Sergey Karjakin’s Chess Adventures in Bishkek

A Senator of the Russian Federation visited the capital of Kyrgyzstan on a highly eventful trip

A year ago, the multiple world champion already traveled to Jalal-Abad and Osh, where the Sergey Karjakin’s Chess Club was opened. Shortly before that, young chess players from Moscow Oblast took part in the “Issyk-Kul Open” as part of an international cooperation program, and later their Kyrgyz colleagues, at the organizers’ invitation, competed in the children’s “Chess Stars” tournament.

In January this year, the team of the Kyrgyz Chess Union made its debut in our “Asian League,” immediately taking first place in the overall standings! It continues to remain among the leaders after each new stage.

The next visit of our delegation to Kyrgyzstan was only a matter of time–and it finally happened! On September 30, as part of the “Chess Diplomacy” project, implemented jointly with Rossotrudnichestvo, the Sergey Karjakin’s Chess Club was opened at the Russian House in Bishkek. Guests of the event included students of the chess school of Damil Toktogonov–one of the oldest and most renowned chess schools in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Afterwards, the world champion held an open dialogue with young chess players. The children were able to ask Sergey Alexandrovich a wide variety of questions: how to achieve success in chess and maintain concentration during a game, which game in his career was the longest and which the shortest, and which match turned out to be the most difficult.

There were also more personal questions: Sergey Karjakin spoke about his favorite chess piece and whether his sons play chess.

That same evening, Sergey Karjakin and the MRCF Executive Director Albert Minnullin visited the Bishop of Bishkek at the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection in Bishkek. They were welcomed by Bishop Savvatiy, who gave them an excellent tour, shared the history and frescoes of the Cathedral, and introduced them to particularly venerated relics–the Tikhvin Issyk-Kul Icon of the Mother of God and the shrine containing the relics of Saint Irakliy of Issyk-Kul.

Moreover, it turned out that Bishop Savvatiy holds a second-category chess rating! So afterward, in the bishop’s residence, they played three friendly games with Sergey Karjakin–“God loves the Trinity!”

The next morning, Sergey Karjakin and Albert Minnullin took part in the grand opening ceremony of the M. Botvinnik Chess Club at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University. There, the multiple world champion gave a simultaneous exhibition, posed for photos with everyone who wished and held an autograph session.

That evening, our delegation visited the National Chess Academy. They were joined by the President of the Kyrgyz Chess Union, Aida Salyanova, and the Academy’s director Aizharkyn Shyngys kyzy.

The Academy had opened very recently this year (on September 13) by personal decree of the President. Kyrgyzstan became the first country where a head of state issued a special decree on chess development!

Many children came to meet the world champion. They eagerly bombarded Sergey Karjakin with questions: whether he had ever wanted to quit chess, whether he had been made to practice as a child, how to maintain concentration in difficult moments, and how to cope with nervousness when playing a world championship match. Everything was incredibly interesting to the young chess players of Bishkek. It is worth noting that even the youngest students of the Academy speak Russian fluently!

After the Q&A session, a qualifying tournament was held, and the winners faced Sergey Karjakin in a simultaneous exhibition. The children performed admirably: five games ended in draws. For these young chess players it was a wonderful experience!

At the end of the meeting Sergey Karjakin held photo and autograph sessions.