English Chess Forum

Am putting a note here about two players who recent-ishly transferred FIDE federations (in 2023 and 2024). One is well known (she plays for the England women's teams) and the other (being an IM) seems not to have gained much notice. I know some chess emigres keep their chess 'nationality' (technically FIDE federation registration) and some transfer to ENG or SCO or WLS or IRL (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland).

(1) WGM Elmira Mirzoeva (WIM 2000, WGM 2002; born 1981,transferred FID to ENG in April 2024)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmira_Mirzayeva

I had not realised Elmira had a Wikipedia article. It says "Sports journalist, chess commentator of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company." I presume that is long out of date now?

(2) IM Plamen Mladenov (IM 2009; born 1987, transferred BUL to ENG in May 2023).

Mladenov was last active in terms of FIDE rating in October 2025 (and 2019 before that). Mostly inactive since 2013. His ECF rating card is here. It shows that he has played in the Manchester leagues for Bolton for the past 3 years, but also played back in the 2014 to 2016 period (including for the 4NCL - not checked yet which team he played for).

Does anyone have any background or context to add? Also, are there any other recent transfers that may not be widely known? I could check the listing for SCO, WLS or IRL for other titled players, but I assume various people already do that. But players that keep their chess nationality from their country of origin are much harder to pick up.

This thread could be used to add more examples if that would be useful. I assume there are reasons for transfers to ENG.

Try this one

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2410079

Thank you, Alex. I was not ignoring that one to keep the peace...

CM Supratit Banerjee (CM 2023; born 2014, transferred SCO to ENG in February 2024) - later FM (2025) and IM (2026) [IM title TBC].

Technically, I was hoping to capture transfers at WIM, WGM, IM, GM level, not CMs and FMs, and to capture transfers inwards from outside the British Isles federations (the federations covered by the British Isles Coordinating Committee [BICC]), rather than transfers within the BICC area. But since Matthew Turner switched from ENG to SCO and Nigel Davies switched a few times between WLS and ENG, I should be consistent (both were GMs at the time). Transfers between places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and ENG (or other BICC federations) is also quite common.

There will be many CMs and FMs that it will be near-impossible to track, especially if trying to extend this back to the 1950s.

Alex, there is a Greek IM who transferred to SCO:

IM Konstantinos Megalios (IM 2019; born 1995, transferred GRE to SCO in January 2026).

Also for Ireland, this Ukrainian IM:

IM Oleg Gubanov (IM 2004; born 1987, transferred UKR to IRL in November 2024).

Also for Wales, this Spanish IM:

IM Jose Camacho Collados (IM 2013; born 1988, transferred ESP to KOR in August 2011 and then KOR to WLS in March 2022).

I also missed that Tom O'Gorman (IRL) got his IM title in 2024, but that is a different thread.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2026 10:51 pm

[T]here is a Greek IM who transferred to SCO:

IM Konstantinos Megalios (IM 2019; born 1995, transferred GRE to SCO in January 2026).

Just noting here that IM Konstantinos Megalios (peak rating 2418) has two GM norms, achieved in 2018 (in August at 27th Open Intl Tnmt of Kavala 2018 - A group and then in December at the 10th CSC London Chess Classic: FIDE Open).