Romanishin Oleg M. (10.01.1952)

Ukrainian Grandmaster (1976). Graduated in foreign languages. USSR Vice Champion in 1975 and third in 1981, European Junior Champion 1972-73. Member of the Soviet team which won the World Student Team Championship in 1974 and 1976. A member of the team which won the match USSR-Rest of the World in 1984. In 1977 he was ranked third in the annual Chess Oscar Award.

With an aggressive style (“draws make me angry”), he has had several notable tournament victories: Odessa 1974, Novi Sad 1975, Yerevan 1976, Hastings 1976-7, Leningrad 1977 (tie with Mihail Tal, ahead of Vassily Smyslov and Anatoly Karpov), Polanica Zdroj 1980, Lvov 1981, Jurmala 1983 (+9=4); Moscow 1985, Reggio Emilia 1985-6 equal with Andresson and Ljuboljevic, Yerevan 1986, Berlin 1990, Debrecen 1990, Gyor 1990, Debrecen 1992, Polanica Zdroj 1992, Calcutta 2004, Solina 2004, Roma 2005, Heviz GM 2010.

In nine appearances in the USSR Championships between 1974 and 1983, his best place was second in 1973 (+7=5-3) shared with Boris Gulko, Mihail Tal, and Rafael Vaganian, behind Tigran Petrosian. However, has never made it into the Candidates. “A player striving for original, not trite decisions,” said Averbach. A participant in the Olympiad of 1978 for the USSR and from 1992 until 2000 for Ukraine.

Peak rating: 2615 in 1993.