The battles between the red, black, yellow and green armies have transformed over the years into white and black duels. Their fate is winding and wandering: in the East they were admired, in the West they were persecuted and equated with fortune-telling. The dice have long since been lost, replaced by a strange device with numbers, arrows, and a button that players press frantically. But, just like before, the armies line up, move forward, and are eager for victory, so that the one who wins can proclaim “the lord is dead” and... everything begins again.
Of course, we are talking about chess, a game created by intellectuals for intellectuals, which is still played by serious, educated people with flexible and sharp minds. Therefore, the surge in chess tournaments of various levels at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where polytechnics win prizes, has once again shown that people who belong to the top 5-7% of the world's population study and work at the university.
It is commonly believed that chess is a man's game. Yes, only three percent of the strongest players are women. But at least at our university, girls are confidently dominating 64 squares. Among them is Ulyana Yeshchenko, a student of the Institute of IATE, captain of the KPI chess team, who won gold at the chess championship among students of Kyiv universities in November.
She has chosen chess since childhood. Now she is studying computer science, which she has chosen since childhood: “I have always been interested in understanding how computers work, and my curiosity has only grown over time. I have always preferred the exact sciences, so this specialty was an obvious choice for me.”
The girl got acquainted with Kyiv Polytechnic when she was a schoolgirl, and it was then that she fell in love with it: “In the 6th grade, I first took part in an engineering competition held at KPI. A tour of the university, communication with students and the atmosphere made a strong impression on me. This experience inspired me to dream of studying here. I especially remember the story when I made a wish on the territory of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and it came true. Since then, I believe that dreams come true at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.”
About chess. “I became interested in chess in my early childhood,” says Ulyana. - “I have been playing chess as long as I can remember. My parents told me that I knew how to play at the age of 4. Later, I participated in school tournaments, but the greatest interest in the game came after participating in a chess camp. It was there that I met my friends, with whom I have been friends for almost 10 years, and started my sports career.”
The young chess player is coached by her father, who opened up an exciting world of possibilities for her on the chessboard. Thanks to his patience and perseverance, she achieved her first successes. In addition, the athlete works hard on her own, plays/trains with friends and colleagues, and attends lectures by grandmasters. “I had a lot of mentors,” she says.
About tournaments. “Before entering the university, I played chess professionally,” says Ulyana. - “Of course, now I don't devote as much time to my hobby as I used to, but I still try to keep fit. Usually, it's about 10 hours of training a week. Sometimes I take part in tournaments, either at the university or in Kyiv. Chess remains an important part of my life, although now it is more for fun than for professional achievements.”
Among the many tournaments where the athlete has played, the city and Ukrainian championships are particularly important to her. Strong players gather there, and everyone strives to show their best to get a chance to represent the country at the European or world championships. The competition is very high. In addition, the chess player gained experience in team competitions. She has also played many strong open tournaments abroad, including one with the current world champion Dommaraju Gukesh.
Preparing for tournaments requires intensive training, especially on the eve of the competition - at best, 6 hours a day. However, it is equally important to keep fit, because to achieve high results, you need to have excellent endurance to withstand the intense rhythm and maintain concentration throughout the tournament, which usually lasts for several days in a row.
Achievements. The student has a lot to be proud of. “At the age of 16, I was awarded the international title of WFM (Woman FIDE Master), and I completed the Ukrainian title of CMC (Candidate Master of Sports) at the age of 14,” she said. Among her achievements are silver medals at the Ukrainian championships in the under-16 and under-18 categories among girls in rapid chess. Together with the Kyiv team, they became champions of Ukraine in the under-20 category in rapid and blitz. In addition, Ulyana has repeatedly won the Kyiv City Championships in both junior categories (under 12, under 14, and under 16) and among women. Recently, she won the title of Kyiv women's blitz champion. “At the moment, I am the champion of Ukraine among female students. Also, our KPI team won the titles of champions of Kyiv and Ukraine, which is an important achievement for everyone personally and for the university,” the chess player added.
Weekdays. You might say, young, fragile creature, enjoy the student riot and crazy leisure. But no. “Chess remains an integral part of my life,” she reflects, ”Although I don't play as often as I used to, I decided to try myself as a coach. For three years now, I have been successfully teaching both children and adults, and it gives me great pleasure. I really like to share my love for the game and pass it on to those who want to learn. Chess has a special place in my life because it helps me cope with difficult moments. When I play, I find peace and harmony, which give me strength and confidence to overcome new challenges and difficulties.”
And again about chess. It is interesting to hear the thoughts of a person whose whole life is connected with chess, about gender and the peculiarities of today's chess environment, his idols, etc. “There are now more men than women in chess, but I take it absolutely calmly,” says Ulyana. - “At the same time, I sincerely support all women who decide to start their chess career, and I believe that the development of the women's chess community is very important. This will help create more opportunities for women in this sport and attract new fans to the game.
Yes, I have my own chess idols, and one of them is Judith Polgar. She has revolutionized the perception of chess, proving that women can play at the same high level as men. Judith has repeatedly defeated the world's strongest chess players, and there are even stories of opponents who, after losing to her, made excuses for feeling unwell, believing they were favorites who “should” have won. Her example is inspiring and demonstrates that there are no limits to those who strive to reach the top in chess. I also admire Robert Fischer, in particular his active and dynamic style of play. In addition, many of my friends have been real heroes for me. Watching their perseverance, work, and achievements, I not only admired them, but also sincerely rejoiced in their success. Their example motivated me to develop further.”
The athlete considers mixed tournaments to be a great format. In her opinion, they open up a lot of opportunities. Ulyana has repeatedly participated in open tournaments where all players, regardless of gender or age, competed together, but there were separate prizes for women, juniors, and veterans. According to her, this creates a unique atmosphere where you can test your skills against a wide variety of opponents. Such tournaments are important not only for personal development, but also for the popularization of chess, as they demonstrate equal opportunities for everyone. By playing with different players, you can learn from their experience, improve your skills, and even discover new approaches to the game. Thus, mixed competitions help to unite the chess community and inspire players, regardless of their level or category.
On skills and experience. “Certainly, the ability to concentrate and calculate moves, to keep attention on a specific task for a long time, to analyze a situation, to foresee possible consequences of one's actions and to make optimal decisions developed through chess helps in learning,” the student reflects on her experience. ”Thanks to chess, I learned to analyze information and find the best way to solve problems, which is very useful in the educational process. Also, as a coach, I have observed how such skills positively affect the development of children and adults, help them find analogies with real-life cases.”
About KPI. “I really like the way student life is organized at KPI and the events held for both current students and future applicants,” says Ulyana. - “The activities of the student trade union are especially close to me. I met a lot of incredible people there who inspire me and create a friendly and active atmosphere. But, on the other hand, I miss live learning, communication with teachers, and working on projects in person.”
About herself. “At the moment, I am deeply interested in learning, in particular programming, as well as English, which requires constant improvement,” she concludes, ”In addition, I am a big fan of Game of Thrones and Dragon's Den. These series have influenced my imagination so much that they have even become a source of inspiration and idea generation in a team project. Since I love to travel, many of my dreams are about visiting different countries and discovering new cultures. I'm also interested in psychology and yoga, and I love reading books on these topics.”
That's who Ulyana Yeshchenko is - an athlete, champion, student, interesting personality and thoughtful conversationalist. I hope we will hear from her again and be proud to have been friends with the chess queen.