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Dr Svetlana Ostrikova, the Vice-Rector for Cultural and ��è��Ƶal Activities, Oleg Serdyukov, the Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sport for Belgorod Region, and Alexandr Kosov, the president of the Belgorod Regional Chess Federation were all present at the opening ceremony.

Dr Ostrikova, speaking on behalf of the Rector, congratulated everyone on the beginning of the competition, noting that this year the traditional competition is timed to coincide with the 65^th anniversary of the creation of Belgorod Region. She explained that,

“The Rector's Cup is one of the sixty-five good deeds that the university is devoting to the 65^th anniversary of the formation of Belgorod Region. People of all ages take part in the competition, from the youngest schoolchildren to gray-haired veterans. These competitions make a great contribution not only to intellectual development, but also the personal development, of our youth, and have huge civic and patriotic significance."

The chief judge for the competition was Alexandr Ivanov, the Honorary President of the Belgorod Regional Chess Federation, international Chess Grandmaster, and director of the Centre for the Development of Intellectual Sports. Mr Ivanov noted that, according to tradition, the beginning of the competition coincides with the Rector's birthday. The participants of the competition congratulated Professor Oleg Polukhin on his birthday. Mr Kosov highlighted the importance of competitions in the development of chess in Belgorod Region.

N.B.

The competition will last until 16^th April. It usually draws two hundred participants annually, aged anywhere from five to eighty five. More than one hundred and fifty people will take part in the five preliminary tournaments. Twenty students from the Centre for the Development of Intellectual Sports will take part in various tournaments.