site.btaPresident Radev Ties Friendly Chess Game with Champion Salimova at Anniversary Event

President Rumen Radev played a chess match against chess champion Nurgyul Salimova on Monday, finishing in a draw. The event marked the 35th anniversary of SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria.

The tournament was organized to celebrate 35 years since the founding of SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria. As part of the programme, a simultaneous chess exhibition took place in which the Bulgarian chess player played on 35 boards at once. In addition to the head of State, talented children and young people, representatives of local and regional authorities, prominent journalists, athletes, musicians, and actors took part.

Veselin Komitov, chair of the management board of SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria, congratulated the participants and thanked them for their support. He expressed special gratitude to Salimova for accepting the invitation to join the tournament.

President Radev noted the rapid development of artificial intelligence, giving as an example the victory of a supercomputer over chess world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997. “Perhaps artificial intelligence will help us somewhat to defeat Nurgyul today, but it certainly cannot replace foster parents, social workers, therapists, and psychologists – the people who are part of this wonderful association,” Radev said, commending the efforts of SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria in supporting children and families in Bulgaria.

SOS Children’s Villages Bulgaria is the first civil rights organisation in the country, which since 1990 has been providing alternative care for children at risk by ensuring a healthy environment for their development and growth. The association is part of SOS Children’s Villages International, which cares for 2,500,000 children in 137 countries worldwide.