Sozonov Award for 2020

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. Since 2019, the Sozonov Award is issued in two age categories: from 10 to 13 years (inclusive) and from 14 to 16 years (inclusive).

For 2020, the Prize was awarded for the sixth time in two separate age categories: from 10 to 13 years (inclusive) and from 14 to 16 years (inclusive). Entries for the Prize were accepted from 1 December 2020 to 21 December 2020, with the results announced on 28 December 2020.

22 applications were received for participation in the competition, 14 of them in the age category of 10-13 years, 8 in the age category of 14-16 years. Boys made up 73% of the participants, while girls – 27%.

For 2020, the Sozonov Award was awarded to one winner in the age category from 10 to 13 years (amount of the prize – 10,000 hryvnias) and one in the age category from 14 to 16 years (amount of the prize – 10,000 hryvnias). Runners-up were also determined in each age category, each of them received a diploma and gifts.

The results of the competition for the 2020 Sozonov Award

Age category from 10 to 13 years

Winner

Samunenkov Ihor (Kyiv)

Ihor Samunenkov

(Kyiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 11 years, CMF)
Trainers: Baklan V., Punin A.

Ihor Samunenkov studies remotely at specialised school No. 24 named after O. Bilash with in-depth study of foreign languages. He has repeatedly received letters of commendation for high academic achievements, and was a laureate of the international natural interactive competition “Kolosok 2017”. Ihor has the title of Candidate Master of Sports of Ukraine and Candidate Master FIDE. He trains individually with trainers Baklan Volodymyr and Punin Andrii. Ihor is the winner and prize-winner of a number of international and national competitions, in particular, the European champion among schoolchildren under 11 years old and the bronze medalist of the online European Championship among boys under 12 years of age in 2020, the champion of Ukraine in classical chess and rapid chess under 10 and 12 years old.

Runners-up (10-13 years)

  • Berin Artem (Mykolaiv)
  • Dubnevych Maksym (Rava-Ruska, Lviv region)
  • Ivanytska Liudmyla (Ivano-Frankivsk)
  • Toroptseva Yevheniia (Kyiv)

Artem Berin

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

Artem Berin studies in the 7th grade of the Mykolaiv Municipal Collegium named after V.D. Chaika. His favourite subject is algebra. Artem is a multiple prize-winner of the All-Ukrainian Mathematics Olympiad for students of grades 5-7 under the auspices of Kyiv National University named after T. Shevchenko. He has been playing chess for 5.5 years and has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. Attends the Bortnyk Brothers Chess School (Mykolaiv). His trainer is Dmytro Goroshchenko. Artem is a multiple winner of all-Ukrainian children chess championships. In addition to chess, the boy plays football, is fond of reading fiction and chess literature.

Maksym Dubnevych

(Rava-Ruska, Lviv region, age at the time of receiving the award: 11 years, CM)
Trainer: Grabinsky V.

Maksym Dubnevych studies in the 6th grade of the Rava-Ruska School-Gymnasium, his favourite subjects are mathematics and physical education. In addition, he works on improving the level of knowledge of the English language. Maxim has been playing chess for 6 years. He attends the Children and Youth Sports School “Debut” (Lviv) and trains with Volodymyr Grabinsky. Maksym is the winner and prize-winner of many all-Ukrainian children chess competitions and tournaments in the Lviv region. In 2021, he received the title of Candidate for Master of Sports of Ukraine. In addition to chess, he plays football, table and tennis. Maksym learns to play the guitar.

Liudmyla Ivanytska

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

Liudmyla Ivanytska studies in the 8-B class of Lyceum No. 19 of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council. Her favourite subject is physical education. She participated in school mathematics Olympiads and “Kangaroo” mathematics competitions. She has been playing chess for 7 years, and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). She is training at the Children and Youth Sports School No. 3 (Ivano-Frankivsk) with the coach Vasyl Palahytskyi, who is the girl’s grandfather. Lyudmila is the winner and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian children chess tournaments. In 2020, she fulfilled the norm of Candidate for Master of Sports. She is fond of playing basketball.

Yevheniia Toroptseva

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

Yevheniia Toroptseva is studying in the 6th grade of Educational complex No. 141 “Educational resources and technological training” (Kyiv). Her favourite subject is mathematics. Evgenia is a prize-winner of the “Kolosok” international student interactive competition. The girl has been playing chess for 5 years and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). Her trainer is Svitlana Moskalets. Yevheniia takes part in many children chess tournaments. She has repeatedly been among the prize-winners of the Championship of Ukraine among girls in children age categories. Among Yevgenia’s hobbies are dancing in the break-dance style.

Age category from 14 to 16 years

Winner

Hrebenshchykova Yelyzaveta (Dnipro)

Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova

(Dnipro, age at the time of receiving the award: 15 years, Master of Sports of Ukraine)
Trainer: Chernov E.

Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova studies in the 9th grade of school #22 in the city of Dnipro, her favourite subject is history. She attends a piano class at a music school. Yelyzaveta has been playing chess for 9 years and studies at the Children and Youth Sports School No. 9 with coach Yevhen Chernov. She has the title of Master of Sports of Ukraine. She repeatedly won and was the prize-winner of the championships of Ukraine among girls in various age categories in classical chess, rapid and blitz, the prize-winner of the European championship among girls under 14 years of age in 2019, etc. Yelyzaveta is a member of the reserve team of the national team of Ukraine.

Update from 2023: Yelyzaveta is currently temporarily living in Germany, at the same time studying in the 11th grade of a Ukrainian school (online) and a German gymnasium (offline), preparing for final exams and admission to a higher educational institution.

“

You have to run as fast as you can just to stay in place, and to get somewhere, you have to run at least twice as fast! My motto! The desire to learn and learn is what fills my life, what makes me happy every minute: the expectation of the game, the competition of intellects, the desire to prove that girls also have a winning strategy under their control, this is what I love and value in chess. Award named after Evgeniy Sozonov is a great prize! In my opinion, it is symbolic that a chess player from Dnipropetrovsk, after a generation, also presents a prize to a chess player from Dnipro.

“

Yelyzaveta Hrebenshchykova

Runners-up (14-16 years)

  • Biletskiy Danylo (Kyiv)
  • Hulka Valentyn (Chortkiv)
  • Kelbas Anastasiya (Glukhiv)
  • Milovzorova Nadiia (Kyiv)
  • Mitusov Semen (Kramatorsk)

Danylo Biletskiy

(Kyiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 15 years, Master of Sports of Ukraine)
Trainer: Nikolaev L.

Danylo Biletskiy is studying in the 10th grade of the Technical Lyceum of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. His favourite subjects are physics and mathematics. He repeatedly won prizes at Olympiads in physics, mathematics and jurisprudence. Attends additional classes in English. He has been playing chess for 8 years. He trains at the Chess and Drafts School “Avangard” with coach Nikolaev Leonid. Danylo has the title of Master of Sports. He regularly participates in all-Ukrainian and international chess tournaments of the appropriate age categories. One of the boy’s priorities is the development of creative thinking, so he studied and successfully graduated from an art school.

Valentyn Hulka

(Chortkiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 15 years, CM)
Trainers: Ivanchuk V., Firman N., Khabinets I.

Valentyn Hulka studies remotely in the 9th grade of the Education Center “Optima”, his favourite subject is history. He has been playing chess for 4.5 years and has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. His coaches are Ivanchuk Vasyl, Firman Nazar and Khabinets Ivan. The boy is the winner and prize-winner of all-Ukrainian and regional chess competitions of the respective age categories. Participated in online simultaneous game sessions with famous adult Ukrainian chess players. He is fond of reading chess literature.

Anastasiya Kelbas

(Glukhiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 16 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Kelbas S.

Anastasiya Kelbas is a 2nd year student at the Glukhiv Medical College. Her favourite subjects are mathematics and biology. Anastasiya has been playing chess at the Glukhiv City Children and Youth Sports School for 5 years. She has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). The girl is trained by Kelbas Svitlana, who is her mother. Anastasiya is the winner and prize-winner of many children chess tournaments. In addition, she is fond of artistic wood carving and studies this craft at the Spiritual and Educational Center at the Anastasiya Cathedral.

Nadiia Milovzorova

(Kyiv, age at the time of receiving the award: 15 years, 1st rank in chess according to the Ukrainian system)
Trainer: Nikolaev L.

Nadiia Milovzorova is studying in the 10-B grade of secondary school No. 14 named after Hrushevsky in Obolonskiy district of Kyiv. Every year she participates and wins prizes in Olympiads in mathematics, Ukrainian language and literature, foreign literature, chemistry, biology, physics, German language, and readers’ competitions. Nadia learned 4 foreign languages – English, German, Spanish and French. She is a participant in many projects for students studying the German language in depth. The girl has been playing chess for 10 years and has the 1st rank in chess (according to the Ukrainian system). She attends the Chess and Drafts School “Avangard” and trains with Nikolaev Leonid. In addition to chess, the girl is engaged in rhythmic gymnastics (has 1st rank) and equestrian sports. In her free time, she goes to the pool and engages in ballroom dancing.

Semen Mitusov

(Kramatorsk, age at the time of receiving the award: 14 years, CM)
Trainer: Litvinov E.

Semen Mitusov studies in the 9th grade of the Kramatorsk general secondary education institution No. 22, his favourite subjects are mathematics and physics. He repeatedly became a prize-winner of the city’s mathematics Olympiads. In addition, he is independently engaged in in-depth study of the English language and programming. He has been playing chess for 9 years and has the title of Candidate for Master of Sports of Ukraine in chess. He attends the Chess School named after A.V. Momot (Kramatorsk), where he trains with Yevhen Litvinov. Semen is a multiple winner and prize-winner of international and all-Ukrainian chess championships in the respective age categories. In 2020, he took first place at the Championship of Ukraine in classical chess and blitz in the under-14 category and in classical chess and rapid in the under-20 category. Semen is fond of folk dances and participates in the “Viterets” ensemble.

The ceremony for the 2020 Sozonov Award

On March 14, 2021, the awarding ceremony of the Sozonov Award took place in an online format, in which the winners and prize-winners of the 2020 competition took part. Young chess players told the founder of the Award, Olena Boytsun, about themselves, their hobbies and preferences, their studies and chess achievements, dreams and plans for the future.