Alexander Baljakin

Baljakin became junior World Champion when he was still performing as a member of the Soviet team.

He also won a gold medal at the Summer Olympiad in 1985 and as well as a silver at the World Championships in 1986.

[1] He moved to Minsk in 1986 and after the fall of the Soviet Union he gained Belarusian citizenship, becoming national champion six consecutive times.

[2] He also won three bronze medals at the World Championships of 1992, 1994 and 1996 and was the Grandmasters Champion in 1995.

In 1999 he won a silver medal at the rapid draughts World Championships.