The press-conference devoted to Moscow Open 2015, International RSSU Cup was held on Jan 28 in the TASS International multimedia press-center.

The first to take the floor was Deputy Head of the physical education and sports department of Moscow Nikolay Gulyaev. He expressed confidence that the competitions would be held to the highest possible standard and thanked the new RSSU Rector, Natalia Pochinok, for continuing support of the festival.

RSSU Rector, Doctor of Economics Natalia Pochinok marked, the development of the chess education has a great meaning for the university. It’s planned to launch a Chess House in the RSSU in the nearest future.

ccording to the opinion of Natalia Borisovna, it’s possible to create a supporting point of chess development not only in Moscow but in whole Russia by uniting the efforts of the Moscow, Russian and International Chess Federations. In 2016 the admission of students to the RSSU chess department will be renewed. Besides, the university will support the program of chess development in Moscow schools, especially in the North-Eastern administrative district of Moscow. Natalia Borisovna said, this year student grandmaster tournaments  will be devoted to the memory of Alexander Pochinok, who was one of those that created the RSSU chess department.

Pochinok also rnoted that the festival program may be extended in the future; in particular, corporate and mass media tournaments can appear.

First Vice-President of the Moscow Chess Federation Nikita Kim noted the stability is highly valued in the modern world. The fact the festival is being held for the 11th time is a great result from this point of view. Kim remarked that around 1.800 chess players have sent their applications, though it’s expected that the final number of participants will be around 1.600 people, including around 70 grandmasters. He also stated that we are able to keep a high prize fund thanks to the Moscow Chess Federation   President Vladimir Palikhate and the RSSU senior management. Nikita Vladimirovich thanked all the partners for cooperation in the organization of the festival. He emphasized the tournament will have as a sponsor the bookmaker company Liga Stavok for the first time.

Multiple World Champion, Vice-President of the Russian Chess Federation Anatoly Karpov recounted his collaboration with RSSU over many years. Chess is one of the priority directions in the university. Hundreds of youth attend chess school, opened on the RSSU territory. He suggested that the special preparation courses of the school chess teachers in should be organized using the facilities of the RSSU. Anatoly Evgenevich noted that the Moscow Open is a great project. It unites diverse categories of chess players. And very strong grandmasters participate in the main tournaments of the festival.

Oleg Zhuravsky, President Honorary of the Liga Stavok bookmaker company, thanked the organizers for the invitation of his company to be a General partner of the festival. He spoke of how as a child he was watching our great grandmasters with appreciation and even tried to play but was unable to achieve any major success. Now he is a father of three sons, and two of them have taken a great interest in chess. Today Liga Stavok sponsors the eight-year old chess player Ilia Makoveev from Gelendzhik. He is an Under-9 World Youth Champion. Last year he took second place in the School Champions Cup—this year he will be aiming to become a champion.

Zhuravsky thinks bookmaking and chess have much in common. First of all, it’s deep analysis, mathematical calculation, a bit of the luck necessary in any sport. Oleg Anatolevich declared the readiness of Liga Stavok to support the festival next year as well.

International School Chess Union President, Tournament Director Alexander Kostiev said this year the facilities where the main tournaments are held have been renovated, making them more accommodating to players. He also noted that in spite of the present complicated situation in the world, around 300 foreign chess players representing 30 countries will take part in the RSSU Moscow Open Cup. 

The program of the festival will include the meeting of the FIDE Event Commission for the first time. Specialists from several countries will take part there.

As with previous editions, the drawing of lots was held as part of the press-conference. Natalia Pochinok and top-seeded player of the student grandmaster tournament, the RSSU freshman Daniil Dubov, took part in the drawing. The grandmaster drew a black knight. Thus, the higher seeded players of the tournaments will play with the black in the first round in the Swiss tournaments(groups A, B, C, D and H).

Photos by Eteri Kublashvili.