UPDATE Sunday March 26: Yesterday’s event raised €3,565 (see images below). “Thank you to all who participated for your support,” says Igor Berezovsky. “It was a great event and amazing to support people in Kherson 🇺🇦. Together we can make a difference ❤️!”
Today from 2-5 pm, 32 young chess players of all levels will try beat champions Igor and Fiorina Berezovsky, former members of Monaco’s Olympic chess team. All in support of Ukraine.
Rising star Fiorina, 15, captured the heart of Principality back in 2017 at #Whitecard photo op with Prince Albert at the Monaco Yacht Club. She is now an ambassador for Peace and Sport. Igor holds a title of International Chess Master, with his current chess rating at 2389.
Igor and his wife Svetlana met at a chess tournament in Ukraine and relocated to Monaco in 2013 for business. “The Monaco chess club has become a second home for many Ukrainian refugees,” explains Igor. Svetlana, also a chess champion is teaching them.
Since February 2022, when Russia started a war with Ukraine, Monaco has become a temporary refuge to more than 200 Ukrainian families. And a group of enthusiasts in Monaco with and without Ukrainian roots is supporting various projects to help Ukraine and its people.
Chess Fundraiser for Ukraine March 25, 2023
Igor explains, “One of these projects is to support people in the Kherson area, which has been occupied for more than half a year and is now suffering under continued shelling by Russian forces. People of the Kherson area are in need of basically everything and our local volunteer Yuri Golubev is taking food, hygiene products and other things physically with a minibus from Odesa to Kherson.”
He adds, “Yuri’s daughter, Alina, and wife Kate are now part of the Monaco chess club!”
You can watch chess play, buy Ukrainian souvenirs and food and donate. All proceeds from today at the Maison des Associations (2 bis Promenade Honoré II, behind Starbucks) will go directly to help send supplies.
“This is one event showing the solidarity between one of the smallest of countries in Europe, Monaco, and the largest, Ukraine – the grain, Information Technology and chess powerhouse of our continent,” shares Igor. “Let’s make a smart chess move together!”
Article first published March 25, 2023. Photos courtesy of event organisers/Kate Golubeva.