Valeria Kleymenova

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Alekseyevna and the family name is Kleymenova.

Valeria Kleymenova

Valeria Kleymenova in 2026
Personal information
Born	Valeria Alekseyevna Kleymenova (2008-06-30) 30 June 2008 Ulyanovsk, Russia
Chess career
Country	Russia (until 2025) FIDE (since 2025)
Title	Woman FIDE Master (2022)
Peak rating	2313 (August 2026)

Valeria Alekseyevna Kleymenova (Russian: Валерия Алексеевна Клеймёнова; born 30 June 2008) is a Russian chess player. She holds the title of Woman FIDE Master. She is the 2026 World Girls' U-18 Champion, the 2022 European U-14 Champion, the 2024 Asian U-16 Champion and the 2024 Satka Autumn Cup silver medalist.

Kleymenova is the 7th representative of Russia to win World Youth Chess Championship among females, as well as the second Russian in history (after Olga Karmanova) to compete and win under FIDE flag.

Biography

Valeria Kleymenova was born on June 30, 2008 in a working class family in Ulyanovsk. She began playing chess at the age of seven, when her parents enrolled her in a local chess club. By the age of ten, Kleymenova was already competing at national junior events with notable success. She earned the Woman FIDE Master (WFM) title in 2022.

In 2023, Kleymenova won gold medal among U-16 female chess players in Asian continental championship. In 2026, she became the world champion among women in U-18 age category. After arriving from Montesilvano to Russia, she was met and greeted by governor of Ulyanovsk oblast Aleksey Russkich, who is Kleymenova's friend and congratulated her during the official ceremony.

In August 2026, Kleymenova placed 2nd at the International Chess Festival in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Personal life

Valeria Kleymenova studied in Ulyanovsk municipal high school №65. She graduated from high school in 2026 and has been awarded a gold medal for her academic achievements.

Due to high costs of travelling to other countries to attend chess games, Kleymenova's travel expenses have often been covered by regional and Russian state federations of chess, as well as Ulyanovsk Oblast Ministry of Sports.

In her spare time, Valeria Kleymenova enjoys knitting, swimming and table tennis.

Style

Valeria Kleymenova plays with Polina Borisova during Russian U21 Grand Prix in Barnaul, 2025

Kleymenova's playing style is described as "aggressive and strategically versatile", with a preference for solid positional openings as White and active defense with counterattacking potential as Black, often excelling in middle-game maneuvering and endgame precision. As White, Kleymenova favors 1.d4 with a strong inclination towards the Catalan, Queen’s Gambit and English Opening, often employing fianchetto setups and subtle positional moves to gain long-term advantages. As Black, she frequently responds with the King’s Indian Defense, Sicilian Defense (Scheveningen and Najdorf variations) and Semi-Slav, demonstrating preparedness for dynamic, tactical battles while retaining structural solidity.

Kleymenova's capitalization on minor inaccuracies by the opponent is similar, though not identical, to the one earlier deployed by grandmaster Anatoly Karpov during his games.

External links

• Valeria Kleymenova rating card at FIDE