Ural Federal University: Quick Chess Tournament Winter Game 2022 Was Held at the University

In the main building of the Ural Federal University a quick chess tournament Winter Game 2022 took place. The competition was held for the first time in this format and was dedicated to the upcoming anniversary of Stanislav Naboychenko – a former Ural Federal University Rector and Honorary President of the Ural Federal University will be 80 years old on March 25.

The tournament drew a lot of interest among students and lecturers. The organizers even had to close registration due to the large attendance. All in all just over 60 people took part in the competition, including international master Valentin Kormyshev, International Chess Federation master Roman Auhatov and candidate master of sports, judge of national category Mikhail Egorovsky. Also several candidates for the master of sports and first-ranked players took part in the competition.

Each competitor could play 9 games against opponents randomly selected by the computer. Players were given 8 minutes during the game and an additional three seconds for each move made (the so-called Fisher’s addition). In the end, the organizers divided the winners and runners-up into three groups: students, lecturers, and those who participated in a mixed format.

First place among the employees was taken by Valentin Kormyshev, International Master, Director of Innovation and Implementation Center “Sport Technologies”, second – by Anton Shadrin, International Chess Federation master, laboratory assistant researcher of Section of Mathematical Modeling of Ural Federal University, and third – by Peter Igoshev, associate professor of Department of Theoretical and Mathematical Physics of Ural Federal University.

Among students the best was Ilya Tyurin (Graduate School of Economics and Management), on the second line – Roman Aukhatov (Institute of Natural Sciences and Mathematics), on the third – Mikhail Evstratov (Ural Institute of Humanities). In addition, in the same order they were also winners in the mixed format.

All winners and medalists received trophies, medals, diplomas and books about chess.

Ilya Tyurin showed one of the brightest results in the tournament. He won seven games and played two draws. This allowed him to take first place both among students and in the mixed format.

“It’s great that the university holds such tournaments. I was impressed by the organization of the competition, everything was at a high level. I’ve been playing chess since I was five years old and now I teach chess at an online school. Chess allows you to see your pluses and minuses, gives you the opportunity to improve, strengthens your character and helps you get better,” said Ilya Tyurin.

Valentin Kormyshev, the director of the Ural Federal University’s Innovation and Implementation Center “Sport Technologies” notes that chess is currently experiencing another boom around the world. For example, a Russian film “World Champion” was recently released, and there are several series on the subject of chess abroad.

“Ekaterinburg has a very rich chess life, many tournaments are held here, and I am very glad that one of them took place today at UrFU. The university has very strong chess traditions, which definitely need to be supported and developed,” said Kormyshev.

Valentin Kormyshev added that it was very pleasant to see foreign students at the tournament. However, chess is an international sport, which does not require large investments, increases intellectual literacy, including in studies.

“Since the 1960s, there has been a formula: chess is a symbiosis of science, art and sport. That is, many people are attracted here not only by sporting goals. Any particular game can become a work of art, and that brings aesthetic pleasure to everyone involved. Even if you’re not in first place, but in one game you played a beautiful checkmate, you can say that the tournament was a great success,” said Kormyshev.