Head coach of St. Petersburg SKA and first vice-president of the Russian Hockey Federation (RFH) Romain Rotenberg told that it is important for hockey players to play chess for multifaceted development.
On Saturday, world rapid and blitz chess champion Sergei Karyakin played simultaneously with SKA hockey players and coaches, as well as young students of the Red Machine Junior hockey school. The game, which took place as part of the presentation of the “Chess and Hockey” project, was attended by SKA players Alexander Nikishin, Stepan Starkov, Sergei Tolchinsky and Vasily Glotov.
— How important is it for young hockey players to play chess?
— General education is important, you have to get A’s in school. Well, our “Chess and Hockey” project is unique. There are very few of them in world practice. After all, we are giving the child a diverse education.
For example, we organized a chess tournament in the octagon, placing tables and chessboards with pieces. Or you can wear a kimono to throw an opponent over the hip. We can fight in the octagon. Or beat everyone at chess. It is the harmonious development of the personality.
— Last fall, the Russian Hockey Federation signed an agreement with the Russian Boxing Federation. Is the FHR considering entering into a contract with chess players?
— We will be happy to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Moscow Region Chess Federation, headed by Sergei Karyakin. We are developing the Moscow region thanks to Governor Andrei Vorobyov. We are developing distinct sports clusters.
We recently signed an agreement between the SKA Academy and the head of Krasnogorsk, Dmitry Volkov, where we will develop a sports cluster, including chess. We will train Olympic reserve personnel. There is an open-air stadium “Zorkiy”, indoor ice rinks, there is the Petrov Academy and “Red Machine Junior” plays there. We are developing hockey throughout the country, not just in St. Petersburg. It is important for us to create multifaceted sports centers, and chess is a very important element of the harmonious development of the individual. After all, the thinking of hockey players depends on it,” Rotenberg told .
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
