The first documentary evidence about the fact that people play draughts in Bashkortostan belongs to XIX century and mentions Andrey Popov, who lived in the city of Belebey in those days. In one of his letters to Alexander Petrov (famous Russian player) in December of 1847 he wrote: "And I left St. Petersburg to live with my son in the city of Belebey, Orenburg district. Here are lots of chess and draughts players here but no one argues with me." Petrov himself describes his opponent this way: Andrey Petrovich Popov was one of the strongest draughts players. I’ve met him in 1930. His appearance was great. Big, strong man with a big head and smart face, about 45 years old, quiet. I always played (strong) draughts with him. In the beginning he beat me cold-bloodedly. I could hardly win one game out of 10. No matter how hard I tried, and thought over moves nothing could help me. All my calculations were useless. After making 5 or 6 moves he used to say: Well, now you are definitely going to lose the game, you lack moves." And in fact, in the end of the game, I was lack of moves and I was forced to give one or two pieces. After playing with him for about two months, I finally reached success, I won 1 game out of 3, not taking into account remises".

  There were enthusiastic people but wasn’t any regular communication and organization for a long time: in pre-revolutionary days as well as in Soviet times. Thus, just a class B player Fedor Buyanov became the winner of the championship of Ufa in 1949, however in 1950 they managed to organize a tournament with the class A standard, where Buyanov became the winner and Vyacheslav Zgerehov and Oscar Ilyasov reached the class A level. An attempt was made in 1951 to hold the first championship of Bashkortostan, but in spite of the fact that there were only 6 players in the tournament, they failed to bring the championship to the end.

  A few strong players have moved to Bashkortostan in the late 50's - early 60-ies of the last century: Yefim Roterband (from Kharkov), David Halperin (from Oremburg), Yuri Ogorodnikov (from Rostov) and Michael Simachenko (from Oremburg). Together with the local organizers, they managed to intensify the development and advancement of draughts. The first championship of Bashkortostan (in which 13 participants from five cities of the republic took part) was held in 1958, Yefim Roterband took the first prize. The forerunner of the current federation - the Republican section of draughts, was organized in the same year, and Oscar Ilyasov became the first chairman. He was the first Bashkirian draughts player who played international draughts at the Championship of Russia in early 1959 (before that people played only Russian draughts). The first championship on international draughts was held in Ufa in the same year.

Lydia Ilyasova

  The Results of Bashkirian players appeared fairly quickly. Yuri Ogorodnikov became the champion of Russia twice, and his trainee and later his wife Sophia Sharnina (Ogorodnikova) became the first home-grown national master, she also won at the championships of USSR twice. Lydia Ilyasova was the champion of Russia four times; she won the USSR Cup twice - in personal and team credits. Tatiana Ogorodnikova followed her parents’ steps and managed to become national master, USSR junior champion, champion of Russia. Anatoly Mikhailov, Zufar Mufteev, Vyacheslav Kobelev also became national masters in different times.

  A new stage of the development of draughts in Bashkortostan is associated with the name of Yuri Chertok. He was born in 1957 in Nukus - the capital of Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic. After graduating Polytechnic Institute in Karaganda (in 1979) and becoming an engineer-geophysicist he was sent to Ishimbay by the University committee.

  Chertok have already become a national master on international draughts (1978) and the champion of Kazakhstan by this time, he decided to start a coaching career in Ishimbay. In 1982 the young coach formed draughts hobby group at the Palace of Pioneers; the further development of Draughts is shown in the timeline below. Now Yuri Chertok is an international master (1998), champion of Russia (1989), silver medalist of the World Intellectual Olympics in London (1999), Honored coach of Russia (1998), Honored Worker of Physical Culture of Bashkortostan (1994), chairman and chief coach of the club “Bashneft”, he was awarded the Order of Salavat Yulayev (2001), he is the head coach of national republic and Russian teams, Yuri Chertok is the executive director of the Inter-Regional Federation of International draughts and Russia's representative to the European Confederation of draughts.

  Yuri Chertok, as well as Yuri Ogorodnikov, managed to create an entire school: he used to be a champion, he trained champions in the past and he trains champions nowadays as well as he trains coaches of champions. And his trainees win national and international titles.

  Among the most prominent coaches of the club Alexander Melnikov makes great strides. He was born in Ishibay in 1970. He started play draughts rather late - at the age of 14. But after 4 years passed he became a finalist at the championship of the RSFSR and took seventh place. However, he managed to become a national master only in 2000, but only because he devoted himself to coaching activities very early. The most his famous trainees are: Olesya Abdullina - junior world champion, Cadets world champion Aynur Shaybakov. The winners of Europe championships: A. Khabibullin, G. Khismatullina, G. Abubakirova, A. Idrisova, R. Ayupova, A. Sagitova, A. Urmanov and I. Ryzhov.

© Профессиональный шашечный клуб "Башнефть" 2010