My Chess World: Behind And Beyond The Board
In chess, you can only become a great master when you recognize your own mistakes and weaknesses. Just like in life.
Alexander Alekhine
Hello, dear readers!
Today I want to tell you a very important story for me — a story about how chess became an integral part of my life. This will not be a textbook about my favorite openings or tactics, but an honest and lively story about how this amazing game entered my life, how it changed me and what it taught me.
For me, chess is not just pieces and a board. It is a special world in which there is a place for strict logic, creativity, and emotions. Here I met new friends, experienced ups and downs, learned patience and the ability to fight to the end.
In this blog, I will share with you memories — from the first games with my dad and the first tournaments, to victories in championships. Perhaps some of you will recognize yourself in these stories, and someone will want to take part in an OTB tournament for the first time.
Table of contents
• How chess helps me off the board
As many of my readers already know, I come from Odessa, a city in the south of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast. This is my hometown, and it occupies a special place in my life. Odessa is not only the sea, architecture and famous Odessa humor, but also a city with a real chess soul.
Odessa is a fairly large city, about a million people live in it. Here, cultural diversity is always felt: you can hear Russian, Bulgarian, Armenian and other languages on the streets. In the center, there are old buildings, narrow streets, cozy courtyards, street musicians. The city is alive and multi-layered.
But, in addition to everything else, Odessa is a chess city. There are several chess clubs and schools here, where children and adults study. Many Odessans are real fans of this game, and in the courtyards you can often see people playing chess on benches or at small tables.
There is a special place in Odessa – Sobornaya (Cathedral) Square, which is popularly called "Soborka". This is one of the most famous chess places in the city. Every day people gather here with boards and pieces. Some play for time, some without watches, some just watch. It is easy to meet people there, start a conversation, discuss an interesting game or just chat. The atmosphere is street, friendly and very Odessa.
I don’t think there was anything particularly unusual or dramatic in my history of acquaintance with chess. It all happened quite simply – almost by chance, but it is precisely such moments that sometimes become fateful.
It was in 2013. It was a cloudy, autumn, rainy day. I was then a little over three years old. At some point, walking around the house, I accidentally came across a chessboard with figures. For me, a child with a very keen interest in everything new, it was a find – incomprehensible figures on a black and white field immediately attracted my attention. I was always curious: if I saw something, I needed to understand how it works and try it myself.
This is how my first teacher appeared – my dad. He showed me how to place the figures, explained how each of them moves, and taught me the basic rules. He became my first coach and remains my mentor to this day. He has a good logical approach and understanding of the game, and I still often discuss positions and ideas with him.
After just a week, I could play full games. Of course, at first these were simple moves, intuitive, without deep plans and with many mistakes. But I was hooked. I remember how impatiently I waited every evening to sit down at the board again. Gradually, chess took up more and more space in my life.
At some point, I realized: for me, this is not just a game, this is something I want to do seriously. I told myself that I want to train, participate in tournaments, and develop. No, I had no illusions that I would become the second Judit Polgar or beat Magnus Carlsen. But I didn’t need that – I just felt that chess had become a part of me, and I didn’t want to part with it.
From the very beginning, I liked that in chess, it’s not luck that matters, but thinking. It is important to be able to calculate moves, anticipate the opponent's actions and build a strategy. This game develops memory, concentration, logical and critical thinking. This is especially useful for a child – at the age of 3-5 years, thinking is still flexible, creative and unconventional. Therefore, chess easily fits into this lively interest and helps to form the structure of thinking.
I have always been interested in finding unusual moves, setting traps and coming up with unexpected solutions. I loved (and still love) this feeling when you understand that you have found a strong move that your opponent did not like. It was this element of intellectual competition that hooked me and keeps me in good shape to this day.
When I turned 5, my parents enrolled me in a chess club. Before that, I always played with my dad — his openings and tactics had already become familiar to me, and I wanted something new. There were many children of different ages in the club, but I was one of the youngest. At first, I was a little scared: everyone seemed older, more experienced, more serious. But curiosity and the desire to learn quickly overcame fear.
My first real coach was professional chess player Denis Bandur. Thanks to him, I realized that there is logic and calculation behind every game — and I began to master tactical techniques, which are essential in chess, no matter what level the player is at.
One of my first "achievements" was beating a computer program at level 1 or 2. I was 5 years old then. I think it was Stockfish or something similar, but set to the simplest level. Now, of course, I understand that it was a weak version of the program that could be easily beaten, but then for little Alina it was an event! I remember that I was absolutely delighted: «I beat the computer!» – and it seemed almost magical. I remember walking around the house and telling everyone about it with pride.
And already at the age of 6, I won my first tournament. It was a real competition with other children, and many of them were older than me. It was not easy to win there, but that was the first time I felt that efforts bring results. For me, this was a very important moment. Not just the joy of a medal or a certificate, but an inner understanding: if I want to grow further, I must continue, not stop, even if it is difficult. This victory became the point for me after which I began to perceive chess not just as a game, but as a business that I want to do seriously.
How chess helps me off the board
A little time passed, and I started training even harder. Sometimes I could play for 5-6 hours a day — just because I liked it. Chess became something special for me, something very personal. It was then that I first thought that perhaps chess had appeared in my life for a reason. And since then, I have never had the desire to quit. On the contrary — every day I felt that it was truly mine.
When I turned 7, I went to school. And suddenly I realized that chess began to help me in my studies. Thanks to constant training, I had an excellent memory — I easily memorized poems, rules, even long texts. I had no problems with mathematics either — logical thinking, developing in chess, seemed to give me a head start.
I began to participate in school and district competitions. Sometimes I managed to take prizes. I continued training according to my system: 30 minutes of theory (analysis of games, openings), then 30 minutes of solving tactical problems – and at least an hour of play. This was my usual regime, and it bore fruit.
And then something happened that I will remember for a long time. At the age of 8, I was invited to the school team to participate in the city and regional team championship among schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. For me, it was like a real challenge – the competition lasted for 8 months! Once a month, my team and I went to the city center to play two rounds. I really wanted to show a good result and not let the team down.
And, fortunately, everything worked out. We fought to the end and took 4th place among all the schools in the city and region. For us, six schoolchildren, this was an excellent result. We were happy, analyzed the games, shared impressions - and even then I felt how cool it is to be part of a team where you are supported and believed in.
This stage became an important point for me. He showed me that I can not only play individually, but also be part of something bigger. And gave me even more motivation to continue.
After participating in the school team championship, I had a feeling that chess is not just a hobby, but something much more. Despite three disappointing losses (out of sixteen games), I felt proud of my 13 victories. These games showed me that I can compete, I can win, and that I want to go further.
In March 2018, when I was 8 years old, I set a new goal for myself – to achieve the standard for the first junior discharge. For me, this was a serious step. I understood that there would be many participants in the tournament, and that each of them also wanted to win. But despite the excitement, I decided to try. Even now, when I already have an adult category, I fondly remember my courage – I was not afraid of a big tournament, unfamiliar opponents and responsibility. I just went and did it.
Round 9: Find the opportunity to put a checkmate
And yes, I did it! With a result of 8 points out of 9 possible, I took first place and officially received the first junior distrange (1200 Elo). It was one of those events when you just can't stop smiling. I was incredibly happy, and I also felt really proud of myself. All of this — hours of training, participation in tournaments, persistence and patience — finally paid off.
It was after this tournament that I was accepted into the city chess club "Young Hopes". For me, this was an important step: I felt that I now belonged to the chess community of the city. At the club, I met other guys who were as passionate about chess as I was. We trained together, discussed games, shared experiences. This was a new chapter — no longer just home training, but real, constant growth among the same motivated children.
Even now, when I have an adult distrange, I still enjoy remembering this story.
I have a very special, even a bit stormy relationship with this non-standard type of chess.
For those who are not familiar: Chess960, or Fischer random chess, is a type of chess in which the pieces on the first and eighth ranks are randomly placed (with certain rules: for example, bishops must stand on squares of different colors, and the king – between the rooks). There can be 960 such starting positions, hence the name. This version was invented by the legendary Bobby Fischer to remove the influence of memorized openings and test pure chess thinking, creativity and the ability to navigate in an unfamiliar situation from the very first move.
My coach always said that such chess is useful. It develops unconventional thinking, strategic flexibility and teaches you to look for solutions in an unfamiliar situation. But for me personally, it all sounded like "let's suffer".
In 2019–2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started and OTB was almost non-existent, I, like many others, trained a lot online. And then one day my coach said:
— Online tournaments are good. But let's try something new. For example, Fischer Random Chess.
I was like:
— Wow. Well, I guess it will be interesting.
And yes, at first it was interesting. But after a couple of games I was completely confused. It seemed to me that I was not playing chess at all. I did not understand what was happening, how to develop, where the weaknesses of the position were. Each game began with a headache. I even told the coach that it was pointless and that I did not like it. You could say that I declared a cold war on Chess960.
But the coach was smarter. He just took me and signed me up for an online tournament in Chess960, presenting me with a fait accompli. My face at that moment should have been captured: slight panic and a question in my eyes — "for what?!"
It was hard at the tournament. It seemed to me that I was losing more often than I was winning. But with each game I began to understand it little by little. I began to better understand how to approach the assessment of a position, how to adapt. I began to get less angry and analyze more.
And in the end — I took third place. It was unexpectedly pleasant. Not because I fell in love with this format, but because I overcame internal resistance and was able to play well.
Now I am no longer afraid of Chess960. They are still not my favorite, but I know for sure: sometimes getting out of your comfort zone is the best way to grow.
A little more time has passed, and I continue to participate in tournaments, try new formats and, of course, win. July 20, 2025, became a truly special day for me.
On this day, I won the chess festival dedicated to the International Chess Day. The tournament was held as part of the "Knight's Move" partner project and gathered dozens of participants in the main reading room of the Odessa National Scientific Library. The atmosphere was incredible: children, teenagers, and adult chess players gathered together to celebrate this holiday of the game that unites people around the world.
The format was rapid (10 + 5). Everything worked out just perfectly for me – I won all six games out of six possible and became the champion. It was unforgettable!
It was especially nice to receive congratulations from Natalia Zhukova – an outstanding Ukrainian chess player, grandmaster, Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine, Olympic champion and two-time European champion.
But for me, the main result was not only the cup, diploma and medal, but the feeling that all my training, time and efforts were not in vain. I see how I become stronger with each game, how confident I feel at the board.
At the same time, I do not play 24/7 – I have breaks, ups and downs. There are days when I want to rest, and days when, on the contrary, I cannot tear myself away from the board. But it is this balance that makes me truly happy.
And today I know the main thing for sure: chess is my thing. And I am not going to stop. Next will be ...
Looking back, I understand that chess has become much more than just a sport for me. It is a whole story – my story, filled with small victories, difficult defeats, unexpected discoveries and inspiring encounters.
Chess taught me to think ahead, to appreciate every little thing and to understand that even the most difficult path begins with one step – or, in my case, with one pawn move. Chess made me more patient, more focused, but at the same time taught me to enjoy the process, and not just the result.
I continue to move forward – to train, to participate in tournaments, to try new formats of the game. And I like to think that all the most interesting things are yet to come.
If you hold a chess piece in your hands – know that you hold a small key to a huge world. Perhaps one day it will change your life the same way it changed mine.
Minister of happiness
Thank you for walking this path with me through the pages of the blog! Play, dream, try. And remember: every move is an opportunity! 
Thanks to:
• @VOB96 and her blog Moments When Chess Changed My Life, who inspired me;
• @PokeGirl93 and her blog The Best Chess Stories I Have To Share , who also inspired me;
• @ChocoCaramelPawn, who helped me fix technical problems with the music.
• My best readers, who always inspire and support me! 
