Grandmaster Triumph Without the Title: How a 17-Year-Old from Kharkiv Conquered Chess Europe

Collage by Olena Zelenina

Ukrainian chess is witnessing a historic moment. Roman Degtyarov, a student at Karazin University, has not only won the European Championship but set an unprecedented record: he is the first player in history to claim this title without holding the highest chess rank of Grandmaster.