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Russian-American Chess Summit in Lindsborg

This press release originally appeared on the USCF Website.

(CROSSVILLE, TN) This weekend saw the first exchange of students in the Chess for Peace initiative. Nine students from the Karpov School of Chess in Poikovsky, Siberia arrived in Lindsborg, Kansas with Alexander Bah, executive director of the Russian Chess Federation, Alexander Andreevsky, chairman of the district sports commission, Galina Kovaleva, director of the Karpov School of Chess in Poikovsky, and Tatyana Danilova, deputy commissioner of the Poikovsky district. Grandmaster Alexander Onischuck, a veteran of Poikovsky and Lindsborg tournaments, also accompanied the group to Lindsborg.

Bill Hall, executive director of the U.S. Chess Federation, came to meet with his Russian counterpart on Friday. “We discussed many things,” said Hall. “We talked about getting chess into schools and ways in which we can set up a model that can be duplicated in all states. We also talked about arranging top-level competition between our youth and female players,” said Hall.

Bah agreed. “Chess is part of our curriculum. We support chess in schools and we help them with the competitions. Schools help to select talent. If talent arrives at a school, the Russian Federation takes care of it,” said Bah.

Both Bah and Hall participated in a virtual online chess class conducted by Mikhail Korenman, director of the Karpov Chess School and the Chess for Peace initiative. The students had a chance to interact with the two leaders of the Russian and U.S. chess federations.

Prior to round one on Saturday, students from the Karpov School of Chess in Poikovsky, Siberia exchanged gifts with the students of the Karpov School in Lindsborg. Thus began the match between the Siberian and Kansas students.

A casual observer remarked that the Siberian students were sometimes hard to distinguish from their American counterparts. Siberian team member Andre Khafizov proudly wore a Chicago Bears jersey with quarterback Rex Grossman’s name emblazoned across the back. The Siberian team spoke no English and their Kansas counterparts spoke no Russian, but through chess, an international language in its own right, the two student groups forged a special bond.

Kansas student Isaiah Jesch, of Conway Springs, scored the first win in Saturday’s morning’s match when he sacrificed his queen to defeat Dimitry Korneev. Things were not to go that well for the Kansas team in the first round. The Siberian team scored a 7-2 victory over the Kansas students. Only Jesch and Blythe Buscher had won their games. The Kansas students rallied to win the afternoon round with a 5-4 score; however, the Siberian team won the overall match 11-6.

Blythe Buscher, of Erie, had won both of her games against Anna Yarugina. When asked about her mental preparedness for the games with Yarugina, Buscher replied, “I read the paper!” Buscher was referring to a Salina Journal article that quoted Yarugina as saying she couldn’t lose.

On Friday night, the Siberian team went to the Smoky Valley High School homecoming game. When Alanna Olson, a Smoky Valley High School student, was asked how the Siberian students enjoyed the game, she replied, “I don’t think they were watching much of it. We were all too busy trying to talk to each other.”

Mayor John Magnusson came by the Karpov School to watch the two teams play. “Having grown up in the middle of Kansas, I wouldn’t have dreamed a chess team from Siberia would come here to play chess. I think it’s great for us to have the opportunity to interact and have a ‘real people’ experience,” said Magnusson. “It’s also good they will be here during Hyllingsfest to see how the different cultures mix here in Lindsborg.”

Visitors to Hyllingsfest this weekend will have an opportunity to play members of the Siberian chess team on Friday and Saturday afternoons at the Karpov School of Chess in Lindsborg. Korenman said everyone is welcome and there is no charge.

Mikhail Korenman, Director of the Karpov Chess School and the Chess for Peace initiative, said he will be taking the visitors to see several Kansas attractions in Wichita, Hutchinson, Salina, and Abilene. The Siberian team will be in Lindsborg through next weekend.

GORBACHEV ADDRESS: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29, at Presser Hall. Prime Seating: $53.50. General Admission $27. KARPOV-POLGAR MATCH: 3:30 p.m., Oct. 29, at Presser Hall. Adults: $10.50. Students: $5.50. Credit cards are welcome. Contact: Karpov Chess School, 106 S. Main, phone 785-227-2224, Mikhail Korenman or Wes Fisk (785) 227-4121.