Igor Kovalenko is a Ukranian grandmaster with an impressive career.
For starters, Kovalenko reached a peak rating of 2702 FIDE. Good enough to put him at the 44th spot in the world rankings. But what's even more amazing is the manner in which Kovalenko scaled those heights — by playing almost exclusively in open tournaments and memorials.
Such a feat was almost unheard of, because open tournaments are notorious for upsets. Just ask World Champion Vishy Anand or US chess legend Hikaru Nakamura. Anything but a win against a lower-rated opponent will send those hard-earned rating points down the drain.
Yet for Kovalenko, the same upset-prone open tournaments became a steady supply of rating points and cash prizes. In 2015, for example, Kovalenko won four top-level tournaments — the Iasi Open, the Bulgarian Chess Summer, the 34th Zalarkos Open, and the Najdorf Memorial Championship — in just three short months.
His success secret? The ability to "feel" the opponent.
Following the first recommendation of chess engines was never a priority for the Ukranian grandmaster. Instead, Kovalenko adjusts his playing style based on the guy or gal across him... trying to be as uncomfortable as possible for the opponent until they crack. It's a practical approach which ambitious club players would do best to follow.
