Sozonov Award for 2016

Award named after Evgeniy Sozonov is a private national annual award. It was established by Olena Boytsun in 2013 with the aim of supporting talented children aged between 10 to 16 years old, who show good results in both chess and school studies.

For 2016, the Sozonov Award was awarded for the fourth time. Applications for participation in the competition for the Award were accepted from October 29, 2016 to December 17, 2016, the results were announced on December 25, 2016.

29 applications were received for participation in the competition, of which boys make up 62% of participants, while girls – 38%.

For 2016, the Sozonov Award was awarded to one winner (amount of the prize – 10,000 hryvnias). In addition, ten runners-up included in the shortlist were awarded, and the winner in the special nomination “Excellent Start” was determined.

The results of the 2016 Sozonov Award competition

Winner

Krasnokutskaya Sofiya (Kharkiv)

Sofiya Krasnokutskaya

(Kharkov, age at the time of receiving the award: 15 years, CM)
Trainer: Holov O.

Sofiya Krasnokutskaya studies in the 9-A class of the Kharkiv educational complex “Academic Gymnasium No. 45”, her favourite subjects are mathematics, English and German. She is the winner and prize-winner of the regional stages of the All-Ukrainian student Olympiads in mathematics, informatics, and physics. She has been playing chess since she was 7 years old with coach Oleksandr Holov at the Children and Youth Sports School No. 3 (Kharkiv). Sofiya has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. She is the champion and medalist of the championships of Ukraine among girls in various age categories, in 2016 she became the champion of Ukraine among girls under 18 years of age and took 11th place at the World Championship among girls under 18 years of age in Khanty-Mansiysk.

Update from 2023: Sofia lives in the USA (Los Angeles), works as an AR engineer at Snap Inc. In 2023, the girl will graduate from the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” majoring in “Management of Organizations and Administration”.

Runners-up

  • Volotovsky Kirill (Kyiv)
  • Hryshchenko Kamila (Kramatorsk)
  • Keleberda Tymur (Lviv)
  • Larkin Vladyslav (Mykolaiv)
  • Malynovskyi Rostyslav (Petropavlivska Borshchahivka village, Kyiv region)
  • Malovanyi Yulian (Ivano-Frankivsk)
  • Melnyk Roman (Yuzhne, Odesa region)
  • Mitusov Semen (Kramatorsk)
  • Romanyuk Lidiya (Ternopil)
  • Shkryl Kateryna (Kyiv)

Kirill Volotovsky

(Kyiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 13 years, CM)
Trainer: Grekh A.

Kirill Volotovsky studies in the 8th grade of the Specialized School named after Ivan Franko No.92, favourite subjects – English and German languages, mathematics. He has been playing chess for 7 years. He has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. He attends the Children and Youth Sports School (Korostyshiv, Zhytomyr region). He trains with coach Andrii Grech. Kirill is a champion and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian and international tournaments among boys in various age categories. In 2016, he became a finalist of the championship of Ukraine among boys under 14 and 16 years old, took 3rd place in the international tournament “Czech Open” in Pardubice under 16 years old. Independently engages in long-distance running.

Kamila Hryshchenko

(Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, age at the time of receiving the award: 14 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Kornitskiy A.

Kamila Hryshchenko studies in the 8th grade of Kramatorsk secondary school No. 10, her favourite subjects are algebra and English. She is a prize-winner and winner of regional and city student competitions. She has been playing chess for 8 years with coach Andrii Kornytskyi at the Regional Chess Club named after O. Momot in Kramatorsk. Kamila has the 1st category in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). She is a champion and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian and regional chess championships among girls in various age categories. In 2016, she became the champion of the Donetsk region in various age categories and took 3rd and 2nd place at the Championship of Ukraine among girls under 14 in classical and rapid chess, respectively. She is fond of playing the piano and studies at the music school No. 3 in Kramatorsk. She is very fond of football – she is one of the best goalkeepers in the school.

Tymur Keleberda

(Lviv, age at the time of receiving the award: 11 years, 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Firman N.

Tymur Keleberda studies in the 5th grade of the Lviv Specialized Secondary Secondary School No. 52 named after N. Lobachevsky, his favourite subject is computer science. He studies the English language in depth. He has been playing chess for 6 years with coach Firman Nazar in the “Dragon” chess club at the Lviv Chess Academy, and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). He is a champion and prize-winner of the All-Ukrainian chess championships among boys in various age categories. In 2016, he went to the finals of the Championship of Ukraine under 12 years old, took 1st place in the classics under 12 years old. He attends the robotics club at the Small Academy of Sciences, studies programming at CodeClubUa, and practises taekwondo.

Vladyslav Larkin

(Mykolaiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 12 years, CM)
Trainer: Bortnyk M.

Vladyslav Larkin studies in the 8th grade of the Mykolaiv Gymnasium No. 2, his favourite subjects are English and Ukrainian literature. He is the winner of the English Language Olympiad. He has been playing chess for 5 years with coach Bortnyk Mykola in the chess school of the Bortnyk brothers of the Mykolaiv Regional Children and Youth Sports School. Vladyslav has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. He is a champion and prize-winner of the championships of Ukraine among boys in various age categories, in 2016 he took 3rd place in classical and 2nd in rapid chess in the final of the Championship of Ukraine under 12 years of age, 5th place in the European Championship.

Rostyslav Malynovskyi

(Petropavlivska Borshchagivka village, Kyiv region, age at the time of receiving the award: 13 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Grinev V.

Rostyslav Malynovskyi studies in the 6th grade of the Kyiv gymnasium “Akademiya”, his favourite subject is English. Participates in school mathematics olympiads. He has been playing chess for 5 years, and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). He attends the Chess and Drafts School “Avangard”, where he trains with coach Valerii Grinev. He is a champion and prize-winner of the championships of Ukraine among boys in various age categories. In 2016, he took 1st place in the under-14 category at the XX Vienna Chess Open, 3rd place at the U12 Rapid Chess Championship of Ukraine. He attends the football club “Kozak”, the German language centre “August”, is fond of drawing, French popular artists, growing cacti, making sushi, and raps.

Yulian Malovanyi

(Ivano-Frankivsk, age at the time of receiving the award: 13 years, 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Kobylianskyi I.

Yulian Malovanyi studies in the 7th grade of the Ivano-Frankivsk specialised school I-III degrees No. 11, his favourite subjects are English and German. He participated in the “Kangaroo” maths competition, developed the “My Genealogy” project. He has been playing chess for 4 years with coach Ihor Kobylianskyi at the Ivano-Frankivsk Children and Youth Sports School No. 3, has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). Yulian is a multiple prize-winner of open championships of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk and the region. In addition to chess, he is involved in athletics.

Roman Melnyk

(Yuzhne, Odesa region, age at the time of receiving the award: 10 years, 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Berezin V.

Roman Melnyk studies in the 4-A class of Kyiv Secondary School No. 138, his favourite subjects are mathematics, computer science, Chinese and English languages, drawing, and physical education. He took part in district and school olympiads in informatics and mathematics. He has been playing chess for 5 years with coach Berezyn Viktor in the Children’s and Youth Sports School No. 3, has the 1st category in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). Roman is a champion and prize-winner of chess championships among boys in different age categories. In 2016, Roman became the champion of Yuzhne in the age categories under 10, under 12 and under 16. He attends the drawing club and basketball section.

Semen Mitusov

(Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, age at the time of receiving the award: 11 years, CM)
Trainer: Litvinov E.

Semen Mitusov studies in the 6th grade of the Kramatorsk general secondary education institution No. 22, his favourite subject is mathematics. He is a participant and prize-winner of many student competitions. He also attends an English language club. He has been playing chess for 5 years, has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports and trains with Evgeny Litvinov at the Kramatorsk Chess Club named after Momot. Semen is prize-winner of the championships of Ukraine among boys in various age categories. In 2016, he became the winner of the Championship of Ukraine in the category under 10 years old in classic, rapid and blitz chess. He attends the choreographic ensemble “Viterets” (folk dances) and is a soloist of the team.

Lidiya Romanyuk

(Ternopil, age at the time of receiving the award: 13 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Babiy I.

Lidiya Romanyuk is studying in the 8th grade of the Lviv Physics and Mathematics Boarding Lyceum at the Lviv National University named after I.Franko, favourite subjects – algebra and physics. She was a winner and prize-winner in various student competitions. She has been playing chess for 5 years with coach Babiy Ihor at the Gambit Chess Club in the city of Ternopil, and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). Lidiya is a champion and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian and regional chess competitions among girls in various age categories. In 2016, she twice won the Lviv Winter Cup among girls under 12 years old. She likes to read, is engaged in literary creativity — she writes short stories and occasionally poetry.

Kateryna Shkryl

(Kyiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 13 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Dobrynin Y.

Kateryna Shkryl studies in the 8th grade of Kyiv Lyceum No. 208, her favourite subjects are algebra, geometry, chemistry and physics. She is a winner and prize-winner of the regional stages of the All-Ukrainian and International Student Olympiads in computer graphics and the Ukrainian language. She has been playing chess for 4 years with coach Yurii Dobrynin at the Children and Youth Sports School No. 3, has the 1st category in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). Kateryna is a champion and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian and regional chess competitions among girls in various age categories. In 2016, she took first place in the Kyiv Chess Championship among girls under 16 years of age. Among the girl’s hobbies are classes with a monumentalist artist and familiarisation with various artistic techniques. She participated in the exhibition “Blessed Fruits” at the gallery “Artist”.

Special diploma “Excellent start”

Andrii Palchuk

(Kyiv, age at the time of award: 10 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Kislinsky O.

Andrii Palchuk studies in the 5th grade of Kyiv-Pechersk Lyceum No. 171 “Leader”, his favourite subjects are mathematics, Ukrainian language, and physical education. He constantly participates in subject Olympiads, student competitions, interschool competitions. He studies the English language in depth. He has been playing chess for 3 years, has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). He trains with Oleksiy Kislinskyi. Andrii is a winner and prize-winner of chess championships in Ukraine in various age categories. In addition to chess, he plays a lot of tennis and visits the pool.

The ceremony of awarding the 2016 Sozonov Award

On November 29, 2017, the awarding ceremony was held in Kyiv for the winners and runners-up of the All-Ukrainian annual award named after Evgeniy Sozonov for 2016. The founder of the Sozonov Award Olena Boytsun hosted the awards in the format of a talk show, and all participants had the opportunity to talk about themselves, their studies and passions.

More photos are posted on the Chess for Children Foundation’s Facebook page here.