5 September 2015
Chess Club Opens at Opochka Church of Transfiguration
RCF, Timchenko Foundation, and Pskov Region Chess Federation provided the equipment.
A chess club opens at a school of the Opochka Church of the Transfiguration
Dmitry Shakhov, head of the Pskov Region Chess Federation and human rights ombudsman; Igor Baradachev, deputy CEO at the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation; and Natalya Vremya, project manager at the Russian Chess Federation, joined Vladimir Polulyakh, deputy chief of district administration, and Yuri Bogashev, headmaster of the Gimnazia school, to visit a Sunday school run by the Opochka Church of the Transfiguration. The purpose of the visit was the opening of a chess club at the school, initiated by Reverend Father Nikolai, rector of the Church. The guests donated chess sets and books to the students of the Sunday school. In return, Father Nikolai gave the guests icons and an Opochka photo album of the early 20th century.
Dmitry Shakhov thanked all the initiators of the chess club's opening. "The Pskov Region Chess Federation will always support such initiatives because they are aimed at the young generation's intellectual development and offer a cultured hobby for our region's young residents. The Opochka Church of the Transfiguration has become the second religious establishment after the St. Nicholas Church in Novosokolniki where chess art will be studied."
According to Shakhov, the Opochka District's example shows clearly that conditions for well-organized and captivating leisure have been created for both young and adult residents of the district in the home city of Alexander Petrov, a famous Russian chess player of the 19th century, through joint efforts by the authorities led by the district's chief Yuri Ilyin, local enthusiasts, and public figures, and with support from the regional chess federation. Two important regional competitions are held in Opochka: a Pskov Region blitz championship and a regional children's team championship.
To recap, as a result of a regional contest, the Opochka school has been recognized as a regional leader in terms of total introduction of chess to the school curriculum. The Timchenko Foundation and the Russian Chess Federation provided the school with everything necessary to make chess studies even more captivating and professional.
