Two VSMPO-AVISMA chess club graduates head to World Youth Championship in Italy

SVERDLOVSK REGION

 

Two graduates of the VSMPO-AVISMA corporate chess club in Verkhnyaya Salda are taking part in prestigious competitions abroad. Today, 13-year-old Candidate Master of Sports Maria Kleshcheva and 15-year-old FIDE Master Aleksey Prokhorov are competing at the World Youth Chess Championship in Italy, and in July they will represent Russia at the Asian Youth Championship in China.

 

The young athletes earned their spots in the tournament, taking place in Montesilvano from June 14 to 27, as a result of their performances at the Russian Youth Championship held in Sochi in February, the press service of VSMPO-AVISMA told RusBusinessNews.

 

Maria Kleshcheva topped the Girls Under-15 category, defeating rivals from Moscow, the Primorsky Territory, and the Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk, and Tomsk regions, while drawing twice – against players from the Orenburg Region and Bashkortostan. According to the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR), her classical rating is 1926, her rapid rating stands at 1880, and her blitz rating at 1762. This will be Maria's debut representing Russia on the international stage.

 

Aleksey Prokhorov took third place in the Boys Under-17 category. The CFR lists his classical rating at 2264, rapid at 2374, and blitz at 2305. In 2023, Aleksey became the first Russian ever to win the Asian Youth Championship, automatically earning the FIDE Master title, and in 2024 he claimed bronze in solving chess compositions at the World Championship in Brazil.

 

"Aleksey and Maria are the best proof that world-class talent is born not only in capital cities," said Dmitry Trifonov, CEO of VSMPO-AVISMA. "In Verkhnyaya Salda, right beside our titanium production, we have built an environment where character is tempered just like metal – through endurance, discipline, and the drive to win. The whole world is watching our kids' games, and I am certain the Ural chess school will make its voice heard time and again. I wish Aleksey and Maria a performance worthy of the international stage!"

 

The young chess players are receiving backing from well-known actors, athletes, and politicians across Russia, who are recording video messages of encouragement and victory wishes for the Ural prodigies. Those joining the flashmob include Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Denis Pasler, actor Anatoly Zhuravlev, former Ural Pelmeni cast member and producer Sergei Netievsky, 2022 Olympic cross‑country relay champion Yulia Stupak, Russian, world, and European boxing champion Svetlana Kulakova, FC Krasnodar and Russia national team midfielder Nikita Krivtsov, as well as Verkhnyaya Salda natives Egor Khlebnikov and Alexey Lutovinov – dancers from singer NILETTO's team – and many others.

 

"You are heading out to defend the honor of Russia and the Sverdlovsk Region on the global chess stage – and that in itself is a huge victory," noted Denis Pasler. "Your path serves as an example of how perseverance, talent, and the support of mentors can open up the highest horizons. The Urals have always been famed for strength of character, hard work, and the desire to be the first – be it in industry or in mind sports. Today you are carrying on that tradition. Serious games, strong opponents, and invaluable experience lie ahead. Keep your composure, believe in yourselves, and play boldly and with dignity. I wish you confident moves, precise decisions, and brilliant victories. We believe in you!"

 

Aleksey and Maria have reached such an elite level thanks to their discipline, perseverance, and the systematic support of VSMPO-AVISMA and the Empathy Charitable Foundation, run by titanium corporation shareholder Mikhail Shelkov. Over the past several years, Verkhnyaya Salda has grown into a prominent chess hub for the entire country. The annual Titans Cup, a children's stage of the Russian Cup co‑organized by VSMPO-AVISMA and Empathy, drew around 500 young players from 27 regions in 2026, stretching from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Donbass and the Russian Far East. The tournament was opened by the 12th World Champion Anatoly Karpov; a year earlier, grandmaster Alexander Grischuk was the guest of honor. Winners receive unique cups and medals crafted from titanium produced by VSMPO-AVISMA.

"To succeed in adult life, gifted children need constant support: knowledge from motivated teachers, advice from older peers, daily training, and regular competition. That is precisely what the chess initiatives of the Empathy Charitable Foundation and VSMPO-AVISMA are designed to provide," emphasized Mikhail Shelkov. "We are spotting more and more outstanding kids in the region and strive to further stimulate their development – by providing financial and organisational assistance, and bringing together the strongest opponents from across the country for our own Titans Cup."

 

"Watching your child from a small Ural town compete against opponents from all over the world is an incredible pride and excitement all at once," shared Aleksey's father, VSMPO-AVISMA employee Dmitry Prokhorov. "Behind every victory lies enormous effort: early alarms, daily training, and analyzing games late into the night. And we are grateful that there are people who believe in our children and help them grow – their coaches, the chess club, VSMPO-AVISMA, and the Empathy Foundation. Without that support, making it from Verkhnyaya Salda to the World Championship would hardly be possible."

 

After their campaign in Italy, the Ural chess players will continue their season at the Asian Youth Championship in Shenzhen, China, from July 15 to 25. A new multi‑purpose sports center with a chess club will soon be built in Verkhnyaya Salda with the involvement of VSMPO-AVISMA and the Empathy Foundation, creating a home for future generations of grandmasters.