How the Early Soviet State Turned Chess Into a Tool
A look inside the origins of Soviet chess culture. These articles trace how early USSR institutions and political leaders transformed chess into a tool for education, discipline, and national development, setting the foundation for decades of dominance in world chess.
Michal Krasenkow
Michał Krasenkow rose from Moscow’s chess schools to the world’s top ten and became a two-time Polish champion. This profile traces his Soviet training, move to Poland, breakthrough at Groningen in 1997, and decades of work as a competitor, coach, and author.