LaviChess

Elisaveta Bykova

Elisaveta Bykova of the Soviet Union was women's world chess champion twice, in 1953–1956 and 1958–1962. She was the first to win the title back after losing it. She also wrote books on women's chess, among them one about Vera Menchik.

Elisaveta Bykova
Photo: Joop van Bilsen / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, 1960. Free to use (CC0 1.0). Cropped and toned.
  • BornNovember 4, 1913, Bogolyubovo, Russia
  • Died1989
  • CountrySoviet Union
  • Women's world champion1953–1956, 1958–1962
    Two reigns
  • In the line of women's championsNo. 3 of 17
  • Highest ratingShe played her championships before FIDE's lists
    FIDE's official lists began in July 1971

The road to the title

Bykova was born in 1913 into a peasant family in the village of Bogolyubovo and moved to Moscow as a child. There she began playing chess with her brother. After the Second World War she won the Soviet women's championship three times: in 1946, 1947, and 1950.

Title tournaments and matches

Bykova's points come first, then wins (+), losses (−) and draws (=) in the classical games. A tiebreak at faster time controls is given separately.
YearAgainstResultWhere
1953Lyudmila Rudenko8–6 (+7 −5 =2)
Won the title		the Soviet Union
1956Tournament with Rubtsova and Rudenko9½ of 16
Lost the title · title tournament		Moscow
1958Olga Rubtsova8½–5½ (+7 −4 =3)
Won the title		Moscow
1959–1960Kira Zvorykina8½–4½ (+6 −2 =5)
Kept the title		Moscow
1962Nona Gaprindashvili2–9 (+0 −7 =4)
Lost the title		Moscow

Twice world champion

In 1953 she challenged Lyudmila Rudenko and won the match by seven wins to five. Three years later the championship was played as a tournament of three players, and Bykova finished half a point behind Olga Rubtsova.

In 1958 she took the title back in a match against Rubtsova, the first player ever to do so. She defended it against Kira Zvorykina in a match that ended in January 1960. In 1962 she lost the title to the young Nona Gaprindashvili without winning a single game.

The writer

Bykova wrote three books: about Vera Menchik, about the Soviet women in chess, and about the women's world championship. She also gave lectures and organized tournaments to spread the game.

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Elisaveta Bykova
  • World Chess Hall of Fame: Elizaveta (Elizabeth) Bykova
  • OlimpBase: the title matches of 1953, 1959–1960, and 1962
  • Mark Weeks: the women's championship 1953–1962

The facts on this page come from the sources above, checked against each other. Where the sources disagree, only what they agree on is given. The match results are also checked game by game.

Updated November 8, 2026