| Igor Naumkin | |
| Country: | Russia |
| Birth Date: | 10 August 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Saratov, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Death Place: | Asti, Italy |
| Grandmaster (1990) | |
| Peakrating: | 2510 (January 2007) [1] |
Igor Naumkin (10 August 1965 – 13 July 2022) was a Russian chess Grandmaster.
He earned his International Master title in 1988 and his Grandmaster title in 1990. Notable victories included over ex-world champion Mikhail Tal, and David Bronstein.[2]
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he left for Europe to find better chess opportunities, eventually settling in Italy and becoming fluent in the language.[3] Naumkin traveled in Europe from tournament to tournament and was known for being a highly active player. In 2019, he was the #1 most active grandmaster with 258 games in 41 tournaments.[4]
Naumkin was suspended for six months in 2017 for trying to manipulate a game by offering an opponent a victory in exchange for 200 euros. His opponent refused, and after an investigation Naumkin, along with two other players, were suspended.[5]
He died in Asti, Italy on 13 July 2022. On 3 July he had won a weekend tournament in Pegli, finishing on 4½/5 points. He had remained in the area in order to go to the Russian consulate about his lost passport.