Born in Kiev, USSR, I started playing chess at the age of 6. 

At 10 my father bought me my first chess book.  The book inspired me to play more seriously and I joined a local chess club.  I became an Expert at the age of 15 and represented the republic of Ukraine in national youth competitions and championships.

It took me 11 more years to reach the level of Master.  I was always .5 or 1 point away from the Master title, and kept falling just short until a chance encounter with the late GM Leonid Stein got me over the hump.  He pointed out what was holding me back in my game, and I attained the Master title in 1974.

I decided to fully immerse myself in chess and began teaching soon after I gained the title.  At the same time I entered into the prime of my chess playing career, highlighted by top placements in the Ukraine Championships, earning trips to USSR Nationals Semifinals in 1979 and 1980.  After that I largely moved away from competition due to family life and new bureaucratic restrictions, and further concentrated on coaching.  I also began playing by mail, and became International Master of Correspondence Chess.

In the late eighties, during the Perestroika era, I finally got the chance to participate in international tournaments.  Despite having been away from professional competition for almost a decade, I was successful playing in tournaments throughout Eastern Europe.

During the course of my career I have played extensively and held my own against  strong grandmasters like,
V. Ivanchuk, V. Tukmakov, L. Psakhis, M. Gurevich, J. Dorfman, A. Goldin, S. Kudrin, and A. Ivanov.

Due to a change in my diet and lifestyle, I have experienced a rejuvenation in terms of my energy level, stamina, and clarity of thought, which has resulted one of the best years of my playing career, my FIDE and US ratings are higher than ever(Click here for before and after photos).  I also placed 11th in the 2000 USCF Grand Prix.