Valentina Gunina is a Russian chess Grandmaster who was born on February 4, 1989 in the town of Murmansk. Her achievements in chess began at a young age, with her becoming an international master in 2007 and a grandmaster in 2013. She is the winner of multiple significant championships, such as the Women's European Individual Chess Championship three times (2012, 2014, and 2018) and the Russian Women's Chess Championship twice (2009, 2014). She has also represented Russia in several Chess Olympiads, leading the team to gold in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Gunina has displayed a preference for aggressive, tactical play and is known for her exceptional endgame skills. Apart from over-the-board chess, she is also a successful online blitz chess player. In 2015, she won the 1st FIDE World Online Women Blitz Championship. Gunina has stated that her father was instrumental in igniting and developing her interest in the game.