Tbilisi, Georgia: The Georgian Minister of Culture and Sports, Thea Tsulukiani, congratulates five-time world champion and eleven-time chess Olympiad winner, legendary chess player Nona Gaprindashvili, for a happy birthday.
The “Queen of Chess” stands as a testament to the power of perseverance and dedication. She is one of the outstanding chess players in the history of world chess, a five-time world champion, an eleven-time winner of the Chess Olympiad, the first winner of the European Champions Cup, and a five-time Soviet Union champion.
Nona Gaprindashvili blazed a trail in the world of chess, becoming the first female chess player to be awarded the title of Grandmaster among men. She is also an international grand master among women, and in 1982, she became the first female chess Oscar winner.
She has made a great contribution to the popularization of women’s chess. She played a great role in the development of independent Georgian sports. She was the first president of the Olympic Committee of independent Georgia. The athlete was the president of the ‘Fide’ Women’s Commission and was the head of the Georgian Chess Federation.
For her exceptional contribution to the development of the Olympic movement, she was awarded the three highest awards from international sporting organizations: the prestigious Order of the International Olympic Committee, the esteemed Order of the World Association of National Olympic Committees, and the distinguished Order of the European Olympic Committee.
Nona Gaprindashvili is a laureate of the esteemed ‘Europe’s Golden Pike’, a winner of the prestigious’ Order of Honor ‘, and the esteemed ‘Vakhtang Gorgasli I and II degrees medals.’ She is also a member of the World Chess Hall of Fame. She is an honorary citizen of Tbilisi, Batumi and Zugdidi. In 2001, Tbilisi Chess Palace was named after her.
Georgian Ministry of Culture and Sports congratulates Mrs. Nona Gaprindashvili on her birthday and wishes her health and longevity.
