Community Corner
Ukrainian Chess Grandmaster Gives Lessons In Palo Alto: Report
Evgeny Shtembuliak, a 23-year-old international chess champion, escaped Ukraine for Palo Alto, where he organized a chess camp.
PALO ALTO, CA — A Ukrainian chess grandmaster who recently escaped his country taught chess lessons over the weekend in Palo Alto, the East Bay Times reported.
Evgeny Shtembuliak, 23, is ranked 191st in the world by the International Chess Foundation and has won grandmaster in the European Chess Championship games in 2019, according to the International Chess Foundation.
He was in Kyiv during the Russian invasion, and spent a few nights in a windowless bathroom, according to The Times. At the western border of Ukraine, he was able to escape by presenting paperwork showing his exemption from military service. He reached California on March 23.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In 2021, Shtembuliak dropped out of Texas Tech and started a business teaching chess. One of his students, 16-year-old Palo Alto High School student Kyle Cromwell, helped organize a chess camp for children aged 7-16 on Saturday and Sunday at the Foothills Tennis and Swimming Club in Palo Alto. He was joined by another Ukrainian chess player, Nadiia Salakh.
See here for the full East Bay Times report.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
