The Presidential Library hosted a chess tournament in memory of Professor I. Ya. Blekhtsin

On April 13, 2022 the Presidential Library (Senate Square, 3) hosted a blitz tournament in memory of Professor of St. Petersburg State University of Economics, International Chess Master Igor Yakovlevich Blekhtsin.

The solemn opening of the tournament was attended by Acting Director General of the Presidential Library Yuri Nosov, Chairman of the Board of the St. Petersburg Sports Chess Federation, Director General of Gazprom Transgaz St. Petersburg Georgy Fokin, Igor Blekhtsin's widow Alexandra Tronyak, First Vice-Rector State University of Economics Alexander Petrov, director of Gazprom School St. Petersburg Tatyana Kornienko and executive director of the St. Petersburg Sports Chess Federation Vladimir Bykov. Elena Kasyan, Head of the Department of Gazprom also greeted the participants.

The chess tournament in memory of Professor I. Ya. Blekhtsin has been held at the Presidential Library for the second time. As in 2021 the first symbolic move of the tournament was made by Georgy Fokin, Chairman of the Board of the Sports Chess Federation of St. Petersburg.

137 chess players from St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Pskov and other cities of the Northwestern Federal District were involved in the competition. International Grandmaster Evgeny Alekseev won the tournament with 9 points out of 11 possible. The second place was taken by international grandmaster Evgeny Levin. The top was closed by three winners international master Sergei Lobanov.

In addition, within the framework of the event, a session of a simultaneous game was held with the head coach of the Russian junior chess team, international grandmaster Sergei Ivanov, in which students of the Gazprom School St. Petersburg played. One of the participants managed to make a draw - 6th grade pupil Timofei Aminov held out against the grandmaster.

The event has been organized by the St. Petersburg Chess Sports Federation with the support of the Presidential Library and St. Petersburg State University of Economics.