Career
He was awarded the International Master title in 1986, and in 1996 he became the first Kyrgyz player to receive the Grandmaster title. He was noted as a tactician, and in particular as a specialist in the King"s Indian Defence. He defeated a number of strong grandmasters during his career, including Mikhail Tal, Vassily Ivanchuk and Garry Kasparov, but he was not particularly successful in tournaments.
He qualified for the final Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Chess Championship in 1991, finishing in shared 23rd place.
He represented Kyrgyzstan at seven Olympiads in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2006 and 2008.
