13 September 2023
Results of the 103rd Vitebsk Open Chess Tournament dedicated to the National Unity Day
Last Sunday, 09.09.23, the 103rd Vitebsk Open Non-profit Chess Tournament dedicated to the National Unity Day was held in the premises of the chess club of the State Chess Union "Vitebsk". The ideological and essential focus of the upcoming national holiday coincides with the motto of FIDE, the International Chess Federation "We are one family". It is attributed to the Russian poet and chess player Pyotr Potemkin. In our turbulent times, when the world is splitting apart, and the chess world is also no exception, there is something that unites people, this is chess: an amazing game, fascinating, mysterious but honest. There are no "hidden" or "marked" shapes. All your army and the opponent's army is on 64 squares, and success depends only on the knowledge, abilities and experience of your opponents. While fighting at the board, chess players communicate well and make friends in a "peaceful" life, showing an example to politicians.
50 chess players took part in the last tournament, including 12 with a rating above 2000. In addition to chess players from Vitebsk, it was attended by chess players from cities and regional centers: Orsha, Beshenkovichi, Verkhnedvinsk, Gorodok, Liozno, Postavy, Ushachi, as well as, traditionally, from the city of Smolensk of the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka, represented by chess player Himesha Liyanage. Before the tournament started, the organizing Committee held educational and educational events accompanying it: organized an exhibition and a quiz for children and schoolchildren dedicated to the upcoming events: the holiday of September 17, National Unity Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of settlements in the north-eastern part of the Vitebsk region from the Nazi invaders. The winners of the quiz were Vitebsk schoolchildren Mark Zhidomirov (Secondary School No. 47), Matvey Karpov (Secondary School No. 17) and Taras Shevchenko (Secondary School No. 35). A traveling exhibition "History of Vitebsk Open Chess tournaments and matches dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union, Defenders of the Fatherland and other famous personalities of the Vitebsk region"was also opened for the participants of the tournament. It reflected in posters, diplomas, photos and figures information about 102 similar non – commercial tournaments and matches held by the Vitebsk Regional Council of BOS together with its partners in 2005-2023.
As for the tournament itself, it was traditionally held according to the Swiss system with time control: 5 minutes to the end of the game with an addition of 3 seconds for each turn. KMS chess veteran Alexander Kameko (Vitebsk) won the main tournament with 8.0 points out of a possible 9, while KMS chess veteran Alexander Bagretsov (Vitebsk) took the second and third places with 6.5 points, respectively, with KMS Georgy Poghosyan (Smolensk) and KMS chess veteran Alexander Bagretsov (Vitebsk). They were followed by three other gr participants with the same result. Raisa Eidelson (Vitebsk), KMS Makar Naumenko and Zakhar Shulyak (Orsha).
The winner in the veterans ' category was Raisa Eidelson, and the winners were Igor Tsygankov (Smolensk) and Yuri Petrov (Vitebsk). Makar Naumenko and Zakhar Shulyak (Orsha) took the first and second places in the school students ' category, while Ilya Slobodov (Vitebsk) took the third place.
Svetlana Tyuleneva and Lyudmila Pugacheva (Vitebsk) became the winners in the women's category, while Nadezhda Kravchenko (Orsha) and Himesha Liyanage (Sri Lanka) shared the third and fourth places.
The best athletes in rural areas were also identified. The sports prize, all medals, diplomas and souvenirs in this category "went" to Postavy. The winners were Stanislav Tsybulsky, Avenir Chervonets and Vitaly Demidov, respectively. Among amateur athletes, the winner and prize-winners were arranged as follows:: Sergey Posokhov, Nikolay Maslenko, Mikhail Prigozhy (all Vitebsk). Winners and prize-winners in all categories were awarded medals, thematic diplomas, sports prizes and souvenirs. The winner of the Main Tournament, Alexander Kameko, was awarded a souvenir with a certain amount of humor, a bath cap with the inscription "Champion", which will encourage him to visit the bath more often and" do not sweat " during tournaments. Souvenirs were also awarded to the oldest and youngest chess players. Alexey Nechay is still actively playing chess at the age of more than 87 years.
The Veteran team consisting of Alexander Kameko, Alexander Bagretz and Raisa Eidelson won the team tournament with 21 points. Makar Naumenko, Zakhar Shulyak and Artur Petrosyan took second place with 18.5 points. One point ahead of the Smolensk team, the third place was taken by schoolchildren from Vitebsk: Artem Astapenko, Denis Kot and Taras Shevchenko. The winning teams were awarded cups, and their players-medals and diplomas.
The educational function, as well as the educational purpose of all Vitebsk open non-commercial tempo chess tournaments, is aimed at preserving the true history of our Fatherland, resisting the fact that it is rewritten and distorted by our ideological enemies. In addition to their purely sporting significance, they also play an equally important educational and patriotic role, helping our citizens to know the history of our country, to remember and honor the exploits of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, defenders of the Fatherland, and famous countrymen of the Vitebsk Region.
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