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Antoaneta Stefanova
A Stefanova 
Photo from The Land of Chess (pinterest feed).  

Number of games in database: 2,407
Years covered: 1989 to 2025
Last FIDE rating: 2431 (2390 rapid, 2383 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2557
Overall record: +664 -371 =650 (58.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 722 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (443) 
    A45 D02 A46 D00 D05
 Reti System (133) 
    A06 A04 A05
 Slav (67) 
    D10 D11 D12 D15 D14
 King's Indian Attack (56) 
    A07 A08
 Queen's Gambit Declined (43) 
    D30 D38 D31 D39 D37
 Catalan (39) 
    E06 E04 E01 E09 E07
With the Black pieces:
 Slav (290) 
    D15 D10 D11 D12 D13
 Ruy Lopez (205) 
    C78 C60 C65 C69 C70
 Caro-Kann (70) 
    B12 B15 B13 B10 B18
 Queen's Pawn Game (62) 
    D02 D00 A40 A41 D04
 English (59) 
    A11 A10 A13 A12 A15
 Semi-Slav (59) 
    D45 D43 D44 D47
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   A Stefanova vs M Gurevich, 2008 1-0
   A Stefanova vs A Galliamova, 2007 1-0
   A Stefanova vs T Vasilevich, 2004 1-0
   A Stefanova vs M Sebag, 2010 1-0
   A Stefanova vs R Tozer, 1997 1-0
   A Stefanova vs Z Ma, 2015 1-0
   A Stefanova vs E Paehtz, 2006 1-0
   T L Petrosian vs A Stefanova, 2008 0-1
   A Stefanova vs K Abdulla, 2015 1-0
   A Stefanova vs N Gurieli, 1995 1-0

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   World Cup (Women) (2002)
   European Championship (Women) (2002)
   European Championship (Women) (2007)
   European Championship (Women) (2011)
   Yerevan Olympiad (Women) (1996)
   European Championship (Women) (2004)
   FIDE Online Steinitz Memorial (Women) (2020)
   Gibraltar Masters (2009)
   Tromso Olympiad (Women) (2014)
   European Championship (Women) (2008)
   Chinese Chess League (2017)
   Turin Olympiad (Women) (2006)
   Gibraltar Masters (2010)
   FIDE Online Olympiad (2020)
   Dresden Olympiad (Women) (2008)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Stefanova! by larrewl
   Women's Chess Games (2008) by plerranov
   Women's Chess Games (2008) by wanabe2000
   Corus Group B 2002 by Tabanus
   2002 Corus (group B) by gauer
   Agency International (Lonson `997) by docjan
   Agency International (Lonson `997) by Phony Benoni

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 European Championship (Women)
   A Stefanova vs G Grapsa (Apr-08-25) 1/2-1/2
   M Zvereva vs A Stefanova (Apr-07-25) 0-1
   A Stefanova vs T Vidic (Apr-05-25) 0-1
   T Rodshtein vs A Stefanova (Apr-04-25) 1-0
   A Stefanova vs A Velikic (Apr-03-25) 0-1

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Antoaneta Stefanova
Search Google for Antoaneta Stefanova
FIDE player card for Antoaneta Stefanova

ANTOANETA STEFANOVA
(born Apr-19-1979, 46 years old) Bulgaria

[what is this?]

Antoaneta Stefanova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She learned to play when she was four years old and won her first tournament at the age of 7 in Sofia. In 1989, she became the inaugural U10 World Girls Champion.

Stefanova has played for Bulgaria in five Chess Olympiads, starting in Manila in 1992 when she was 13 years old. In 2000, she was promoted to the Bulgarian men's team for the Istanbul Olympiad. She won the European Women's Championship in 2002, achieved her peak rating of 2560 in January 2003. She was awarded the IM title in 1997 and the Grandmaster title in 2002. In 2012, she won the Women's World Rapid Championship (2012) outright with 8.5/11. She is also a FIDE Senior Trainer (2015).

Stefanova won the FIDE Women's World Championship (2004) in Elista, Kalmykia, and competed in the FIDE Women's World Championship (2006) in Ekaterinburg, Russia, making it through to the second round. She also reached round 4 (quarter finals) of the Women's World Championship (2008) in Nalchik in the Russian oblast of Kabardino-Balkaria. She came very close to taking the title a second time at the FIDE Knock-out Women's World Championship (2012), defeating Russian IM and WGM Marina Romanko Guseva, former Women's World Champion, Chinese GM Zhu Chen, Polish GM Monika (Bobrowska) Socko, French GM Marie Sebag, and Indian GM Dronavalli Harika, before losing in the first set of tiebreakers of the final to Ukrainian IM Anna Ushenina.

Live rating: http://www.2700chess.com/women

Wikipedia article: Antoaneta Stefanova


Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 97; games 1-25 of 2,407  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. A Stefanova vs S Savova  1-0321989BUL-ch 38th (Women)D78 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6
2. E Georgieva vs A Stefanova  ½-½341991BUL-ch (Women)D03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
3. A Stefanova vs M Velcheva  0-1351991BUL-ch (Women)D03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
4. A Stefanova vs S Savova  ½-½301991BUL-ch (Women)A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
5. A Stefanova vs C Peptan  ½-½231992EU-ch U14 GirlsA48 King's Indian
6. A Stefanova vs H Ilieva  ½-½491992BUL-chT (Women)D73 Neo-Grunfeld, 5.Nf3
7. A Stefanova vs E Georgieva  1-0391992BUL-chT (Women)D79 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O, Main line
8. N Kruljac vs A Stefanova  0-1251992EU-ch U14 GirlsA07 King's Indian Attack
9. N Gukova vs A Stefanova  0-1361992EU-ch U14 GirlsE10 Queen's Pawn Game
10. A Stefanova vs N Mereacre 1-0531992EU-ch U14 GirlsB12 Caro-Kann Defense
11. Stela Milanova vs A Stefanova  0-1111992BUL-ch (Women)B01 Scandinavian
12. A Stefanova vs S Tkeshelashvili  ½-½321992EU-ch U14 GirlsD02 Queen's Pawn Game
13. A Stefanova vs E Zlatanova  ½-½331992BUL-ch (Women)D79 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O, Main line
14. M Socko vs A Stefanova  ½-½471992EU-ch U14 GirlsA11 English, Caro-Kann Defensive System
15. M Luks vs A Stefanova 0-1171992EU-ch U14 GirlsB01 Scandinavian
16. A Stefanova vs E Hagesaether  1-0281992EU-ch U14 GirlsA49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
17. A Stefanova vs M Vasiltseva 1-0231992EU-ch U14 GirlsD02 Queen's Pawn Game
18. M Koen vs A Stefanova  1-0381992BUL-ch (Women)D36 Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange, Positional line, 6.Qc2
19. A Stefanova vs N Karakashian  1-0501992Manila Olympiad (Women)A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
20. S de Vries vs A Stefanova  ½-½251992Manila Olympiad (Women)D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
21. M Ranniku vs A Stefanova ½-½721992Manila Olympiad (Women)D03 Torre Attack (Tartakower Variation)
22. A Stefanova vs S Sabirova  0-1181992Manila Olympiad (Women)E06 Catalan, Closed, 5.Nf3
23. A Stefanova vs I Zak  1-0361992Manila Olympiad (Women)D02 Queen's Pawn Game
24. A Stefanova vs M Sulistya  0-1411992Manila Olympiad (Women)A46 Queen's Pawn Game
25. A Stefanova vs T Papadopoulou  1-0381992Mangalia Balkaniad (girls)A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
 page 1 of 97; games 1-25 of 2,407  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Stefanova wins | Stefanova loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 4 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-19-08  sonia91: Happy birthday!
Apr-19-08  whiteshark: Many happy returns, Eti!

And good luck for the <European Individual Women's Championship 2008> in Plovdiv !!

Apr-19-08  brankat: <whiteshark> A few minutes ago (about 9:30 PM, Germany) I tried to post in Your forum, but it would not let. Says that I'm on Your ignore list!?

I think it must be a mistake :-)

Apr-19-08  NakoSonorense: <brankat> Doh! If you're on his ignore list, he will not read this!

<brankat: <whiteshark> A few minutes ago (about 9:30 PM, Germany) I tried to post in Your forum, but it would not let. Says that I'm on Your ignore list!? I think it must be a mistake :-)>

Apr-19-08  brankat: <NakoSonorense> Thanks. Yes, I just remembered, he replied to my post to him on <Irene Winter> player's page yesterday. So, as I suspected it's not the ignore. Either a software glitch, or more likely he uses the forum solely for his end-games study. Just about all the posts there are his.
Apr-19-08  whiteshark: ooops. I'd overshot. Sry
Apr-19-08  gadfly: Happy Birthday, adashka, and wishes for a most successful year!
Apr-19-08  brankat: <whiteshark> No Problem. Thanks.
Aug-03-08  Augalv: Isn't she cute...
Aug-03-08  Augalv: Btw, Stefanova just won The North Urals Cup 2008.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

Sep-15-08  chessya11: To quote from Whitman:

<What I don't understand is why players insist on playing 1...Nf6 when Stefanova has White. Stefanova has one answer to that, the Tromp. And invariably she knows the opening better than her opponent and wins. This to me signals that you must either (A) play something other than Nf6; or (B) learn the Tromp better than Stefanova (good luck there).

Instead, players choose option (C) which is allow the Tromp without a clue, and lose. No sense whatsoever.>

I couldn't agree more. Morons.

Solution: play 1...h6 and watch Stefanova cry.

Feb-09-09  flhoosier: who is stefanova's coach?
Feb-28-09  Augalv: <flhoosier>, Stefanova's coach is GM Vladimir Georgiev.

http://interviews.chessdom.com/anto...

Mar-05-09  whiteshark: <Antoaneta Stefanova>, is one of the three <ex-world champions> in the field.

She learnt playing at the age of four and her father was her initial tutor. At the age of 7 she already became the champion of Sofia, her hometown.

She won world youth title in <1989>. She is one of the women players that compete successfully against men and her results can be traced back to <1993> which was the time she started taking part in Chess Olympiads and she has participated <five Olympiads>. She joined the men's team for the Olympiad in İstanbul, <2000>.

She already joined the top ten of women ranking in FIDE rating list back in 1997 but also won the crown for <world championship in 2004> and held the title until 2006.

Stefanova won the bronze medal in European Individual Championship in <2007>, which she already won in <2002>.

Last year she won the North Urals Cup, another women's super tournament but was not able to retake the crown for FIDE World Women Chess Championship since she failed to advance to the semi final in her mini-match against Pia Cramling.

from http://istanbul2009.fide.com/stefan...

Apr-19-09  JuarezB: Is she married?
Apr-19-09  WhiteRook48: ever played Kasparov?
Apr-19-09  ppeti84: She's damn hot!!!
Apr-19-09  Udit Narayan: Happy Birthday!!!

LOL, at least I have the decency to wish her many happy returns of the day unlike <some people>.

Apr-19-09  Augalv: Happy Birthday Antoaneta!
Jun-09-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <(Click <next> on the site to see the next photo.) >

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Jul-31-09  Halfpricemidge: She's cute!
Aug-05-09  percyblakeney: On comments said to her after games Stefanova mentions (in NIC 4/2009) "I never thought I would lose to a woman!" from a 1900-rated player after losing to the GM...
Sep-18-09  percyblakeney: Nice win with black against Timman in Antwerp today:

[Event "InventiChess 2009"]
[Site "Antwerp, BEL"]
[Date "2009.09.18"]
[Round "1.1"]
[White "Timman, Jan"]
[Black "Stefanova, Antoaneta"]
[ECO "C68"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Qf6 6. d4 exd4 7. Bg5 Qd6 8. Nxd4 Be7 9. Be3 Qg6 10. Nc3 Nf6 11. f3 Bd7 12. Qe2 O-O-O 13. Nb3 Bd6 14. Bc5 Bf4 15. Qf2 b6 16. Ne2 Nh5 17. Be3 Bd6 18. Rad1 c5 19. g4 Bb5 20. Kh1 Nf6 21. Nd2 Be5 22. c4 Bc6 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Nxg4 25. Qe1 Nf6 26. Rg1 Qh5 27. Qg3 Ne8 28. Rde1 h6 29. a3 g5 30. Be5 Rf8 31. Bc3 Rd3 32. Rgf1 f5 33. exf5 Rxf5 34. Kg1 Nd6 35. Re5 Rxe5 36. Qxe5 Bxf3 37. Qe6+ Kb8 38. Rf2 Bc6 39. Be5 Qd1+ 40. Nf1 Kb7 0-1

Position before 24. ... Nxg4 (if 25. fxg4 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 Qxe4+ 27. Kg1 Re8 and black is rook down but winning):


click for larger view

Mar-27-10  wordfunph: "I can't name one favorite player as I admire many --- each for different reasons. Let's put it this way: my father taught me chess by playing through all the games of Bobby Fischer. Then there was also Mikhail Tal. A long time ago I even had a chance to play him in a simul. I was five years old and I made a draw! And Garry Kasparov is another player I would like to mention." GM Antoaneta Stefanova
Apr-04-10  Albertan: I have analyzed Antoaneta's second round game from the current Russian Women's Team Chess Championship against World Women's Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk , and posted this analysis to the first page of my blog at http://albertan1956.blogspot.com/ using Chessviewer Deluxe. I hope you come by my blog and play through this game, which is game #36 in the Chessviewer Deluxe game directory. This game proves that it is possible for Black to win when playing the Berlin Defense against the Ruy Lopez!
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