Euphrosyne Ralles
.jpg) | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 September 1979 Argyrokastron, Elena, Gylias |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Gylias |
| Sport | Chess |
| Rank | Grandmaster |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | 2505 (NSS) |
Euphrosyne Ralles (Hellene reformed: Εὐφʀοςύɴε Rάλλες; Gylic transcription: Eufyrosyne Rales; born 7 September 1979) is a Gylian chess player who holds the title of grandmaster. Known for her quirky style of play and erratic performance record, she is nicknamed "the lanterne rouge of the NSS".
Biography
Euphrosyne was born on 7 September 1979 in Argyrokastron. She is of Hellene Gylian descent.
When she was 5, she learned to play chess from her father, and later joined a chess club.
She studied medicine at the Federal University of Argyrokastron, completing a degree in dentistry. She works as a dental surgeon.
Chess
Euphrosyne won her first junior chess olympiad in 1994, and won the Argyrokastron Chess Olympiad for the first time in 1999.
She has represented Gylias in several major NSS events, including the Gothenburg International, Padova International, Lairang Invitational, and Debrecen International League. Famously, she missed out on one international tournament because it happened the year she was renewing her medical license, and withdrew from the Commonality International Invitational in protest against the Zemplen War.
Euphrosyne's playing style is influenced by Romantic chess and Ruvelkan chess, and has been characterised as coffeehouse. She is known for her consistent openings, particularly the Italian Game followed by castling. The Cacertian grandmaster Messina Viari once commented that "Euphrosyne plays chess like a footballer" – an epithet that remains associated with her.
She won one World Chess Championship, which she described as a miserable experience: "I didn't have fun, I felt a lot of pressure, and winning the title didn't make me much happier." She has since maintained her reputation as "the lanterne rouge of the NSS", joking that her goals are usually to finish last in a tournament without being eliminated.
Personal life
Euphrosyne lives in Argyrokastron. She describes herself as an amateur chess player, with dental surgery being her main job.
She occasionally writes articles on chess theory for publications and serves as a sports commentator.