Dina Belenkaya | |
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![]() Belenkaya in 2023 | |
Full name | Dina Vadimovna Belenkaya |
Country | Russia (until 2022) Israel (since 2022) |
Born | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 22 December 1993
Title | Woman Grandmaster (2016) |
FIDE rating | 2164 (February 2024) |
Peak rating | 2364 (February 2019) |
Dina Vadimovna Belenkaya (Russian: Дина Вадимовна Беленькая; born 22 December 1993) is a Russian-Israeli chess player, commentator, Twitch streamer, and YouTuber who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is a four-time St. Petersburg women's champion, and has represented St. Petersburg at the Russian Women's Team Championship and the European Chess Club Cup for Women. She has a peak FIDE rating of 2364.
Belenkaya was taught how to play chess at age three by her mother, a local children's chess coach. Despite limited achievements at the junior level, Belenkaya has had more success in adult competitions, beginning with her victory in the Russian Women's Championship First League in 2011 at age 17. She earned the Woman Grandmaster title in 2016 after achieving norms at open tournaments in France in three successive years beginning in 2014. She exceeded the score requirement for all three of her WGM norms, and earned International Master (IM) norms at each of these tournaments as well. Having obtained all three of the IM norms that are required, she only needs to reach the rating threshold of 2400 to be awarded the IM title. Belenkaya's best tournament performance was at the 2014 Open International d'Echecs d'Avoine, where she earned WGM and IM norms with a bronze medal finish and a performance rating of 2557. She was a participant at the 2021 Women's Chess World Cup, having qualified through her result at the 2019 European Individual Women's Chess Championship. Belenkaya switched federations from Russia to Israel in March 2022.
Belenkaya and her sister Asya had Twitch and YouTube channels named TheBelenkaya that were launched in 2020. Belenkaya is also a regular commentator for online and over-the-board chess events.