The Krasnoyarsk Chess Camps of the 1950s


i was one of many that learned chess in the brutal chess camps of Krasnoyarsk in the 1950s.

I recall one teacher, Bresislan Gorkiananov, he was very tough , but generally fair.This topic arose from the vic open thread, and i was asked to start up this new thread.

Anyone who knows anything of these camps(perhaps our russian emigre friends) please feel free to disclose here.

I personally, find it somewhat difficult to talk about those days , thankyou.

i gained great wisdom from those days,..but to work like a slave was not one of them.

something i will never forget is during one of our 4 month block studies, on a line of the kings indian attack, our coach suddenly jumped out of his chair , throwing opening books in the air,yelling " theory is not chess,theory is not chess, theory is not chess"...once he had calmed down, we asked him what he was saying...he said,"i will teach you the principles of chess, no longer will you have to claw through tome after tome of opening theory,you have done enough. you will learn to fight like a siberian tiger in the wilderness".......we thought he had finally lost his mind...but it was in those following months i learned much as to what was at the heart of chess and even life itself.


Of course there were dark days as well(and im not just talking siberian winters either!) , there were many lonely days in dark cold dank chambers, where we were literally starved , until we had satisfactorily completed one of the modules(there were over 900 of these modules).....even the word "module" gives me a shiver down the spine.

But i learned the value of freedom of expression through chess, you could create, be master of your destiny, you did not have to rely on any authority. you could be like a god, in a way....you actually became one of the much feared - "siberian chess tigers"...all the students at these camps , had to have a tattoo, it is of a siberian tiger with a king in its mouth, very striking!


THE KGB,AND LINE XX9

In the late autumn of 1955, under the ok from our coach, a small breakaway group emerged at chess camp omega, that was dedicated in finding new revolutionary chess opening weapons.. this was contrary to the "correct style" soviet school philsophy

We met twice weekly at different locations, researching various new off beat lines, one of these lines ,named "XX9" was in fact 1e4 ...2.f3! yes! now reborn as the possum! Our secret lab, had made several breakthroughs, and many "leaks" helped the soviet chess school develop more complete opening systems.

It became apparant to myself and others, that our "new research" was in fact reaching the kremlin itself! We had been infiltrated by a special chess associated branch of the KGB(they dealt with utilising chess as a political tool , during cold war), they were known as "The Wolf64",..and i tell you, you did not want to mess with them!.....We had no choice but to shut down the labs.

It is my dream that i can continue my research here on this bb.....i thankyou for your attention, and would be happy to answer questions about my time in the krasno chess camps.....i have many more tales from those times!

All graduates of the school, were given tattoos, on the backs of their move-playing hand. On the back of my right hand i have this tattoo. It is of a snarling white siberian tiger holding a black king in its slobbering jaws...for those not expecting it, when playing, can be a terrible shock.

Once an old man refused to play me, he told arbitar, that he felt threatened, i said to him "only my pieces will threaten you sir,please play"....but he steadfastly refused, i won on forfeit!

when i saw watto's post in the "vic open thread" on chesschat, and i read how IM was relaxing watching football enjoying beer and nuts, i had sudden blinding flashback!

It was this description in watto's post, that suddenly transported me back to "the study rooms".......when we had poor tourn, coach would send us there for days...it was this stark contrast with IM in the west(no pun intended) that rattled dormant neurons.....im still having some difficulty in truely coming to terms, with the fact , that it was beer AND nuts. When we had party , after good tourn, we had bootleg vodka, and some smoked deer meat, we often heard of the titled players getting beer, nuts, and western fast food....we were very jealous...i think it just sparked off this flashback episode.

ok, firstly,..you have to recognise, Krasnoyarsk in the 1950s,was a very different place,it is difficult for us to imagine from our perspective today.

just to clarify , is it the particular incidence of the chess thug attack, that you are interested in? if so i talked briefly about it in the KCC thread...i dont think there is of much significance that i can add to that particular episode.....it was not an uncommon event, amongst rival chess groups(gangs) of the time. ....the stress and emotions ran high ,during the intense camp study programs,and often spilled out onto the streets.

the major groups were of course , the siberian chess tigers, and also, red knights, the sicilian group, the LGR(LAB GAMBIT RATS), KGB based group,the black wolf, BG5, Daggers, White fox, and many other specialist based groups

there was great competition between groups,to supply the latest theory to the best in moscow,,,it was common for kgb, to infiltrate these groups,much espionage and counter espionage.

siberian chess tigers were accused by the red knights of studying banned lines!..which of course we were!

the red knights had been infiltrated by members of black wolf(a branch of kgb, dedicated to keeping chess on the "soviet path")

after hard day of chess training, and walking home with fellow members, we were accosted on the street,..but thankfully ,the martial art training we all recieved at the camp,saved us..........we had to be constantly aware of potential clashes with rival groups


it was our ultra secret workings on the chess opening theory black arts,that saw us constantly under siege.

in my next post i will reveal one of these secrets....never yet published anywhere in the west!

it takes some courage to speak openly of these days....and to the doubters, i say to you,...keep an open mind, remember we are conditioned to recieve information in easily identifiable "packages",often missing that which does not conform to this conditioned response.

Belthasar,your post,reminds me of the trouble that could still exist, with old members of red knights or black wolves still circulating,the ones with long memories!....MB is too young to have been involved...but i know of the type of discrediting of which you speak.(most of the groups do not exist today,as far as i know!)

ok, the time has come , to reveal SIBERIAN CHESS TIGER SECRET NO 1( Fresh from the training files SCT/1956-3a12)

now before i post this,....it must be remembered that this still could be highly sensitive material, of which you will gain new powerful insight into the heart and soul of chess itself!......i need assurances from you, that no further publication of this material occurs,...once i receive sufficient assurance(hey i trust you guys!) i will proceed.

our theme song was "all for one ,all for chess" which was a rousing old siberian folk tune, with inspirational lyrics....um..one line i remember was "one day we will know the taste of the black king in our mouths, our appetite is great, be it tooth or claw we are for evermore siberian tigers, hear the call of the tiger - all for one and chess for all"


ahh my beloved krasnoyarsk i love you still....

Secret Files Revealed!!

OK, the time has come

Firstly,the training recieved by SCT,was second to none in history of chess.
We studied budhism,eastern mysticism,socrates,plato,euclid,martial arts, assertive behaviour,freud, jung,sun tsu,and more controversially- mind control. This all designed to fully prepare our mind, body and soul for the battle.

The battle was not just chess in those days, there was also the grand battle between soviet chess idealogy and an underground movement questioning the conservative doctrine.Siberian Chess Tigers led the way in seeing chess in this revolutionary way.



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