Sergey Karjakin, the Russian grandmaster who was elected chair of the Moscow Region Chess Federation, spoke about working with the Russian Chess Federation. Earlier, Andrey Filatov, the head of the Moscow Region Chess Federation, congratulated Karjakin on his victory and highlighted key priorities for advancing chess within the region, while expressing optimism about constructive collaboration with the new leadership of the Russian Chess Federation. Karjakin asserted that dialogue with the Russian Chess Federation is feasible and beneficial, signaling a commitment to open communication and shared objectives in the development of the game.
Karjakin thanked Andrey Filatov for the kind words and noted that while he values Filatov’s vision for Moscow region chess, he also brings his own perspective. He believes an external view can be helpful and expressed confidence that a productive channel for contact with the Russian Chess Federation will be found. He emphasized that his team is not working alone and that there are colleagues ready to engage in a full-fledged dialogue with the Russian Chess Federation to pursue one main purpose: to advance chess. In his view, ongoing communication is essential to progress, and the group will seek a constructive way to continue discussions.
He also clarified that the Moscow region federation operates independently from the Russian Chess Federation, meaning it is not officially bound to report to the national body. Nevertheless, he underscored the intention to maintain cordial relations with the national federation because both organizations share a common development framework and mission to grow the sport across the country.
Filatov stressed that the Russian Chess Federation expects a clear and timely competition calendar from Karjakin and his team. He highlighted the importance of organizing championships at regional and national levels with competitive prize funds and ensuring tournaments are accessible to all segments of the population. Filatov spoke about the creation of new chess centers within the region and the expansion of the Belaya Ladya program across all cities in Moscow’s region. He also recalled the broader Chess in Schools initiative and other social projects tied to the federation’s long-term goals.
Formerly Karjakin discussed his goals as head of the Moscow Chess Federation, outlining a vision centered on elevating the profile of chess, expanding participation, and reinforcing cooperative ties with national and regional partners to ensure sustainable growth for the sport.