From 14 to 22 October, the Ukraine 2023 National Club Championships took place in Vinnytsia (Ukraine). It was the first championship since 2021: in 2022 there was no championship due to the war and in 2020 it was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. This year, despite the war, Ukrainian chess players came together to compete for their team championships in classical, rapid and blitz chess. The team from the Dnipro Region Chess Federation was crowned champion in all disciplines. Grandmaster Mikhail Golubev reports. | All photos courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Chessfotolana">Lana Chess Photography</a>
On 24 February 2022, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine and war has been raging in the country ever since, and Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, has been the target of repeated airstrikes. But the Ukrainians still play chess. Mikhail Golubev sends a report about a small but remarkable tournament: the 1st Anfield Cup. | Photo: Lana Chess Photography