Just happy to be here: Ukraine captain Sulypa

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Sulypa detests war, but when it happened in his own backyard, he was forced to do pick up a gun.

As Ukraine men’s team captain for the 44th Chess Olympiad here, Sulypa has seen the damage caused by war first hand, and was devastated by sights of children rendered homeless.

Terrible experience

Sharing his experience, the 50-year-old Grandmaster said: “I picked up a gun on the first day of the war [between Russia & Ukraine]. I spent nearly two months in territorial defence (a military reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine). I was patrolling the city, checking cars. I saw homeless children. To be in a war zone is very difficult. I don’t want [it]. It is not life.”

With a second-string squad here, after top players refused to take part, Sulypa said the team, seeded eight, is happy to just participate.

“We understand there is a war and conditions are difficult. It is important for our country to take part [in the Olympiad]. We support chess all round the world. It is an honour to participate,” he said.

As several players had moved to other countries due to the war, it was not possible to assemble everyone in one place for a camp.

Explaining the situation, Sulypa said: “Andrei Volokitin lives in Poland now and Yuriy Kuzubov escaped to Bilbao (Spain). Kirill Shevchenko lived for a few months in Germany. Volodymyr Onyshchuk remains safe. You know, our best player here, Anton Korobov lost two of his apartments (to the bombings) in Kharkiv. His family is, however, safe.”

Sulypa’s family, too, is safe as he sent his daughter away to Poland last month.

Expenses from own pocket

Also, in addition to the arduous journey to arrive here, all players have had to spend money from their own pockets. “We spent money for tickets, visas and Covid-19 protocols, mostly from our pockets. After the event, they (Ukraine Chess Federation) will, I think, reimburse us,” he said.

“No,” was Sulypa’s reply when asked whether the situation in Ukraine had improved now. “It can get dangerous any moment. I don’t understand the war. It is something strange,” he said.