Balashov Yuri Sergeyevich (12.03.1949)

Russian Grandmaster (1973), honored coach of the USSR (1978). Russian Senior Champion in 2011. A member of the USSR team which won the gold at Malta Olympiad in 1980.

A participant at the World Student Olympiads with gold medals in 1971, 1972 and 1974.

Best results: Champion of Moscow in 1970. A participant to 14 USSR Championships from 1969 to 1986, best results: 1970- 4^th, 1976-2^nd, 1979- 3-4^th with Kasparov.

A participant to the Interzonal of Manila in 1976 and Rio de Janeiro 1979- 7-9^th, Toluca 1985-16^th. However, an illness meant that he was unable to finish the competition.

Best results: Hastings 1965/66, 66/67, 1985/86 accordingly 1-2^nd, 3-5^th, 3-4^th: Skopje 1970-5^th, Wijk aan Zee 1973 and 1982 – 2^nd and 1-2^nd; Tallinn 1973 –3-6^th (together with David Bronstein, Paul Keres and Boris Spassky), Cienfuegos 1975-2-3^rd, Halle 1976 and Karlovatce 1979-1^st, Lone Pine 1977 and Munich1979 –1-4^th, Sochi 1980 –2^nd, Hanover 1983 and Yurmala 1985-3^rd, Helsinki 1983, 1984- 4^th and 1^st, Minsk 1986 and Dortmund 1987- 1^st, Voronezh 1987 and Malmöe 1987/88- 1-2^nd.

The coach-second to Anatoly Karpov in the world championship matches of 1978, 1981 and 1984 and second to Boris Spassky in his 1992 rematch against Robert James Fischer.