Chess in The Time of War - Dnipro, Ukraine

"Have you forgotten how to play chess yet?" - started with this question my friend Oleksiy, informing me that a Rapid chess tournament will coming in ukrainian city Dnipro next Saturday.

Can the way to the neighboring city be an unusual adventure, if it is just 70 kilometers to go?

Definitely - yes.

If your country is in war against Russian Federation.

Our way was to the north.

Based on public information https://babel.ua/

Leaving behind the war frontier (alarms, air raids, military trucks, and sirens, sirens, sirens every night), we felt a some irony - one hour before our arrival the air-raid alarm sounded in Dnipro, where we came.  But now it was quiet.

After making sure that nothing around us exploded, we went to the check point and were pleasantly surprised.

Several masters, candidates and many of well-known in the region chess players  were there. 

This tournament was dedicated to Ukraine's Independence Day. Each player made a donation for the Ukrainian army.

Photo by Федерація шахів Дніпра, Facebook

52 players sat down over the boards.

Parents watched the participants under the age of 16 play. This is a requirement by tournaments rules.

If again something like a missile attack happined, they are responsible for rescuing their children on their way to the bomb shelter. 

Photo by Федерація шахів Дніпра, Facebook

It was like a breath of mountain air for people who had been locked up for a long time.

Playing chess defenses, castling on the queenside, realizing a extra-pawn in the rook endgame - after all  days of saving your family, listening bad news, and learning about people's deaths....

Damn. Is it in my power to say how wonderful it is?

Photo by Федерація шахів Дніпра, Facebook

We played seven rounds in one day.

And, believe me or not, here the young prodigies gave the strongest competition examples for the local experienced masters.

Photo by Федерація шахів Дніпра, Facebook

Young chessplayer from Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Melitopol Pavlo Geymur fantastically scored 6.5 out of 7 points. Very impressive, he is showing amazing performance - 2400+ FIDE.

Dniprovean NM Volodymyr Zholdybin finished second with full 6 points.

Photo by Федерація шахів Дніпра, Facebook

I was happy to get the third prize of this tournament - 5.5 points.  Hu-ur-ra!

Full tournament results here

I want to congratulate all Ukrainians on their great day - Independence Day of Ukraine today. 

Despite more than 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers lost, despite 3,500 missiles fired at Ukrainian territory, Ukraine has been defending for six months in this cruel war.

Finding time for chess between deadly attacks...

Ukrainians, you are great!

With love, 
Art.