Darya Tkachenko

Who is Darya Tkachenko?

Darya Tkachenko is a Ukrainian draughts player, FMJD Grand Master, multiple times World champion in international draughts and two-times European champion in international draughts.

Darya Tkachenko was born in Thorez, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. She has finished high school in Snizhne, Donetsk Oblast, and then started her biology studies in Kiev University. She graduated in 2004 and proceeded to post-graduate studies in the same university which she successfully finished in 2007. In 2008 she started working on her Doctoral thesis.

Darya started playing draughts when she was 10 years old. In November 1996, being less than 13 years old, she won a bronze medal at the Ukrainian Under 19 championships. In 1999 she became a European Under 19 champion. The next year she won this tournament again and also won a bronze medal at the World Under 19 championships. In 2001 she became a World Under 19 champion and won a seniors Ukrainian championship.

In 2003 she once again won the Ukrainian championships, in 2004 the senior European championships and in 2005 the World championships in Latronico. The next year she once again became a European and World champion, having won the World championship match again the Russian competitor Tamara Tansykkuzhina. She also won the European team cup with the "Pleso" team.