This chess night was devoted to the Kaissa Award, aimed at popularizing and developing chess, taking place on December 17 in the Central House of Literature. The tradition of the CHL hosting chess nights was renewed after a long break in April of this year thanks to the charity Our Heritage Fund, with special thanks to Vladimir Palikhata, businessman and president of the Moscow Chess Federation, and Victoria Korol, president of the fund.

The Award was granted to 16 individuals. The splendid glass statues of the chess goddess Kaissa were given not only to famous chess players, but also to politicians, businessmen and journalists who ensured chess has a place of honor in the life of the Russian capital.

"The Central House of Literature has a long history, a part of which is the tradition of regular chess nights. Last time we opened the intellectual game hall, which is now in use. Our Kaissa Award is a sign of gratitude to people who have made substantial contributions for chess, for its development and popularization", said Vladimir Palikhata in his opening address.


Chess Club

“Chess development is an integral part of our fund’s efforts which we accomplish jointly with the Moscow Chess federation and the Russian and international chess federations. This evening is devoted to the first Kaissa Award ceremony for contribution to the development of this wise game in our capital. This ceremony will be annual and we hope the most prestigious in the world of chess”, said Victorya Korol, president of the Our Heritage Fund.

Notable guests of the evening included FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Russian Federation First Deputy Prime Minister Arcady Dvorkovich, Russian Federation Parliament First Vice Speaker Alexander Zhukov, the First President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, and other famous politicians, businessmen, athletes, members from intellectual circles and the media.


Kirsan Ilyumzhinov


Anatoly Karpov


Alexander Zhukov

Sergey Karjakin, who has this year won the World Rapid Chess Championships, was recognized as the best chess player of 2012. Valentina Gunina, playing for the Russian National Team helping them take two Olympiad championships as well as winning European Individual Chess Championship titles and the World Blitz Chess Championship, was recognized as the best female chess player of the year.


Alexander Zhukov and Valentina Gunina


Vladimir Palikhata and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov


Galina and Arkady Dvorkovich


Andrey Filatov

Hosts Margarita Mitrofanova and Mark Glukhovsky granted awards to former multiple World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov, distinguished Grandmaster and 12-time Moscow Champion Evgeni Vasiukov, Russian Federation First Deputy Prime Minister Arcady Dvorkovich, Russian Federation Duma First Vice Speaker Alexander Zhukov, Moskomsport First Vice President Nikolay Gulyayev, businessman Andrey Filatov. Awards were also given to the company Rosneft and its president Igor Sechin and Businessman Gennady Timchenko.


Kim Nikita, Victorya Korol, Ilya Merenzon


Yuri Eliseev


Anna Ushenina and Mikhail Gorbachev

A special guest of the event was the new Women’s Chess Champion Anna Ushenina. She also was presented a Kaissa for Brightest Foreign Chess Player. The statue was handed to the champion by none other than the former USSR President, Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev. “It’s really nice winning an award like this,” said Ushenina. “I would like to thank all those who are selflessly and faithfully supporting the development of chess in Moscow and throughout Russia. It’s just fantastic. It was thanks to the Russian school of chess that there was a nudge of development for the whole chess world. And it’s doubly nice that it is under continued support and development at the governmental level.”


Anna Ushenina and Vladimir Palikhata

In the course of the evening Anna played two “pair versus pair” games against the Russian Valentina Gunina, European champion. In the first game Ushenina’s partner was Vladimir Palikhata, with Alexander Zhukov playing for Valentina. For the second game, Palikhata joined Gunina against Ushenina and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of FIDE. The moves were split between the teammates by turns, played in blitz format. The first game ended in a win for Gunina-Zhukov, the second was drawn.


Anna Ushenina and Kirsan Ilyumzhinov


Anna Ushenina

Also of interest was a collection of chess and other cultural rarities open for viewing in the Our Heritage Gallery.


Annual Kaissa Chess Award Recipients

1. Best Chess Player - Sergey Karjakin
2. Best Female Chess Player - Valentina Gunina
3. Best Journalist – the Kommersant, Alexey Dospekhov
4. Best Chess Journalist – Sergey Makarychev and Marina Makarycheva
5. Contribution to the Development and Promotion of Chess in Moscow and Worldwide – Anatoly Karpov
6. Media Person of the Year – Alexandra Kosteniuk
7. Best New Talent - Yuri Eliseev (World Champion under 16)
8. Partner of the Year – Moskomsport
9. Best Use of Chess Images in the Press – RBC Magazine, Editor-in-Chief Anton Popov
10. Chess Dynasty – Vladimir Yakovlevich Dvorkovich (posthumously), Galina Lvovna Dvorkovich, Arkady Dvorkovich.
11. Greatest Contribution to Education of Future Generation – Company Rosneft and its President Igor Sechin
12. Development of "Chess Parliamentarism" – Alexander Zhukov
13. Best Television Coverage of Chess in the Capital - Moscow 24
14. Special Award "Our Heritage" – Evgeny Vasyukov
15. Event of the Year in Moscow – World Championship Match Anand – Gelfand sponsors – Andrey Filatov, Gennady Timchenko
16. Brightest Foreign Chess Player – Anna Ushenina

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Our Heritage fund

The charity fund of assistance to the development of science, culture, art and education Our Heritage was created on March 7, 2012 by the initiative of prominent Russian businessman Vladimir Mironovich Palikhata. Founders of fund serve as editors for the Our Heritage magazine and Russian Institute of the Press charity fund.
The mission of the fund is to preserve and enhance the historical and cultural heritage of Russia.

FOUNDERS OF FUND
Chairman of ITAR-TASS News Agency (ITAR-TASS) board, Senator V. N. Ignatenko
Deputy Head of Government Office A.V.Loginov
Head of Legacy Capital ICC holding V.M.Palikhat
Archimandrite Tikhon.

Chess federation of Moscow
The Moscow Chess Unit, which consequently served as the prototype of the modern Moscow Chess Federation, was created in 1926. Since then chess has kept a firm standing as one of the capital’s most popular sports. Now MCF annually holds more than 200 various events for both professionals and fans of chess of all ages and playing strengths.
The Moscow Chess Federation has the state accreditation of the Moscow Department of Physical Education and Sport and works in close contact with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Russian Chess Federation.
The President of the Moscow Chess Federation is Vladimir Palikhata.

Partners of Chess Night: DP-trade company and the Moscow Cigar Club
Additional information: +7 965 161 23 33 (Eldar Mukhametov)