/july-1988-fide-rating-list.html|archive-date=September 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Ivanchuk has been ranked at No. 2 on the [[FIDE world rankings]] three times (July 1991, July 1992, October 2007).<ref name="All Time Rankings">{{cite web|url=http://chess.eusa.ed.ac.uk/Chess/Trivia/AlltimeList.html|title=All Time Rating List|publisher=Chess.eusa.ed.ac.uk|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126000035/http://chess.eusa.ed.ac.uk/Chess/Trivia/AlltimeList.html|archive-date=November 26, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ivanchuk has won [[Linares International Chess Tournament|Linares]], [[Tata Steel Chess Tournament|Wijk aan Zee]], [[Tal Memorial]], [[Gibraltar Chess Festival|Gibraltar Masters]] and [[M-Tel Masters]] titles. He has also won the [[World Blitz Chess Championship#FIDE World Blitz Championship (2006–2010)|World Blitz Championship]] in 2007 and the [[World Rapid Chess Championship#World Rapid & Blitz Chess Championships (since 2012)|World Rapid Championship]] in 2016.

==Career==

===Early years===
Ivanchuk was born in [[Kopychyntsi]] on March 18, 1969. His father was a lawyer, and his mother was a physics teacher.{{sfnp|Kalinichenko|2013|p=7}}{{sfnp|Moskalenko|2024|p=7}} He began playing chess after his father bought him a magnetic chess set for his birthday. The first chess book he read was ''Journey to the Chess Kingdom'' by [[Yuri Averbakh]] and {{ill|Mikhail Beilin|qid=Q4081213|s=1}}.{{sfnp|Kalinichenko|2013|p=7}}{{sfnp|Moskalenko|2024|p=8}}

In 1985, he won the USSR Junior Chess Championship, and won bronze in the [[Ukrainian Chess Championship]]. The following year, he joined the chess faculty of the [[Lviv State University of Physical Culture]].{{sfnp|Kalinichenko|2013|p=7}}{{sfnp|Moskalenko|2024|p=8}}

He won the 1986/1987 [[European Junior Chess Championship]] in [[Groningen]] and first achieved international notice by winning the 1988 New York Open scoring 7½/9 points, ahead of a field of [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmasters]]. He tied for first place in the 1988 [[World Junior Chess Championship]] at [[Adelaide]], but lost the title on tiebreak to [[Joël Lautier]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Event Details: Adelaide (U20 World Championship), 1988|url=http://chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/SingleEvent.asp?Params=199510SSSSS3S073394000000131100842000000010100|publisher=[[Chessmetrics]]|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184544/http://chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/SingleEvent.asp?Params=199510SSSSS3S073394000000131100842000000010100|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] title in 1988, and entered the world top 10 the same year.<ref name="All Time Rankings"/>

===Reaches world elite===
Ivanchuk won the [[Linares International Chess Tournament|Linares tournament]] in 1989, 1991, and 1995. In 1991, of the fourteen players participating, eight of them, including [[World Chess Championship|World Chess Champion]] [[Garry Kasparov]], rated in the top ten in the world, and another two among the world's top 50 players. Ivanchuk beat Kasparov by a half point,<ref>{{cite web|author=John Henderson|url=http://www.chessbase.com/events/events.asp?pid=110|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020409173854/http://www.chessbase.com/events/events.asp?pid=110|archive-date=2002-04-09|title=Linares 2002: Just How Much Wood Can a Woodchuck Chuck, Chucky?|work=[[Chessbase]]|date=2 March 2002}}</ref> defeating Kasparov in their head-to-head game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1060207|title=Vassily Ivanchuk vs Garry Kasparov (1991) "Chess Boxing"|website=chessgames.com|date=23 March 2010|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001131451/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1060207|archive-date=October 1, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was widely believed that Ivanchuk might become world champion. He came close in 2002, when he reached the final of the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2002]]. Ivanchuk consistently ranked among the top 10 from July 1988 to October 2002 and among the top 20 up to June 2009, but Mark Crowther's ''[[The Week in Chess]]'' said his erratic play was due to "poor temperament."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/event/wijk06/wijk0.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826210708/http://chesscenter.com/twic/event/wijk06/wijk0.html|archive-date=August 26, 2006|title=Corus, Wijk aan Zee 2006|work=[[The Week in Chess]]|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> His results saw him drop as low as 30th in July 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=145|title=FIDE Top 100, July 2009|publisher=[[FIDE]]|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222225854/https://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=145|archive-date=February 22, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> but he returned to the top ten in the next list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=149|title=FIDE Top 100, September 2009|publisher=Ratings.fide.com|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006181002/http://ratings.fide.com/toparc.phtml?cod=149|archive-date=October 6, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> His inability to become world champion despite his immense talent and longevity has been attributed to his admittedly poor nerves, demonstrated by blunders such as at the 1994 London Grand Prix blitz, when he failed to complete a strong attack on [[Viswanathan Anand]] with a mate in one despite having 0:54 left on the clock. Ivanchuk's nerves were notably exposed during the high-tension atmosphere of World Championship match-format tournaments, such as in 2002 where he was heavily favored in the FIDE championship final after having defeated defending champion Anand in the semifinals, only to lose to countryman [[Ruslan Ponomariov]] in a major upset, denying him the championship. Subsequent match-play tournaments in World Championship cycles saw Ivanchuk consistently underperform; in the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2004]], [[Chess World Cup 2005]], [[Chess World Cup 2007]], and [[Chess World Cup 2009]], he failed to advance past the third round despite being seeded No. 5, No. 1, No. 1 and No. 6 respectively in those events.

Ivanchuk's world championship aspirations were also dampened by the title split from 1993 to 2006. Due to obligations with FIDE, Ivanchuk and Anand did not participate in the 2002 Dortmund Candidates tournament for the [[Classical World Chess Championship 2004]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Yasser Seirawan|author-link=Yasser Seirawan|url=http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/pragueyass2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020609192256/http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/pragueyass2.html|archive-date=June 9, 2002|title=From a Fresh Start to a New Dawn – Part 2|work=[[The Week in Chess]]|date=2002|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He was then narrowly excluded, on the basis of rating, from the rival [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2005]]. While he won one of the events of the [[FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010]], his overall performance was not enough to qualify him for the [[World Chess Championship 2012]] candidates tournament.

===Since 2013===
Ivanchuk played in the [[2013 Candidates Tournament]], which took place in London, from 15 March to 1 April. He finished seventh, with a score of +3−5=6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://london2013.fide.com/en/component/turnuva/?task=fileview&kid=2|title=Tournament standings|publisher=[[FIDE]]|access-date=6 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217203919/http://london2013.fide.com/en/component/turnuva/?task=fileview&kid=2|archive-date=December 17, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The tournament was notable for his unusually poor time management (he lost two games on time), as well as his major impact on the leaderboard despite being a tail ender: he managed to defeat both leaders [[Magnus Carlsen]] (round 12) and [[Vladimir Kramnik]] (round 14), resulting in Carlsen qualifying for the World Chess Championship by tiebreak.

In 2016, Ivanchuk won the [[World Rapid Chess Championship]] in [[Doha]], Qatar, with a score of 11/15. He defeated Carlsen, among many others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/vassily-ivanchuk-is-new-world-champion-in-rapid-chess |title=Vassily Ivanchuk is new World Champion in Rapid Chess |date=28 December 2016 |publisher=[[ChessBase]] |access-date=28 December 2016 |first=Johannes |last=Fischer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229100517/http://en.chessbase.com/post/vassily-ivanchuk-is-new-world-champion-in-rapid-chess |archive-date=December 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2016, Ivanchuk began playing [[Draughts|checkers]] and has achieved a certain level of success. In the [[World Draughts Federation]]'s database, he achieved his peak rating of 1997 in July 2019, and his peak ranking at No. 1050 in July 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fmjd.org/ |title=FMJD – World Draughts Federation |access-date=January 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203135102/http://www.fmjd.org/ |archive-date=February 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fmjd.org/?p=pcard&taal=1&id=20097|title=Ivanchuk Vassily}}</ref>

== Playing style ==
Vasyl Ivanchuk is possessing of a unique and daring playing style consisting of extraordinary creativity fused with high-level technical play, often leading to considerable imbalances. Ivanchuk is well known for his imaginative play, seemingly breaking all principles with sudden sacrifices consisting of deep and immense calculation rather than material balances. The sharp contrast of Ivanchuk creating a narrow path, a path only fit for one to prevail and enter through.

== Assessment and personality ==
[[File:Ivanchuk4a.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Ivanchuk in 2004]]
''[[The Oxford Companion to Chess]]'' (1992) describes Ivanchuk as follows:
{{bq|Although blessed with great energy and ability, Ivanchuk is also moody and emotional. Losing his temper, he has been known to sweep the pieces from the board during a tournament. Seen by some as an [[anti-hero]], he says, 'What's the good of setting goals when their achievement is never in one's own hands?'{{sfnp|Hooper|Whyld|1992|p=184}}}}

''The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games'' (1998) states:
{{bq|If he were able to make the most of his talent, he would surely be a real contender for World No. 1 spot, but he is a highly emotional player, who takes losses badly, tends to rush critical decisions when under pressure and sometimes lacks motivation.{{sfnp|Burgess|Nunn|Emms|1998|p=475}}}}

[[Viswanathan Anand]] said in 2004 that Ivanchuk was the "most eccentric" player he had met:
{{bq|He's someone who is very intelligent...but you never know which mood he is going to be in. Some days he will treat you like his long-lost brother. The next day he ignores you completely. The players have a word for him. They say he lives on 'Planet Ivanchuk'. I have seen him totally drunk and singing Ukrainian poetry and then the next day I have seen him give an impressive talk.<ref>{{cite web|first=Shekhar|last=Gupta|date=January 1, 2004|title=Talking With: Viswanathan Anand|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=38320&spf=true|website=[[The Indian Express]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040117032224/http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=38320&spf=true|archive-date=January 17, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

When asked in 2012 to name the chess players she considered geniuses, [[Judit Polgár]] named only Ivanchuk, Carlsen, and Anand.<ref>{{cite web|title=KC-Conference with Judit Polgar|url=https://www.crestbook.com/node/1668/|website=Crestbook.com|date=January 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115023451/http://www.crestbook.com/node/1668/|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Before the [[2013 Candidates Tournament]], [[Gawain Jones]] stated that Ivanchuk was "[o]ne of the most talented players, possibly the most talented ever".<ref>{{cite web|title=FIDE Candidates: Predictions|url=http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/fide-candidates-predictions|website=Chessvibes.com|date=March 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316025351/http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/fide-candidates-predictions|archive-date=March 16, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, [[Garry Kasparov]] said that Ivanchuk belonged in the same category as the [[world chess champion]]s.<ref>{{cite web|first=Elena|last=Holodny|date=May 24, 2017|title=One of the greatest chess players of all time, Garry Kasparov, talks about artificial intelligence and the interplay between machine learning and humans|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/garry-kasparov-interview-2017-5|website=[[Business Insider]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250914074301/https://www.businessinsider.com/garry-kasparov-interview-2017-5|archive-date=September 14, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

Ivanchuk played board 1 for Ukraine in the [[38th Chess Olympiad|2008 Chess Olympiad]] in Dresden, Germany. Going into the last round, Ukraine was second with decent chances of placing first, and only a strong loss against a 10th-seeded U.S. would leave them without a medal. Ivanchuk was chosen to be tested for illegal substances in his system immediately after the last round. But in a major upset, Ivanchuk lost his game against [[Gata Kamsky]], causing Ukraine to fall to fourth and miss out on a medal. U.S. defeated Ukraine 3½ to ½. Ivanchuk was so distraught after the game that he was seen "kicking a large concrete pillar". He refused to take a doping test and stormed out, risking punishment under FIDE rules and forfeiting his games in the event as had happened in the [[2004 Chess Olympiad]] in [[Majorca]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/olympiad-dresden-the-ivanchuk-files|title=Olympiad Dresden: The Ivanchuk Files|work=[[ChessBase]]|date=2 December 2008|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823215223/http://en.chessbase.com/post/olympiad-dresden-the-ivanchuk-files|archive-date=August 23, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Ivanchuk was cleared when it emerged that he had not been warned of the test, and that in his distraught frame of mind, he had not fully understood the arbiter's request.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/3704-decision-of-the-fide-doping-hearing-panel|title=Decision of the FIDE doping hearing panel|publisher=[[FIDE]]|date=22 January 2009|access-date=20 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123144930/http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/3704-decision-of-the-fide-doping-hearing-panel|archive-date=January 23, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

After a string of unsuccessful performances culminated in his elimination at the early stages of the [[Chess World Cup 2009|2009 World Cup]], Ivanchuk announced, in a highly emotional interview, his retirement from professional chess,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-threatens-to-quit-profeional-che|title=Ivanchuk threatens to quit professional chess|date=26 November 2009|access-date=12 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722101521/http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-threatens-to-quit-profeional-che|archive-date=July 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ugra-chess.ru/eng/interv_10.htm|title=Vassily IVANCHUK: 'I was thrown out of the saddle'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129052216/http://www.ugra-chess.ru/eng/interv_10.htm|archive-date=November 29, 2009|work=Chess in Khanty-Mansiysk|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> but he soon reversed that decision.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-sorry-i-am-not-quitting-che|title=Ivanchuk: Sorry, I am not quitting chess|date=30 November 2009|access-date=30 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722081413/http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-sorry-i-am-not-quitting-che|archive-date=July 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notable tournament victories==
{{colbegin}}
* Lviv 1987, 11½/17 1st
* New York Open 1988, 1st
* Debrecen 1988, 10 8/11 1st
* Linares 1989, 7/10 1st
* Yerevan 1989, 8½/11 1st
* Biel 1989, 9/14 1–2
* Tilburg 1990, 8½/14 1–2
* Linares 1991, 9½/13 1st
* Reykjavik 10½/15, 1–2
* Munich 1994, 7½/11 1st
* Linares 1995, 10/13 1st
* Horgen GER 1995, 7/10 1–2
* Wijk aan Zee 1996, 9/13 1st
* Belgrade 1997 6/9, 1–2
* Tallinn 2000 6/7, 1st
* Montecatini Terme 2000, 5/7 1st
* Malmö 2003, 13 7/9 1st
* European Individual Chess Championship 2004
* European Rapid Chess Championship 2004<ref>{{cite web|title=Ivanchuk Vassily (UKR) is the European Rapid Chess Champion 2004|url=http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/2402-893-ivanchuk-vassily-(ukr)--is-the-european-rapid-chess-champion-2004.html|publisher=FIDE|access-date=14 January 2016|date=2004-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110032/http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/2402-893-ivanchuk-vassily-(ukr)--is-the-european-rapid-chess-champion-2004.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
* La Habana 2005, 9½/12 1st
* Barcelona 2005, 4/5 1–2
* Canadian Open Chess Championship 2005, Joint 1st
* Tallinn 2006, 7/9 1–3
* Odesa 2006, 7/9 1st
* Mérida 2006, 1st
* Odesa 2007, 7/9 1st
* La Habana 2007, 7½/9 1st
* Foros 2007, 7½/11 1st
* FIDE World Blitz Chess Champion 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-wins-world-blitz-championship-anand-second|title=Ivanchuk wins World Blitz Championship, Anand second|date=22 November 2007|work=[[ChessBase]]|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015013528/http://en.chessbase.com/post/ivanchuk-wins-world-blitz-championship-anand-second|archive-date=October 15, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Montreal International 2007
* M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2008 8/10 2008, 1st
* Tal Memorial, Moscow 2008, 6/9 1st
* Tal Memorial (Blitz), Moscow 2008, 1st
* Linares 2009 8/14, Joint 1st ([[Alexander Grischuk]] declared winner because of higher number of wins)
* Bazna 2009, 7/10 1st
* Jermuk 2009, 8½/13 1st
* Amber Rapid 2010, 8/11 Joint 1st (with [[Magnus Carlsen]])
* Amber Overall 2010, Joint 1st (with [[Magnus Carlsen]])
* Capablanca Memorial Havana 2010, 7/10 1st
* Cap d'Agde Rapid 2010, 1st
* [[Gibraltar Chess Festival|Gibraltar]] 2011, 9/10 1st
* Capablanca Memorial Havana, Cuba 2011, 6½/10 1st
* Grand Slam Bilbao – São Paulo 2011, Joint 1st ([[Magnus Carlsen]] wins the tie-break blitz games)
* Capablanca Memorial Havana, Cuba 2012, 6½/10,  1st.<ref>[http://en.chessbase.com/post/47th-capablanca-memorial-won-by-ivanchuk 47th Capablanca  Memorial won by Ivanchuk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225113631/http://en.chessbase.com/post/47th-capablanca-memorial-won-by-ivanchuk |date=December 25, 2014 }} Chessbase Retrieved 15 May 2012.</ref>
* Edmonton International 2014, 8/9 1st<ref>https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=84301&result=1/2-1/2</ref>
* Capablanca Memorial Havana, Cuba 2016, 7/10, 1st
* World Rapid Championship 2016, 1st
* Capablanca Memorial Havana, Cuba 2019, 7/10, 1st<ref>https://www.chess.com/players/vasyl-ivanchuk#recent</ref>
* Menorca Open 2025, 8/9 1st <ref>https://www.chess.com/news/view/ivanchuk-wins-menorca-returns-to-top-100</ref>
{{colend}}

==Team chess performances==
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Chess Olympiad]]}}
{{MedalCountry| {{URS}} }}
{{MedalGold|[[28th Chess Olympiad|Thessaloniki 1988]]|[[28th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[29th Chess Olympiad|Novi Sad 1990]]|[[29th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalCountry| {{UKR}} }}
{{MedalGold|[[36th Chess Olympiad|Calvià 2004]]|[[36th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[39th Chess Olympiad|Khanty-Mansiysk 2010]]|[[39th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[32nd Chess Olympiad|Yerevan 1996]]|[[32nd Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[33rd Chess Olympiad|Elista 1998]]|[[33rd Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[34th Chess Olympiad|Istanbul 2000]]|[[34th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[40th Chess Olympiad|Istanbul 2012]]|[[40th Chess Olympiad#Open event|Open]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}

Ivanchuk has often been at his best in international team competitions. He has played in 14 [[Chess Olympiad]]s, twice for the Soviet Union (1988 and 1990), and twelve times for Ukraine, after the Soviet Union split up in 1991. He has won a total of thirteen medals, and has been on four gold-medal winning teams (USSR in 1988 and 1990, Ukraine in 2004 and 2010). In 162 games, Ivanchuk has scored (+63 =87 -12), for 65.7 per cent. His detailed Olympiad records are as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olimpbase.org/players/oeo8eigf.html|title=Ivanchuk, Vasyl|website=olimpbase.org|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229022637/http://www.olimpbase.org/players/oeo8eigf.html|archive-date=February 29, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[28th Chess Olympiad|Thessaloniki 1988]], USSR 2nd reserve, 6½/9 (+4 −0 =5), team gold
* [[29th Chess Olympiad|Novi Sad 1990]], USSR board 1, 7/10 (+5 −1 =4), team gold, perf. bronze
* [[30th Chess Olympiad|Manila 1992]], Ukraine board 1, 8½/13 (+6 −1 =5)
* [[31st Chess Olympiad|Moscow 1994]], Ukraine board 1, 9½/14 (+5 −0 =9)
* [[32nd Chess Olympiad|Yerevan 1996]], Ukraine board 1, 8½/11 (+6 −0 =5), team silver, board bronze, perf. silver
* [[33rd Chess Olympiad|Elista 1998]], Ukraine board 1, 7/11 (+3 −0 =8), team bronze
* [[34th Chess Olympiad|Istanbul 2000]], Ukraine board 1, 9/14 (+4 −0 =10), team bronze
* [[35th Chess Olympiad|Bled 2002]], Ukraine board 2, 9/14 (+4 −0 =10)
* [[36th Chess Olympiad|Calvià 2004]], Ukraine board 1, 9½/13 (+6 −0 =7), team gold, perf. bronze
* [[37th Chess Olympiad|Turin 2006]], Ukraine board 1, 8/13 (+4 −1 =8)
* [[38th Chess Olympiad|Dresden 2008]], Ukraine board 1, 6/11 (+3 −2 =6)
* [[39th Chess Olympiad|Khanty-Mansiysk 2010]], Ukraine board 1, 8/10 (+7 −1 =2), team gold, board gold
* [[40th Chess Olympiad|Istanbul 2012]], Ukraine board 1, 6/10 (+4 –2 =4), team bronze
* [[41st Chess Olympiad|Tromsø 2014]], Ukraine board 1, 4/9 (+2 –3 =4)

==Notable games==
{{Chess diagram   
| tright
| Ivanchuk vs. Kasparov, Linares 1991
|  |  | nl |  | bd | bd | rd |qd
|  |  |  |  |  | pd |  |kd
|  |  |  |  |  |ql  |  |
|pd  | pl | pd |  |  | pd |pl  |
| pl |  |  |  |  | nl |  |rl
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |pl
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |kl
| Final position
}}
*Ivanchuk vs Kasparov, Linares 1991
At round one of Linares in 1991, the 21-year-old Ivanchuk gave up both his bishops for knights and then boxed Kasparov, then world champion, into complete passivity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1060207|title=Vassily Ivanchuk vs Garry Kasparov (1991) "Chess Boxing"|website=[[Chessgames.com]]|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001131451/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1060207|archive-date=October 1, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PcaoAZZ6Rc|title=Vassily Ivanchuk's Amazing Immortal Sicilian Defence Crush vs Kasparov in Linares 1991|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=7 December 2007|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106011301/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PcaoAZZ6Rc|archive-date=November 6, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Ivanchuk was married to [[Russian people|Russian]] [[Woman Grandmaster]] [[Alisa Galliamova]].<ref>{{cite web
 |language      = ru
 |url         =https://www.sport-express.ru/newspaper/1997-12-04/13_3/
 |title       =Решила работать по-мужски
 |trans-title       =Got to work in a man's way
 |publisher   = Sport Express
 |date        = 1997-12-04
 |accessdate  = 2023-03-08}}</ref>

On November 18, 2006, he married for the second time.<ref>{{cite web|author=Evgeny Surov|url=http://chess-news.ru/node/1808|script-title=ru:"В своей модели жизни удалось объединить игру и цирк"|trans-title=In my life model I managed to unify the game and the circus|language=ru|website=chess-news.ru|date=21 February 2011|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722093024/http://chess-news.ru/node/1808|archive-date=July 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, Ivanchuk and his second wife were mugged the day they were set to leave from São Paulo, Brazil, on a plane bound for Spain to finish the second half of the [[Bilbao Chess Masters Final|Bilbao Grand Slam Masters]]. Ivanchuk threatened to withdraw from the tournament altogether, but his wife convinced him to continue. He had been leading in the tournament before this event, but did not play as well in the second half of the tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/so-paulo-masters-highway-robbery-in-so-paulo-|title=São Paulo Masters – Highway robbery in São Paulo!|website=Chessbase.com|date=4 October 2011|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722093050/http://en.chessbase.com/post/so-paulo-masters-highway-robbery-in-so-paulo-|archive-date=July 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Awards and honors ==
*[[File:Ukraine-20-ribbon.png|80px]] 20 Years of Independence of Ukraine Medal <ref>{{cite web|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/822/2011#Text|title=Про відзначення державними нагородами України|date=4 November 2004}}</ref>
*[[File:Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 4th and 5th Class of Ukraine.png|80px]] [[Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise]] (5th class) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/26/2009|title=Про відзначення державними нагородами України|date=16 January 2009}}</ref>
*[[File:Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise 4th and 5th Class of Ukraine.png|80px]] [[Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise]] (4th class) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessdom.com/vassily-ivanchuk-awarded-the-order-of-prince-yaroslav-the-wise-iv-degree/|title=Vassily Ivanchuk awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise|date=28 August 2011|publisher=Chessdom|access-date=29 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041943/http://www.chessdom.com/vassily-ivanchuk-awarded-the-order-of-prince-yaroslav-the-wise-iv-degree/|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[File:Order of Merit 2nd Class of Ukraine.png|80px]] [[Order of Merit (Ukraine)|Order of Merit]] (2nd class) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/68/2002#Text|title=Про відзначення державними нагородами України|date=24 January 2001}}</ref>
*[[File:Order of Merit 1st Class of Ukraine.png|80px]] [[Order of Merit (Ukraine)|Order of Merit]] (1st class) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1373/2004#Text|title=Про відзначення державними нагородами України|date=4 November 2004}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
===Sources===
*{{cite book|first1=Graham|last1=Burgess|author-link1=Graham Burgess|first2=John|last2=Nunn|author-link2=John Nunn|first3=John|last3=Emms|author-link3=John Emms (chess player)|year=1998|title=The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games|location=New York|publisher=Carroll & Graf|isbn=0-7867-0587-6}}
*{{cite book|first1=David|last1=Hooper|authorlink1=David Vincent Hooper|first2=Kenneth|last2=Whyld|authorlink2=Ken Whyld|year=1992|title=[[The Oxford Companion to Chess]]|edition=2nd|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-866164-9}}
*{{cite book|first=Nikolai|last=Kalinichenko|year=2013|title=Vassily Ivanchuk: 100 Selected Games|location=Alkmaar|publisher=New in Chess|isbn=978-90-5691-427-1}}
*{{cite book|first=Viktor|last=Moskalenko|year=2024|title=Think Like Ivanchuk|location=Alkmaar|publisher=New in Chess|isbn=978-90-834350-0-8}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{FIDE}}
* {{Chessgames.com player}}
* {{365Chess.com player}}
* {{Chess.com player}}
* {{Chess.com member}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.benoni.de/schach/elo/his.html?id=14100010|title=Ivanchuk, Vassily. FIDE rating history|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305173757/http://www.benoni.de/schach/elo/his.html?id=14100010|archive-date=2016-03-05|website=benoni.de}}
* [http://www.gmsquare.com/interviews/ivanchuk1.html Interview with Vassily Ivanchuk (2000)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110211134146/http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/a-big-interview-with-vassily-ivanchuk/ Interview of Vassily Ivanchuk: I can still become World Champion" (2011)]

{{S-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|before=[[Alexander Grischuk]]|title=[[World Blitz Chess Championship|World Blitz Chess Champion]]|years= 2007|after=[[Leinier Domínguez]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Magnus Carlsen]]|title=[[World Rapid Chess Championship|World Rapid Chess Champion]]|years=2016| after=[[Viswanathan Anand]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanchuk, Vasyl}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chess Grandmasters]]
[[Category:Chess Olympiad competitors]]
[[Category:Ukrainian chess players]]
[[Category:Ukrainian draughts players]]
[[Category:European Chess Champions]]
[[Category:People from Kopychyntsi]]