The Jewish community offers various sport activities where physical types of sport coexist with an intellectual chess game. On November, 15 a finale of the chess tournament was held in a showroom of Hesed "Polina". An expert on chess rules Galina Chelokhsaeva was the judge of the competition.

The last month, the semi-final has revealed six winners who then played five parties in the conclusive contest carried out on a circular system. A volunteer worker Michael Riskin was the strongest challenger, Albert Diarov won the second place while the third was awarded to Simeon Levenberg, the 90-years admirer of the "clever" game.

The champion and prize winners of the chess tournament were greeted by the President of Association "Mitsva" Alexander Baron. He noted the growing proficiency of the participants and wished that the young generation of community would pay greater attention to chess which develops logic and thinking skills.

The head of the sports section of the Jewish Community Centre Ruslan Archakov presented the winners with prizes. Finally, the trophy is in champion’s hands! All finalists received diplomas of participation in the finals of the 2009 tournament.

Many people heard an expression "Chess is the Jewish game". Born in India some thousand years ago the black-and-white figures became popular with many people. But the Jews in the XIX and XX century demonstrated a very significant achievement in chess which, from the national point of view, would be very difficult to exceed. Our community does not aspire to win the world chess crown, but perhaps one of the little Jewish boys or girls, who go to "Rimon" today, tomorrow ...

Ludmila Starodubova