Legendary Georgian chess player Nona Gaprindashvili has turned 85. To mark the milestone, an anniversary event titled “Nona Gaprindashvili — 85” was held at the Rustaveli State Theatre in Tbilisi.
The event highlighted her life journey and the most brilliant victories of Gaprindashvili, who is widely considered one of the greatest female chess players in history.
The athlete was presented with the Giorgi Nikoladze Award, the highest sports honor of the Ministry of Sports of Georgia, for her exceptional contribution to the development of Georgian sports. Nona Gaprindashvili became the first recipient of this ministerial award.
The award is named after Giorgi Nikoladze, one of the founders of organized sports in Georgia and the founder of the Shevardeni sports society, who made a significant contribution to the development of physical culture in the country.
The celebration featured an excerpt from the Rustaveli Theatre’s production of “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin,” performances by Nani Bregvadze, Eka Mamaladze, and Natalia Kutateladze, as well as the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet and students from the Theatre and Film University.
The event was directed by Giorgi Kashiya, based on a script by Basa Janikashvili, Tamar Balavadze, and Teia Kervalishvili.
The anniversary event was attended by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the sixth President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, Head of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara Zurab Pataradze, and other government officials.
Notably, Nona Gaprindashvili is a five-time world chess champion, an 11-time winner of the World Chess Olympiad, a two-time European Champions Cup winner, and a five-time USSR champion.
Gaprindashvili became the first woman in history to be awarded the title of International Grandmaster among men, and in 1982, she became the first woman to receive the Chess “Oscar.”
Beyond her sporting achievements, Gaprindashvili played a key role in the development of sports in independent Georgia. She was the first president of the country’s National Olympic Committee, chaired the Women’s Commission of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), and led the Georgian Chess Federation.
