St Petersburg University and Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University resume the glorious tradition of holding chess matches

The University is a place for sports, and a place for intellectual competitions.

Vladimir Savinov, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity at St Petersburg University

Vladimir Savinov also invited the chess players to visit the exhibitions dedicated to the celebration of the University’s 301^st anniversary and to see the board in honour of the University alumni — the Heads of the Russian state.

Valery Sushchenko, Director of the Institute of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism at Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University, also delivered a welcoming speech. He stressed that Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University and St Petersburg University have a long-standing friendship, and their histories are closely intertwined. "Traditions will only strengthen and grow. Our goal is to increase the competitive level this year and beyond. We will organise a return match on one hundred boards at the Polytechnic University!" Valery Sushchenko promised.

Mikhail Botvinnik, the sixth world chess champion, entered Leningrad State University in September 1928, where he studied for one semester in astronomy in the Faculty of Mathematics. In January 1929, he transferred to the Faculty of Electromechanics at Leningrad Polytechnic Institute. In the 1960s, he utilised the achievements of chess theory to create artificial intelligence. In 2018, 70 years after the first victory of a Soviet chess player at the World Championship, Anatoly Karpov, a student of Mikhail Botvinnik, the 14th world champion, and a graduate of St Petersburg University, visited St Petersburg Polytechnic University to celebrate the significant anniversary.

A symbolic draw was held before the start of the chess battle. The right to play with the white pieces on the first board was awarded to Vladimir Shkuratov, Leader of the St Petersburg University student team, Candidate for Master of Sports in Chess, second-year bachelor’s student in Economics.

Despite an even game, after the first round, St Petersburg University took a substantial lead with a score of 36:14. In the second round, the Polytechnic chess players continued to fight, but they were unable to recover. According to the results of the match, St Petersburg University won a landslide victory with a score of 69.5:30.5.

The match meeting was held on 50 boards: 40 chess players from among the students and 10 from among the staff and graduates. The time control was 10 minutes per game, with an additional five seconds added after each move. Each chess player played one game with the white pieces and one game with the black pieces against a single opponent. A total of one hundred team points were awarded.

An award ceremony was held after the tournament. The passing cup was presented to the winners by Svetlana Namozova, Head of the Sports Department at St Petersburg University. All participants in the match meeting received personal diplomas and souvenirs.

The transfer cup remains in the University, and the Polytechnic University is already waiting for a rematch!