Ashly Webb

The Soviet Union is known for its chess. From the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union, 7 out of the 8 chess world champions were Soviet, with only Bobby Fischer being of non-soviet origin. Going through to the modern day, most of the former member states of the Soviet Union have produced influential chess players. However, the chess influence of the Soviet Union stretches beyond the borders of the USSR, and instead stretched to wherever the empire’s expansionism took it to. CHESS IN THE USSR The Soviet Union’s rich chess history begins during the Russian Civil War, during which the Bolsheviks used chess as a recruitment and educational tool. Prior to this, chess was reserved as a game for the elites. Alexander Petrov, the first great Russian master was born into a noble family, and the same applies to the many other high profile chess players before the Soviet Union. However, Lenin, an avid chess fan, encouraged chess due to its perception as a game of intellectuals