Astana chess club team

Astana team aims for the Top 3, while Airports Authority of India confidently leads the competition

The third round of the Asian Club Chess Champions League has concluded, proving to be a true test for all participants. The tournament, which began on June 18, brought together the best chess club players from six Asian countries.

The highlight of the day was the thrilling battle between the team Ugra and the «Ugra Chess Academy». A real storm erupted on every board—tension mounted, and after a hard-fought struggle, the match ended with three draws and one victory for the youth team.

«The game was very tough from the start because Olga is a strong opponent. I gained a good position early on, but my opponent equalized, complicating the game. Toward the end, in mutual time trouble, Olga started to gain an advantage but missed her chance, resulting in a draw», said junior chess player Savva Vetokhin.

There weren’t any surprises in matches between the CPRF chess club and players from China. The players from the Hangzhou team in China fought very hard for a win but ultimately lost to the Russian players. The CPRF team captain noted that all of the players are eagerly awaiting a game against India, which will determine the tournament winner.

“We’re absolutely focused on the game against India. This match will be the centerpiece and decide the champion. Currently, we’re trailing them slightly. We play to win—and we won’t settle for less”, quoted CPRF team captain Igor Yagupov.

Uzbekistan Chess Club team

Team Astana players have got essential advantage thanks to their well-executed openings. However, Uzbekistan refused to back down. In the end of tensed fight both teams got their second victory. It is worth noting that chess is rapidly gaining popularity in these neighboring countries, and probably in three or four years, we may see their players among the leaders of international tournaments.

“We correctly predicted the openings in all four matches, and there were no issues with them. We lost some time on the first board. After our defeat against India, we dropped to the middle of the tournament table, but in the upcoming matches, we plan to break into the top three”, —shared the plans of Astana’s captain, Erzhan Shakenov.

The competition between the chess players of India and Mongolia was lengthy and exhausting. Despite the fact that the Mongolian team suffered three defeats, there was intense competition on the second board, which turned out to be the longest in the tournament. The Mongolian players fought hard but ultimately agreed to a draw.

At the end of the tournament, the leader of the Asian Champions League remains the Indian team, followed by CPRF and the youth team. The fourth place is occupied by the Kazakhstan chess players, with Ugra, the Hangzhou team (China), and the Uzbekistan Chess Club trailing behind. The Mongolian team is at the bottom of the table. The competition ahead promises to be even more exciting!

Nikolay Stepanenko, Deputy Chief Arbiter of the Asian Champions League, noted: “Today is the last day that Russian teams will play against each other, and starting tomorrow, our chess players will face foreign opponents. This is where the real battles for the trophies will begin”.

Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings. Follow live broadcast on Lichess.

You can follow the tournament in the official community of the Ugra Chess Academy on the social network ‘VKontakte’ (https://vk.com/chessugra). The tournament is being commented on by international grandmaster Sergey Shipov.

Source: Ugra Chess Academy

Airports Authority of India Team

The Airports Authority team from India edged Astana 2.5-1.5 to grab solo lead with 4 match points after two rounds of the Asian Chess Club Champions League in Khanti-Mansiysk, Russia.

“Our team is demonstrating a high level of preparation. We start the tournament in third place and hope to finish in the top three. The tournament organization deserves praise: the playing venue is superbly prepared, everything is thought-out down to the smallest detail”, shared Sanket Chakravarty, an International Master representing the Airports Authority of India team.

Top seeds team CPRF and the youth team Ugra Chess Academy follow with 3 match points each.

Since the very beginning of the round the match between teams Ugra Chess Academy and CPRF was in the spotlight. The team from Moscow, which was taking leading position on the tournament table, could have got an undeniable advantage in competitions in case of winning the match. Daniil Dubov, resident of CPRF, and Arseniy Nesterov, representing Ugra Chess Academy, finished their game with a draw. Daniil has pointed out, that the result was predictable, because Arseniy haven’t been giving him any opportunity to beat himself since the game started. Savva Vetohin and Vladislav Artemyev, leader of the tournament rating, have finished their game in the same peaceful way.

“The game was tough from the very beginning. I was pretty surprised in the debut. Savva’s fourth move, g3, was unexpected. I was thinking for a long time, but in the end, I have got more or less acceptable position. At some point I was thinking that I stand a bit better, but there was too little time left on the clock, so I have decided to move firmly. Overall, it is a good and very reasonable result. The game was challenging”, Vladislav Artemyev have shared his emotions.

The result of the match between Pavel Ponkratov, CPRF resident, and Bogdan Perchinsky, young player from Khanty-Mansiysk, has drawn a big attention to the game. Bogdan couldn’t stand up to an experienced opponent and lost the round. The fate of a match was decided on the last couple of players: Rudik Makarian from the youth team and Maxim Matlakov from the Moscow club. Commenting on the end of a game, Vladislav Artemyev has highlighted the fact that both players have strong chances for a win. Rudik Makarian achieved victory in a tense fight. in the end, the teams have gotten to a draw in the overall team standings and shared the second row in the tournament table. It is worth mentioning that both teams have won over their opponents in the first round.

The Ugra team played their match against the team from Uzbekistan. Olga Girya of Ugra battled for victory for almost four hours against FIDE Master Akbarali Abdukhakimov. Olga Girya held the advantage from the very beginning of the game, but, as she herself admitted, got slightly distracted and let the moment slip. In the end, the game ended in a draw.

“Today’s game was full of twists because I had an excellent position right out of the opening. My opponent got into time trouble, and the fleeting minutes were not in his favor. I already thought I would win the game, but I myself started to blunder and got confused. There were even dangerous moments, but in the end, we reached a draw”, shared Olga Girya, recounting her impressions.

The overall team victory for Ugra was achieved by Nikolay Kabanov and Ilya Ilyushenok, who defeated their opponents. The youngest member of the team, Dinis Sattarov, played a draw in this round.

Another victory was achieved today by the club from China who proved to be stronger than the players from Mongolia. There are still five rounds to go, and the intrigue of who will become the tournament winner remains.

The holding of the Asian Club League in Khanty-Mansiysk has become a significant event for the chess community. This was stated by Alexander Tkachev, Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation.

Mikhail Degtyarev, who holds the position of Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation and President of the Russian Olympic Committee, sent his congratulations to the participants and organizers of the tournament.

“I am confident that the matches will be interesting and the victories will be spectacular. The tournament being hosted in Khanty-Mansiysk will serve to further the development of chess and strengthen international cooperation. I wish everyone unforgettable impressions and new achievements, as well as faith, hope, and love! After all, love for sports is what unites us!” — emphasized Mikhail Degtyarev in his letter.

Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings. Follow live broadcast on Lichess.

You can follow the tournament in the official community of the Ugra Chess Academy on the social network ‘VKontakte’ (https://vk.com/chessugra). The tournament is being commented on by international grandmaster Sergey Shipov.

Source: Ugra Chess Academy

The Astana team of Kazakhstan beat Hanzhou of China 3:1

Top seeds Sport Club “KPRF” and Ugra Chess Academy share early lead with the Airport Authority of India team and the Astana team of Kazakhstan after the opening round of the Asian Chess Club Champions League in Khanti-Mansiysk, Russia.

Airports Authority of India team beat the Uzbekistan Chess Club 2.5-1.5

The traditional drawing of lots brought maximum intrigue to the Asian Club League. In the first match, two Russian teams faced off: CPRF Chess Club – the winners of the Russian Team Championship and team Ugra, led by Olympic champion Olga Girya.

Pavel Tarakanov, First Deputy Governor of Ugra, played the move d2-d4 GM Danil Dubov, top board of the CPRF Chess Club.

“It was the first time in my life I had the honor of opening a chess tournament with the symbolic first move», said Pavel Tarakanov. «I’d never had that experience before. I’ve been passionate about chess since childhood and often play with my younger son, so I chose the same opening move I usually begin my games with. Chess is a unique sport that brings people together across the world. Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra holds a special place on Russia’s chess map — here, the game is truly loved and actively promoted. More than 72 thousand people in the region play chess, including over 650 professional athletes. It’s important for us to create the conditions for Ugra’s players to reach the international stage, sharpen their skills and inspire the younger generation — both in our region and across the country.”

There also was the second symbolic move of the tournament. The Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation, Alexander Tkachev, responded to Pavel Tarakanov. He made a move for the Ugra athlete Ilya Ilyushenko. The chess match itself turned out to be tense. The opponents did not give in to each other for almost three hours. The game ended in a draw. After CPRF chess club member Maxim Matlakov had beaten Ugra resident Alexey Pridorozhny, Vladimir Malakhov (CPRF chess club) also defeated his opponent from team Ugra, Nikolay Kabanov. The fate of the first points in the tournament was settled. But there was a serious fight on the chessboards of Olga Girya (captain of team Ugra) and Vladislav Artemyev (CPRF chess club).

“Olga had met the superior power, Vladislav Artemyev who is a top-class player”, Sergei Shipov commented on the round, “though Vladislav wasn’t really threatening coming out of debut, I even thought that Olga had more advantages. But she got a wide game on the whole board and Olga inevitably capitulated”.

The grandmaster from Moscow won the game in a tough fight. Thus, the favorites of the tournament according to commentator Sergey Shipov – CPRF Chess Club, won the first 2 points of the Asian Chess Club Champions League.

Another Russian team, the Ugra Chess Academy, played against a club from Mongolia. The young chess players achieved a convincing victory, winning three out of four games in favor of the team Ugra.

Additionally, two match points each in the first round were secured by clubs from India and Kazakhstan (the «Astana» club achieved a convincing victory over China).

The Asian Club Chess Champions League is being held in a round-robin format over seven rounds. From June 18 to June 24. Team matches will take place at the Ugra Chess Academy.

Follow games live on

Source: Ugra Chess Academy  

Media contacts: 8 967 886 0287, Vladimir Gilev

The strongest chess clubs from across Asia have gathered in Khanty-Mansiysk. The Asian Chess Club Champions League was officially opened in the capital of Ugra. The first round of matches will take place June 18.

In photo, Tarakanov Pavel Vladimirovich. Vice Governor of the Ugta, makes the ceremonial opening moves assisted by Tkachev Alexander Vasilyevich, Executive Director of the Chess Federation of Russia, and Khusan Turdialiev of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the tournament Appeals Committee.

Khanty-Mansiysk is hosting one of the most prestigious tournaments in the chess world — the Asian Chess Club Champions League. During the opening ceremony, Deputy Governor of Ugra Vsevolod Koltsov emphasized the positive impact of chess tournaments on international relations. In this regard, Khanty-Mansiysk can rightfully be called one of the chess capitals of the world. Over the past 20 years, the city has hosted 19 international events, including the Chess Olympiad.

“Current cooperation with the Asian Chess Federation is becoming systematic and consistent. Such dynamics serves a solid foundation for further development and strengthening of international ties, while also contributing significantly to the growth of our region’s athletes’ skills. Chess is the leading sport in Ugra, and for us, it’s more than just a game. It is a symbol of wisdom and mutual understanding, deeply rooted in the historical traditions of the indigenous Ob-Ugric peoples who have lived on this land for centuries. Long ago, there existed a game in Ugra called topis — a strategic game remarkably in tune with the spirit of modern chess,” said Vsevolod Koltsov in his speech at the opening ceremony.

Airports Authority of India vs. Uzbekistan Chess Club

Eight teams from six countries will compete in the Asian Chess Club Champions League: India, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and, of course, Russia. Our country will be represented by three teams — the “CPRF Sports Club” (Moscow), the “Ugra Chess Academy,” and team “Ugra.” Notably, the captain of Team Ugra is international grandmaster and 2014 Olympic champion Olga Girya.

«It is my second time being a team captain in my whole career,» commented Olga Girya on her participation in the tournament. «It does not make much trust for us. Our team is very friendly, and my teammates are determined to show all they have got! We will fight for the highest results!»

Hangzhou of China vs. Astana team

The Asian Club Chess Champions League will be played as a Round Robin, including seven rounds. A team will be getting two match points for every win, one match point for every draw, and zero match points for a loss. In case if two or more teams will score even number of points, the winner will be determined by game points. International arbitrator from Iran, the main tournament referee Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh wished good luck to all participants on upcoming tournament.

«Many strong and famous chess players from different countries are taking part in this tournament. I want to thank administration of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug for organizing this tournament in Khanty-Mansiysk, because it gives us a unique opportunity to hold club competitions and establish mutually beneficial cooperation. It also contributes to the strengthening of international relations between Asia and Russia, which have traditionally been strong and will now become even stronger,» said Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh.

Every game of the tournament will be streaming in real time via Ugra Chess Academy website and the official account of the organization on «VKontakte» (vk.com/chessugra). The international grandmaster, coach, and legendary chess analyst Sergei Shipov will comment on the chess battles online.

«The Moscow team of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation looks like a clear favorite of the tournament – the winner of the Russian team championship, its composition is excellent,” commented Sergey Shipov on the upcoming tournament, “other teams will compete with them. For example, a team from India. There’s a real chess boom there right now. Perhaps this particular tournament will reveal to us new resonant names of representatives of the motherland of chess. The Ugra team will compete for the top places. I am sure that the performance of our renowned champion Olga Girya will attract special attention from the audience. Not only has she won many women’s tournaments, but she has also successfully fought men on numerous occasions. However, I consider our main rival to be the youth from the Ugra Academy. They are our hope and our future. Surely, other teams are also capable of delivering surprises».

Alexander Tkachev, Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation, presented the Golden Badge of the All-Russian Public Organization «Russian Chess Federation» to Vasily Filipenko, President of the Chess Federation of Ugra, during the opening ceremony of the competition. This award is conferred by the Federation for outstanding achievements in promoting and developing the «game of kings». Speaking about the tournament, Alexander Tkachev noted that hosting the Asian Club League in Russia is a historic event.

“This tournament was made possible thanks to the wise decision of the President of the Asian Chess Federation, His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan. When the decision was made to host these competitions in our country, the Russian Chess Federation did not doubt for a minute where and in which region this historic event would be held! Well, I just wish the participants of the tournament: “Wishing you the best of luck!”, Alexander Tkachev greeted the guests of the opening ceremony with these words.

The first chess game will be held at the Ugra Chess Academy on June 18. The site will provide conditions for impeccable compliance with the rules. The academy uses advanced fraud prevention technologies (“anti-cheat”). Among the protection tools, special means of signal suppression of mobile devices and wireless Internet are used. It is forbidden to use phones, smart watches and fitness bracelets on the court, not only for chess players, but also for spectators. These measures exclude the possibility of outside interference and unauthorized prompts from outside by participants.

Source: Ugra Chess Academy

Media Contacts: 8 967 886 0287, Vladimir Gilev