Over 250 representatives of chess federations from various countries gathered for a tournament in Orsha.

The XXIV Orsha-2026 International Chess Tournament brought together over 250 participants representing chess federations from Belarus, Russia, Ireland, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan. Even severe frosts did not hinder the masters of intellectual duels. It is noteworthy that over 80 athletes are representatives of the Vitebsk region.

“The International Chess Tournament gathers the best masters of logic and strategy. This emphasizes the importance of chess as a sport that generates huge interest,” noted Anastasia Prokofieva, Deputy Chairperson of the Orsha District Executive Committee, during the opening ceremony.

The intellectual competitions are divided into several groups according to the Swiss system in 9 rounds: an open tournament with calculation of international rating, a representatives' tournament, a master tournament, and four children's tournaments. A blitz tournament and a rapid tournament are also planned – open tournaments with FIDE rating calculation. In the team competition, teams of 5 chess players and a coach, formed on a territorial basis, will compete. On January 21, a simultaneous exhibition game with international grandmasters will take place. This year, Grandmaster, Champion of the Moscow Region Alexander Moskalenko will play with adults, and International Grandmaster Rakhil Eydelson from Vitebsk will play with children.

“This is one of the largest international chess tournaments in the Republic of Belarus, which traditionally brings together participants of all ages. Over 24 years, it has gained authority in the global chess community,” emphasized the chief arbiter of the competition, International Arbiter Anatoly Lebedev. “On January 25, during the grand closing ceremony of the tournament, the names of the winners will be announced.”

Nikolai Zarubitsky, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chess Federation, said that many chess players who participated in the international tournament in Orsha are now international masters and grandmasters, vice-champions, and world champions.

By the way, his son Vyacheslav Zarubitsky is an international master and master of sports of the Republic of Belarus, world vice-champion, and a member of the national chess team of the Republic of Belarus.

“In my childhood, I was seriously involved in athletics. The Soviet school used to give us chess sets as prizes for winning competitions,” admitted the father of the renowned athlete. “We accumulated quite a few at home – I played myself, and Slava got seriously interested. This became the starting point for his journey into big chess.”

Safarbattir Batyrov, an international grandmaster from Turkmenistan, is visiting Orsha for the third time.

– A wonderful tournament where players of different generations, skill levels, and statuses gather, – shares the athlete. – Here, on one large court, styles and approaches clash, and skills are honed. It's also about communication and new contacts. I always enjoy coming to Belarus – the organisation of competitions is always top-notch.

By the way, the youngest participant in the tournament is 5 years old, and the oldest is 70.

– I started playing chess at the age of three, just like my older brother, – said 10-year-old chess player Anastasia Pidzhakova from the Moscow region of the Russian Federation. – In this game, you need to think and try to win, to make everything work out for you, and to set goals. It's like in real life – you set a goal and strive for it. This requires intelligence, and in chess, you constantly develop it from one competition to another. For me, the most difficult part is when you face a strong opponent, and you don't understand how to build the right strategy. Yes, someone wins, someone loses, but that's not the main thing. The main thing is that you constantly train your brain, analyse, draw conclusions, and get a lot of positive emotions.

vitebsk-region.gov.by