PhD, Associate Professor I.V. Mikhaylova¹
Dr.Hab., Professor О.N. Stepanova^{2                           
1}Russian State Social University, Moscow
²Moscow State Pedagogical University, Moscow 

Keywords: chess sport, adaptive chess sport, mid- and top-level chess players’ training system.

Background. The Russian chess sport has always been highly respected in the country as a synthesis of science, game and art in high priority in the governmental sport development policies. Despite the fact that there have been 14 national World Chess Champions in the world chess history, for the last decade the title has been held by other nations. The national chess sport has lately faced problems with the coaching services and mass chess promotion policies that are critically important for the ‘reserves bench’ of the Russian national team being expanded. It should be mentioned that the national adaptive sport system has demonstrated a growing interest in chess for the last few years, with the numbers of handicapped chess players showing a clear growing trend. It is commonly acknowledged today by the national chess community that the policies and practices to train a competitive sport reserve for mass, adaptive and elite chess in the country (including top-ranking grand masters) may unlikely be successful unless the existing chess training system is radically reformed.

Objective of the study was to analyze the current situation in the national chess training system for the mid- and top-level chess players, find the system drawbacks and offer the key solutions for national chess training system reforms.

Methods and structure of the study. For the purposes of the study, we have analyzed the following: (1) practical experience and success histories of elite chess players and adaptive and mass sport leaders trained at Russian State Social University (RSSU) and other relevant education and physical education and sports (PES) institutions [3]; (2) legal and regulatory framework for the chess training system, including the Russian Chess Development Program for the period of 2011–2018 [6]; valid Federal Sport Training Standard for Competitive Chess [5]; practical recommendation of the Ministry of Sports on how new mass chess training models and modern adaptive PES technologies should be applied to facilitate engagement of people with disabilities and health limitations; (3) studies by the leading chess sport theoreticians and practitioners concerning the subject, including studies of modern artistic gymnastics by I.A. Vinner-Usmanova [1] and studies of freestyle wrestling by A.A. Karelin [2]); (4) fundamental theoretical and practical studies of the modern chess sport by M.M. Botvinnik, G.K. Kasparov et al. [3]; and (5) the best competitive chess training models successfully applied by the foreign and national school, academic and adaptive sports systems.

Study findings and discussion. The modern chess training model applied at Russian State Social University has proved beneficial as demonstrated by the following accomplishments for the period of 2002-17:

1. S.A. Karyakin, A.K. Inarkiev, Y.A. Nepomnyashchiy, O.A. Girya and V.Y. Gunina have won the titles of the World, European and Olympic Champions for the period in the individual and team competitions.

2. 23 students have been qualified World Class Grand Masters and FIDE Masters.

3. More than 100 handicapped students have qualified for different formal sport categories and 52 students have got a coaching and/or refereeing experience.

4. More than 60 RSSU graduates have been recruited as chess coaches and managers.

5. More than 1500 students have successfully completed the inclusive chess training courses.

Given in Table 1 hereunder is our frame concept of the modern chess training system.

Table 1. Frame concept of the modern chess training system

Considered hereunder are the drawbacks of the existing chess training system systematized as given in the Table 1 above, with the proposed corrections, progress solutions and resources:

1. The Selection and sport orientation system that is being widely applied in the national elite chess sport system remains virtually unused by the national mass and adaptive chess sport systems. Good theoretical and practical grounds for the system adaptation and implementation could help advance the mass/ adaptive sport movements in the country.

2. The Competitive system is well-developed in the national mass chess sport being particularly extensive in the school and academic chess systems. The Russian White Rook Chess Tournament of the general education establishments launched back in 1969 was upgraded to an international competition in 2014. In 2015 the national chess community established a National Student Chess League with its network of chess competitions and School Chess and Chess Sunday Projects. It should be noted, however, that progress of the national adaptive chess sport is still limited for the reason that the valid Federal Sport Training Standard for the Chess Discipline still does not offer diagnose-/ health-limitations-specific provisions for the handicapped chess players’ training and progress. We believe that the adaptive chess training system may be improved on the whole on a systemic basis (to consolidate the existing inconsistent system of the adaptive chess competitions and events) if and when the sound education and practical adaptive chess training system customized to health limitations is put in place. A special attention in the system design shall be given to financing of the coaching service subsystem for the diagnose-specific adaptive chess sport system.

3. The Competitive training system, as it is provided in the valid Federal Sport Training Standard for Chess Discipline, appears to be fraught with systemic errors. For example, the Standard assigns 30-40% of the beginner training time to the mental conditioning practices [6] albeit the overwhelming majority of the leading chess sport theoreticians and coaches tends to disagree with that. It is clear that the Standard and the relevant legal and regulatory provisions need to be revised correspondingly, with a special emphasis on revisions of the relevant notions and categories. A special priority shall be given to the initiatives to develop new Intellectual Training and Integrated Chess Training components of the system. We believe that the new theoretically grounded Information and Communication Subsystem shall be developed and implemented to support the mass and advanced chess training systems (including the one for adaptive chess training service for the handicapped people).

4. The Progress provisions for the training and competitive system may be improved, in our opinion, by the actions to: establish an accessible (barriers-free) inclusive training service, with special permanent (rather than residual and occasional) financial assignments for the adaptive chess system; create a national open chess education platform with its Massive Open Online Courses; advance the volunteer services to the handicapped chess players and other players with special needs; and promote mass chess sport competitions [4].

Conclusion. A special priority in the initiatives to facilitate progress of the national elite chess system shall be given to the efforts to build up a modern chess infrastructure with the web-services to secure access, among other things, to the Cloud PC technology; expand the networking CYSS and CYORSS services for disabled chess players, plus expand inclusive groups and clubs under the relevant education institutions; draft the Federal Standards for customizable diagnose-specific chess training service to disabled people; develop and implement the relevant information, communication and inclusive training technologies; draft an Adaptive Chess Trainer standard; develop and implement adaptive/ inclusive chess instructor/ trainer training programs; and apply the Abilympics technologies to facilitate the chess training service for the people with health limitations. Russian State Social University (RSSU) with its vast experience and great traditions in the Physical Education and Sports specialist training service on the whole and chess specialist training service in particular is prepared to take the lead in the above initiatives.

References

1. Wiener-Usmanova I.A. Integralnaya podgotovka v khudozhestvennoy gimnastike. Avtoref. dis. dokt. ped. nauk [Integrated training in rhythmic gymnastics. Doctoral diss. abstract (Hab.)]. St. Petersburg, 2013, 47 p.
2. Karelin A.A. Sistema integralnoy podgotovki vysokokvalifitsirovannykh bortsov. Dis. dokt. ped. nauk [Integrated training system for elite wrestlers. Doct. diss.]. St. Petersburg, 2002, 406 p.
3. Kasparov G.K. Moi velikie predshestvenniki. Ot Eyve do Talya. T. [My great predecessors. From Euwe to Tal. Part 2]. Moscow: Ripol Klassik publ., 2005, 528 p.
4. Mikhailova I.A., Makhov A. S. Sozdanie federalnoy innovatsionnoy ploschadki po formirovaniyu modeli i ideologii operezhayuschego adaptivnogo shakhmatnogo obrazovaniya v vuze [Creating federal innovative platform for dissemination of model and ideology of advanced development of university adaptive chess education]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2015, no. 10, pp. 56-58.
5. Safiulin E.M., Makhov A.S., Mikhaylova I.V. Analiz prepyatstvuyushchikh faktorov razvitiya masterstva i chislennosti shakhmatistov s porazheniem oporno-dvigatelnogo apparata na etape nachalnoy sportivnoy podgotovki [Chess groups for beginner players with musculoskeletal disorders: mastery and participation restraining factor analysis]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 4, pp. 33-35.
6. Stepanova О.N., Makhov A.S., Latushkina E.N. et al Administrative activity of the trainer: types, objects, efficiency criteria [Management aspect of coaching: types, subjects and performance criteria]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 3, pp. 66–68.       

Corresponding author: chessy07@mail.ru

Abstract

The study analyzes the current situation in the national chess training system for the mid- and top-level chess players, including those with health limitations; makes a content analysis of the legal and regulatory framework for the social service domain of the national chess sport; overviews the success histories of elite chess players and adaptive and mass sport leaders trained at Russian State Social University and other relevant education and PES institutions; and analyzes studies on the subject by the leading chess sport theoreticians and practitioners. The study data and analyses gave the means to: (1) specify and outline the key components of the modern chess training system, including sport selection and identification stage, competitions, sport trainings, and training and competitive progress facilitating provisions; (2) highlight the problems, key errors and solutions to facilitate progress of the national competitive chess movement; and (3) offer the solutions and assess the resources for the chess training system reform.

The reform shall be basically geared to: establish a modern sport infrastructure with the web-services to secure access to the Cloud PC technology; expand the networking CYSS and CYORSS services for disabled chess players, plus expand inclusive groups and clubs under the relevant education institutions; draft the Federal Standards for the chess training service to disabled people; develop and implement the relevant information, communication and inclusive training technologies; draft an Adaptive Chess Trainer standard; develop and implement adaptive/ inclusive chess instructor/ trainer training programs; and apply the Abilympics technologies to facilitate the chess training service for people with health limitations.