IM Andrianov first started playing chess at the age of 3. By age 7, Nikolay was already recognized as a young chess prodigy, and at age 11, he was invited to one of the best chess schools in the Ukraine.

Nikolay became the chess champion of Ukraine at age 15. Shortly after this championship, he gained the title of Master and was next invited to train at the world’s best Chess Training school in Moscow with some of the world’s best Chess coaches.

At age 18, Nikolay became the Soviet Chess Champion Under 20 years old. It was after this time that Nikolay experienced a tremendous disappointment in his chess career. Due to political maneuvering, Nikolay was told one week before (and after months of preparing for the 1980 World Chess Championship as the rightful Soviet Chess Champion) that he would not be allowed to attend this world event – Garry Kasparov would go instead, even though Nikolay had beaten Kasparov in a previous tournament. He also was not allowed to leave the country to go to other chess events he’d been invited to attend.

Still, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chess Training from the Moscow Central Physical Culture & Sport Institute, and using this special training and his own innate talent, started a successful career as a professional World Champion chess coach. Only an elite few chess masters have an actual degree specifically in Chess Training from, what was at its peak, the top Soviet training school in Chess. Interestingly, most GM’s and IM’s now in the U.S. have their degrees in fields other than Chess Training.

Nikolay has been a coach/trainer for 7 World Champions: Women’s World Champion Maya Chiburdanidze; World Champion Vassily Smyslov; World Jr. Champion Under 20 yrs Vladimir Akopian; Girls World Champion Under 20 yrs Nino Khurtsidze; Girls World Champion Under 16 yrs Tea Bosboom-Lanchava; World Champion Rapid Youth Under 14 yrs Mark Paragua; and Girls World Champion Rapid Youth Under 12 yrs Arianne Caoili.

In between coaching, at the age of 26, Nikolay attained his title of International Master. He was also personally invited by World Champion Vassily Smyslov to be the Director and Chief Coach for the Smyslov Chess School for the Best Young Soviet Chess Players. He was responsible for managing the school for the four weeks a year it was open, as well as coaching the students at their tournaments. Two of those students, Nino Khurtsidze and Tea Bosboom-Lanchava, became Girl World Champions in their age groups.

Nikolay has also been the coach/trainer for the Greek National team; the Indonesian National team; and the Philippines Best Juniors team. He next came to the U.S. to work with the Chess Emporium in Phoenix, Arizona.