Russian grandmaster asks government for nearly 1 million rubles to teach soldiers chess

Sergey Karyakin, a chess grandmaster who represents annexed Crimea as a senator in Russia’s Federation Council, has asked the country’s Presidential Grants Foundation for 999,000 rubles (€10,850) for a project called “Chess for Special Military Operation Participants”.

According to the filing, Karyakin’s chess club plans to run a short chess course at three hospitals, with Karyakin personally leading one session. From February to June 2027, it also intends to hold weekly lessons and tournaments throughout the Moscow region.

Karyakin became president of the Moscow Region Chess Federation in February 2023. In 2024, he was appointed to the upper house of Russia’s parliament to represent annexed Crimea.

An outspoken supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and of Vladimir Putin, Karyakin regularly travels to the front line and to occupied parts of Ukraine to play chess with Russian soldiers.