Photo of GM Kirill Shevchenko via Wikimedia Commons, Photo of Maria Emelianova via Maria
This week on Perpetual Chess we are joined by a Ukrainian and then a Russian guest to discuss the impact that the Russian-Ukrainian war has had on their lives and on the chess world. My first guest is GM Kirill Shevchenko. Kirill is a 19 year old rising star in the chess world, currently ranked #92 in the world, and #6 among juniors. He joined me from Germany, where he is in between tournaments, after leaving Ukraine to pursue his chess career. Kirill spoke very movingly about the devastation Russia’s attacks have wrought on his loved ones and his country, and about how he balances that with his chess career. Kirill continues to compete, and will soon play in his first Grand Chess Tour event.
Following Kirill, I am joined by chess journalist and Twitch streamer, WFM Maria Emelianova. Maria is Russian, but like Kirill, felt compelled to leave her country when news of the attack broke. Maria has been an outspoken critic of the war, and has been working hard to raise funds to support Ukrainians. As Maria explains, this war has divided and scattered her family, an unfortunate situation which is not uncommon in Russia. I found both interviews to be quite enlightening, and I am inspired by the spirit of the chess community in trying circumstances. Please read on for timestamps and relevant links.
Click Here to Download the Episode
I apologize for the background noise in these interviews, if you would like to read an edited transcript while you listen, you can do so here:
EP.276-KirillShevchenkoandM... | Public Trint | Trint
You can also view a ‘read only’ lightly edited transcript here:
You can donate to Kirill’s charity, Care with Team Hikaru, here:
https://events.softgiving.com/donate/Team-Hikaru-CARE-For-Ukraine
Or donate directly to Ukrainians in need via WIM Nastya Rakhmangulova here:
0:04- GM Kirill Shevchenko joins the show, and retells the events of his life since Russia initiated its attack on Kiev.
17:00- Kirill describes how he made his way to Germany with a few family members.
21:00- Does Kirill find it difficult to focus on chess in events like the European Championship, and the upcoming European Chess Tour?
25:00- In 2021, Kirill won the Lindores Abbey blitz tournament over Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, and others. Does he play or practice a lot of blitz?
26:00- What has Kirill heard about how other top Ukrainian players are reacting to the war?
29:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest offerings here:
New Chess Courses Online - For All Levels - Chessable.com
33:00- Does Kirill think Russian players should be able to play in international tournaments? Should Dvorkovich stay the head of FIDE?
Mentioned: Peter Doggers’ article- Ukrainian Players in Times of War
36:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would Kirill consider switching federations?”
36:00- What does Kirill consider to be his career highlights?
Mentioned: GM Alireza Firouzja, GM Alexander Moisenko, 2021 European Team Chess Championship
39:00- Thanks so much to Kirill for joining us! You can follow Kirill here:
And Donate to Team Hikaru Care for Ukraine to support Ukraine here:
https://events.softgiving.com/donate/Team-Hikaru-CARE-For-Ukraine
40:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess collects and analyzes your games and gives you actionable tips based on the data it gathers. If you choose to subscribe to Aimchess, please use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.
42:00- Maria Emelianova joins the show! She describes the impact on her life when Russia unexpectedly attacked Ukraine.
43:00- How can Russian citizens follow the news, given the Russian government restrictions? What percentage of Russian citizens believe the state media propaganda?
49:00- Maria shares more details about the political situation in Russia
1:11:00- Maria gives some details about the fundraising efforts she and some of her Chess.com co-workers are spearheading.
Mentioned: Maria’s interview with Josep Fontelles, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Natalia Zhukova, GM Anton Korobov
1:19:00- Does Maria think that Russians should be allowed to compete internationally?
1:31:00- Thanks so much to Maria for joining us again.
Follow her on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/photochess
Maria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photochess/?hl=en
You can support Ukrainians directly through WIM Nastya Rakhmangulova:
https://www.instagram.com/nastiachess/?hl=en