Valery Kazakouski

Overview

Valery Kazakouski (born July 14, 2000, in Minsk, Belarus) is an elite grandmaster representing the Lithuanian Chess Federation (LTU). Officially awarded the International Master (IM) title in 2015 and the Grandmaster (GM) title in 2022, Kazakouski is a prominent figure in Lithuanian chess, having established himself as the country's top-rated player by standard FIDE rating in August 2023 and representing his federation in major team events. His career-high classical FIDE rating of 2608 was achieved in March 2024. Alongside his active professional career in international opens and European team leagues, Kazakouski is a theoretical opening specialist, authoring multiple analytical courses for chess professionals.

Biography & Major Career Milestones

Kazakouski spent his early junior development representing Belarus. His title progression began with the International Master title, approved during the 86th FIDE Congress in September 2015 in Abu Dhabi. On August 29, 2019, Kazakouski officially transferred his FIDE federation from Belarus to Lithuania.

Following his federation transfer, Kazakouski won several key international events, including tournaments in Saint Petersburg (2019) and the Aloyzas Kveinys Memorial in Panevėžys (2021). His Grandmaster title was officially ratified at the 92nd FIDE Congress in late 2021. On the national stage, Kazakouski has been a consistent challenger for the national title, claiming silver medals at the Lithuanian Chess Championship in 2020, 2022, and 2025, and earning a bronze medal in 2023.

Kazakouski frequently represents clubs in prestigious European chess leagues, including the German Bundesliga, the Czech Extraliga, the Polish Ekstraliga, and the Swedish Elitserien.

Elite Team & Event Performance

• 23rd European Team Chess Championship (2021, Čatež ob Savi): Representing Lithuania on board two, Kazakouski finished undefeated with a score of 6/7 (+5 =2 -0).
• 44th Chess Olympiad (2022, Chennai): Representing Lithuania on the reserve board, he scored 6.5/9 (+6 =1 -2).
• 45th Chess Olympiad (2024, Budapest): Played on board three for the Lithuanian national team, finishing with 5.5/11. A notable individual result was his round-three victory over GM Alexander Donchenko (2638) to help Lithuania secure a 2.5–1.5 team upset against Germany.
• 25th European Team Chess Championship (2025, Batumi): Represented Lithuania on board one, facing leading continental grandmasters.

Playing Style, Material Tendencies & Endgame Profiling

Kazakouski is a modern, concrete player with a highly technical positional style. Rather than relying on speculative piece sacrifices or direct, early attacks on the enemy king, Kazakouski utilizes systematic structural pressure. He excels at exploiting micro-advantages and squeezing space, particularly in closed and semi-closed structures arising from queenside and flank openings.

His play demonstrates a pragmatic approach to pawn structures. He is willing to accept positional compromises, such as isolated or doubled pawns, provided he is compensated with active piece play, open diagonals for his bishop pair, and long-term dynamical coordination. In defensive situations, his play is highly active; rather than entering passive defensive setups, Kazakouski prioritizes counter-mobilization, frequently liquidating into queenless middlegames or transition-phase endgames where his piece activity compensates for structural or material imbalances.

Endgame play is one of Kazakouski's technical strengths. He is proficient in converting small structural pluses, showing a refined grasp of active king play, bishop-versus-knight technical conversions, and rook endgame active defense profiles.

Opening Repertoire & Theoretical Move Orders

Kazakouski is a dedicated theorist who has authored multiple opening guides for professional databases. His personal tournament repertoire is flexible, focused on positional complexity and transpositional depth.

1. As White

With the white pieces, Kazakouski relies on a mix of 1.e4, 1.d4, and flank systems.

• Sicilian Defense, Canal-Sokolsky Attack: Against 1...c5, Kazakouski frequently relies on Bb5 systems to steer clear of theoretical Open Sicilian main lines:
• The Catalan Opening: In 1.d4 lines, Kazakouski often transitions into Catalan setups to establish long-term positional pressure on the queenside:
• The English Opening: Flank openings are a recurring choice in Kazakouski's White repertoire, often using reversed-Sicilian structures:

2. As Black

As Black, Kazakouski utilizes sound, structurally solid setups combined with hypermodern counter-attacking weapons.

• The Caro-Pirc Hybrid: Against 1.e4, Kazakouski employs a hybrid structure designed to merge the ambitious play of the Pirc with the defensive control of the Caro-Kann:
• The Triangle Slav: Against 1.d4, Kazakouski utilizes the highly flexible Triangle setup, maintaining options to capture on c4 or develop into dynamic Semi-Slav lines:
• Practical setups with ...Bf5: In Queen's Pawn move orders, Kazakouski frequently develops his light-squared bishop early to secure solid diagonals outside his central pawn chain:
• Flexible d6 systems against the English: Facing 1.c4, he utilizes structures centered on ...d6 to establish reliable central control while retaining theoretical flexibility:

Links

• FIDE: https://ratings.fide.com/profile/13507443
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valery_Kazakouski