The Pyotr Dubinin Memorial is a Nizhny Novgorod chess tournament held in memory of Pyotr Vasilyevich Dubinin (1909–1983), the first Gorky-based Master of Sport of the USSR in chess. It has been played since the mid-1980s; the XXVII memorial took place in January 2020. [1]

The tournament

The memorial arose after Dubinin's death in 1983 and became a tradition in the city. [3] A photograph from one of the award ceremonies — showing a portrait of Dubinin above the stage and a banner reading "Memorial of P. V. Dubinin" — has survived in the family archive of Anatoly Andreevich Osipov, chairman of the city chess federation at the time. [2] The XX memorial was held at Youth Sports School No. 15 from 3 to 8 January 2013 and gathered 76 participants; the winner was Nizhny Novgorod native Evgeny Pristalov, who edged out Alexey Yevdokimov of Vladimir on tiebreak. [3]

The XXVII memorial took place in January 2020 in Nizhny Novgorod, at Youth Sports School No. 15. It brought together 80 athletes from nine towns and settlements of Nizhny Novgorod Region, as well as chess players from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladimir Region. First place on tiebreak went to candidate master Artur Kulik, who scored 6 points out of 7; second was FIDE master Dmitry Goltsev, and third was Evgeny Mikhalenko — all three from Nizhny Novgorod. [1]

What remains to be clarified

The year of the first memorial has not been documented. Some publications cite 1986, but this does not match the numbering: the XXVII tournament was played in January 2020, which, with uninterrupted annual play, would place the first one in 1994. The gap may be explained by breaks during the 1990s. What is needed is either archives of the local press or the records of the Chess Federation of Nizhny Novgorod Region. [1]

Sources

  1. ruchess.ru — Russian Chess Federation — The XXVII Pyotr Dubinin Memorial held in Nizhny Novgorod, 9 January 2020
  2. Osipov family archive — photo collection of A. A. Osipov
  3. Vremya N — Nizhny Novgorod native Evgeny Pristalov wins the Dubinin Memorial, 9 January 2013 (archive)