It should be noted that this event takes place in the midst of the Kings frost, when the air temperature dropped to minus 50 degrees.
For the guests and participants of the event, the blessing ceremony – algys was performed by Victor Ignatiev – Bailyat, an excellent student of culture from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a wonderful number on khomus was performed by a laureate of the International and competitions from all over Russia, a khomus improviser, an excellent student of culture of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a soloist of the National Republican Dance Theater named after Sergei Afanasyevich Zverev-Kyyl Uola Georgy Sleptsov – Chagylkhan.
Speaking with a welcome address, Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Sergey Mestnikov emphasized that Sakha people living in harsh climatic conditions have been fond of intellectual sports and national board games since the antiquity.
“Chess is quite well developed in our republic, and a great credit in this belongs to the first president of our republic, Mikhail Efimovich Nikolaev, who introduced checkers and chess classes in all schools. We have never had such a prestigious chess competition in the history of the republic and your successful participation will be historically significant both for you and for us”, noted Sergei Mestnikov.
Chairman of the Chess Federation of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), General Director of the non-profit organization “Trust Fund for Future Generations of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” Vladimir Egorov congratulated the audience on the beginning of chess vacation and read a greeting from multiple world chess champion Anatoly Evgenievich Karpov.
“I am very glad that in 2023, for the first time, a major competition will be held in Yakutsk – the first qualifying stage of the Russian Chess Cup among men! I would like to wish that this tournament will open a new page in the history of chess in the republic, and that the Cup of the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) will become a tradition”, said Anatoly Karpov, a famous chess player and deputy of the State Duma.
Vladimir Yegorov said that there will be 32 nominations at the Cup, including the nomination for the most beautiful game.
The main referee of the competition, FIDE international referee, sports referee of the All-Russian category, Mikhail Kryukov, informed the participants about the rules of the competition.
Among the tournament participants there are five international grandmasters, five male and one female FIDE master, many schoolchildren, students who are passionate about chess, and each of them has high hopes for the results of the competition.
Before the start of the competition, a draw was held with the participation of the General Director of the National Museum of Art of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Vlada Timofeeva and the President of the Yakut Chess Federation Vladimir Egorov, according to the results that the odd players play Black in the first round.
The first round began immediately after the Cup opening ceremony.
The competition will last until February 1, the total prize fund of the Cup of the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in chess is 1 million 100 thousand rubles. As part of the Cup events, there will be simultaneous sessions with international grandmasters, a blitz tournament – an ultra-fast chess competition, seminars for referees, master classes for players and coaches, a digital drawing competition on the theme of chess for students in grades 1-11.
The stage of the Russian Cup 2023 in men’s chess “Cup of the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” is supported by PJSC ALROSA (PJSC), JSC “JSC “Railways of Yakutia”, Irkutsk Oil Company, PJSC “Vysochaishy ”, JSC “RNG”.
The organizers are the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Russian Chess Federation, the Russian Chess Federation of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Trust Fund for Future Generations of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the National Museum of Art of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Small Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha ( Yakutia).
