For the third year, before Defender of the Motherland Day, former and active law-enforcement officers meet at a chessboard.

In 2011 chess tournament among law enforcement agencies was held on February 13. According to the participants, a friendly tournament gradually turns into a real competition between the teams, which send the best chess players to win principled “battle of minds”.

Oddly enough, law-enforcment agencies liked such intellectual battles. Only seven teams participated in the first tournament. Now 13 teams moved chess figures on chessboards. Each team consisted of three players. 13 teams met on 13th February, but this mystical coincidence didn’t scare the participants. In the tournament there were teams from Kirov Federal Tax Service, Federal Penitentiary Service, Law College IPA, military unit 6676, Kirov Customs office, Kirov Regional IPA, Public prosecution office, Bailiff service, Regional Court, Department of the Investigative Committee, Department of Internal Affairs had 3 teams. IPA team superiored th rest by age and rank. IPA  team participated in the tournament for the first time.

VICTOR FEDOSEEV, retired FSB Major-General: “We will fight and see who will be the winner, because there are only professionals, masters.”

According to the previous tournaments’ results Penitentiary Service was amoung the masters which team consisted of chess experts with the degrees. But this year they handed over the position. Champions were employees of Tax service having won the favorites only in the last round with a margin of half point. After that victory, the golden team was met as heroes at work. The colleagues’ directive for the next tournament was very simple.

ANTON NELYUBIN, CHIEF CIO EXPERT OF TAX SERVICE: “We can not lose, we must become champions again.”

Despite the different levels and playing experience, all the participants were at equal conditions. The tournament was held according FIDE rules. Though there were little deviations bacause of the kind of chess players.

 EVGENIY SHAMOV, HEAD JUDGE: “If during the game a cell phone rings, according to the FIDE rules its owner immediately loses the game. At this tournament we just warn but follow basic rules, of course.”

According to the chief judge and president of the regional chess federation, Swiss system is convenient for such tournaments. Players can’t be out of the game. And the winner is determined by the sum of points. Usually a circular scheme does not forgive mistakes. Fast and accurate decisions are important. Penitentiary Service team played so all the games. Thanks to the tournament castling it took again the first place. The team from Department of Internal Affairs took the second place and Tax Service – the third.