{{Short description|French chess player}} {{Infobox chess player | name = Milinka Merlini | image = Frankreich Japan 1980 Malta.jpg | birthname = | caption = Milinka Merlini (left) in Chess Olympiad (1980) | country = Yugoslavia {{small|(before 1972)}}<br />France {{small|(after 1972)}} | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|10|24|df=yes}} | birth_place = Tučkovo, Yugoslavia | death_date = {{Death date and age|1996|10|29|1929|10|24|df=yes}} | death_place = Paris, France | spouse = | children = | title = | worldchampion = | womensworldchampion = | peakrating = | FideID = }}
'''Milinka Merlini''' (née '''Cirović'''; 24 October 1929 – 29 October 1996) was a Yugoslav–French chess player, five-times French Women's Chess Championship winner (1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980).
==Biography== Milinka Merlini lived in Yugoslavia until 1961 before emigrating to France, but she remained eligible to play for the Yugoslav Chess Federation until 1972.<ref>[http://www.olimpbase.org/Elo/player/Merlini,%20Milinka.html Milinka Merlini Elo History]</ref> She worked as a Russian teacher and translated several works into French.
In 1960 Milinka Merlini won both the Belgrade and Serbian Women's Chess Championships. After moving to France, she won French Women's Chess Championship five times (1975 to 1978 and 1980), and played a key role in its reintroduction after a long break (French Women Chess Championship was not held between 1958 and 1974). In 1973, in Wijk aan Zee Milinka Merlini participated in Women's World Chess Championship Zonal tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olimpbase.org/ind-wwcc/wwc1975-zonaleurope1.html|title=OlimpBase :: European zonal 1 :: Wijk aan Zee 1973 |website=www.olimpbase.org}}</ref>
Milinka Merlini played for France in the Women's Chess Olympiads:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olimpbase.org/playersw/t5nzrpvg.html|title=OlimpBase :: Women's Chess Olympiads :: Milinka Merlini|website=www.olimpbase.org}}</ref> * In 1976, at first board in the 7th Chess Olympiad (women) in Haifa (+5, =3, -4), * In 1978, at first board in the 8th Chess Olympiad (women) in Buenos Aires (+3, =2, -7), * In 1980, at first board in the 9th Chess Olympiad (women) in Valletta (+5, =2, -5), * In 1986, at first reserve board in the 27th Chess Olympiad (women) in Dubai (+4, =0, -4).
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://heritageechecsfra.free.fr/merlini.htm Milinka Merlini] at heritageechecsfra.free.fr *{{chessgames player|id=25497}} *[https://www.365chess.com/players/Milinka_Merlini Milinka Merlini] chess games at 365chess.com
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Merlini, Milinka}} Category:1929 births Category:1996 deaths Category:People from Zlatibor District Category:French female chess players Category:French chess players Category:Yugoslav female chess players Category:Yugoslav chess players Category:Chess Olympiad competitors Category:20th-century French sportswomen
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