Alexander Baljakin (born 8 April 1961) is a Dutch draughts player born in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk. He is also a writer of books about draughts.
Baljakin became junior World Champion when he was still performing as a member of the Soviet team.[1] In this period he became Soviet national champion in 1982, 1988 and 1989. He also won a gold medal at the Summer Olympiad in 1985 and as well as a silver at the World Championships in 1986. He won the Team World Cup in 1987.[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.[1]
In 2001 he moved to the Netherlands, gained Dutch citizenship and reached the A status which secures top sporters in the Netherlands money to live and focus on their sport.[2] As a Dutchman he won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championship Draughts in Amsterdam, while in 2007 he won the Balt Cup in Vilnius.[3][4]
Baljakin has also written five books about draughts. Three of those together with Harm Wiersma in Dutch, one with Anatoli Gantvarg in English and one by himself in Dutch.[1]
