{{short description|Russian chess grandmaster (born 1978)}} {{Infobox chess biography |image = Mikhail Kobalia Satka 2018.jpg |name = Mikhail Kobalia |caption = Mikhail Kobalia at Superfinal of the Russian Chess Championship, Satka, 2018 |birthname = Михаил Кобалия |country = Russia (until 2022)<br />FIDE (since 2022) |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|05|03}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |title = Grandmaster (1996) |peakrating = 2679 (May 2011) |peakranking = No. 36 (July 2003) |FideID = 4119150 }} '''Mikhail Robertovich Kobalia''' ({{lang|ru|Михаил Робертович Кобалия}}; born May 3, 1978) is a Russian chess Grandmaster (1997).
Together with 43 other Russian elite chess players, Kobalia signed an open letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin, protesting against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.<ref>[https://www.chess.com/news/view/stop-the-war-44-top-russian-players-publish-open-letter-to-putin "'Stop the war.' 44 Top Russian Players Publish Open Letter To Putin"], Chess.com, 3 March 2022</ref>
== Chess career == In 1994 he won European Youth Chess Championship (U16) in Guarapuava. In 2001 was clear first in the Chigorin Memorial at St. Petersburg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=20634|title=Archive. Tournament report January 2002|publisher=World Chess Federation|access-date=23 December 2010}}</ref> In 2005 came first in the Masters Open Tournament in Biel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bielchessfestival.ch/en/past-winners|title=Biel: Master Open Tournaments|publisher=BielChessFestival.ch|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> In 2007, he tied for 1st–6th with Vitali Golod, Mateusz Bartel, Yuri Yakovich, Michael Roiz and Zahar Efimenko in the 16th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man International tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic673.html#4|title=TWIC 673: 16th Monarch Assurance Isle of Man|last=Crowther|first=Mark|date=2007-10-01|publisher=London Chess Center|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> In 2009 he tied for 9th–11th with Boris Grachev and Tomi Nybäck in the European Individual Chess Championship in Budva.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessib.com/news.html|title=Chess News: The European Individual Championship 2009|publisher=Chessib.com|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> In 2010 he tied for 1st–2nd with Manuel León Hoyos in the Arctic Chess Challenge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ratings.fide.com/tournament_report.phtml?event16=50598|title=Arctic Chess Challenge 2010 September 2010 Norway|publisher= FIDE|access-date=22 January 2012}}</ref> He took part in the Chess World Cup 2011, but was eliminated in the first round by Igor Lysyj.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/fide-world-cup-khanty-mansiysk-2011 |title=The Week in Chess: FIDE World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk 2011 |last=Crowther |first=Mark |date=2011-09-21 |publisher=London Chess Center |access-date=14 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020150713/http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/fide-world-cup-khanty-mansiysk-2011 |archive-date=20 October 2011 }}</ref> In the 2016 Aeroflot Open, he tied 3rd-10th with Vladimir Fedoseev, Gata Kamsky, Daniil Dubov, Mateusz Bartel, Sanan Sjugirov, Maxim Matlakov, and Vadim Zvaginsev.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chess-Results Server Chess-results.com - Aeroflot Open 2016 A|url=http://chess-results.com/tnr205426.aspx?lan=1&art=4&fed=RUS|access-date=2020-07-08|website=chess-results.com}}</ref>
== Notable games == *[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1209870 Mikhail Kobalia vs Michael Adams, FIDE WCh KO 2001, King's Indian Attack: Yugoslav Variation (A07), 1/2-1/2] *[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1539298 Mikhail Kobalia vs Ante Brkic, 10th European Championship 2009, Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations (B50), 1-0]
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{FIDE}} * {{Chessgames.com player|76952}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kobalia, Mikhail}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Chess Grandmasters Category:Russian chess players
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