Tykhon Cherniaiev - Professional Streamer, Minecrafter, and Chess Prodigy

by ChessBase
2/2/2022 – The 11-year-old Candidate Master from the Ukraine is streaming regularly on Twitch.tv and YouTube. But his passion for chess and streaming started even earlier. In our interview, Tykhon tells us how he learned to play chess, what Minecraft has to do with his English-speaking skills, and why he always seems to be in a good mood. Furthermore, we take a look at one of his favourite games, including nice, insightful analysis.

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Tykhon Cherniaiev

Professional Streamer, Minecrafter, and Chess Prodigy

Tykhon Cherniaiev is a Ukrainian Candidate Master, who is a double world U10 chess champion in Rapid & Blitz.

At the age of 9, Cherniaiev became a Vice World Rapid- Champion in the World Cadets Championship U12.

He consistently streams online chess on various platforms, participates in tournaments, uses tactical trainings, challenges engines like Fritz 18, and plays chess against his followers.

Tykhon will turn 12 years on the first of March, and is eager to win more titles, tournaments, and trophies.

The Ukrainian chess talent from Kharkiv will probably have his own ChessBase show, together with Arne Kaehler, starting at the end of February 2022.

 

Interview on YouTube

  • 0:57 - When did you start playing chess?
  • 1:33 - Do your parents have any background in chess?
  • 1:56 - You are streaming online chess for how many years?
  • 3:17 - Why is your English so good?
  • 4:10 - Do you have any other hobbies besides chess?
  • 4:40 - Do the other games you are playing help developing your chess skills?
  • 5:13 - You won plenty of titles. Which one was your greatest success?
  • 6:13 - You became a Candidate Master, too. When did that happen?
  • 6:36 - Could you play over the board at all in the last two years? And what do you prefer - Online, or over the board chess?
  • 7:10 - You are a very fast online chess player. What is your secret?
  • 7:40 - How come you always have a good mood during your streams, even if you lose some games?
  • 9:23 - Full analysis of one of Tykhon's favourite games he played.
 

The Sicilian Tajmanov-Scheveningen

The Sicilian has been known for decades as the most reliable way for Black to obtain an unbalanced but good position. Among the most popular Sicilians at the top level the two that certainly stand out are the Najdorf and the Paulsen.

A Professional Streamer

Tykhon Cherniaiev has his own YouTube channel, and his even more popular Twitch.tv channel, where he is streaming tactical training, engine analysis, blitz, bullet, and rapid games, tournaments, and much more. He surely appreciates new fans and subscribers!

This YouTube video, is his "UNPACKING FRITZ 18" Live stream from last year.

Fritz 18

"Evolving Genius": learn to attack and play brilliancies. Fritz offers you everything you will need as a dedicated chess enthusiast.

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ScorpionC ScorpionC 2/4/2022 11:08
This kid has a "clever gene", no doubt about it, also for sure he had a good teacher at an early age. It`s always like this, when child shows big attitude for chess and beats his parents, child goes to many tournaments, does well, parents sooner or later hire a teacher. Regarding the game, the title is "Youth Vs. Experience", however this game shows the opposite, Black player after move 7.c3 had no experience in this position at all, played a "thematic" e5-move which is correct, but it seems that it`s all he knew about this "harmless" looking variation. Black had to be aware early in the opening about White`s plan of expending on the queenside and how to deal with it. When sooner or later White plays c4, d4-square gets weak, so Black should have prepared one of his Knights to occupy this square. Ether unnatural Ng8-Ne7-Nc6-d4 (played by some GMs) or Nb8-Nc6 which in this game White killed when played Nd7 too early. However, 13..a5 would make things for Black much easier, which Black understandably missed because it`s a hard move to find, it`s not what you see all the time in Sicilian, in Sicilian you see a6-b5/b6, but not a5. Not onlt is it difficult to at all detect this move, once detected it`s hard to understand the point behind it and the point is to get reed of future-weak a-pawn.

There are two strategies to beat a stronger player than yourself. To complicate position maximally, or play something little known, innocent looking, but harmful like what White did here. I will not be surprised if his teacher recommended him to play this line.

What I basically saw in this game is good prep, basic positional understanding regarding pawn-structural weaknesses, good tactics and good endgame.
arzi arzi 2/4/2022 06:37
I mean that you (I, you, they) don`t have this special talent as soon as you are born. You can`t be any prodigy if you have never even started to play chess. A child up to ten years old can be old and wise. Did this explain my meaning to you?
Derek McGill Derek McGill 2/3/2022 04:18
Do you use this term to refer to a prodigy :- "a young child who possesses an aptitude for the game of chess that far exceeds what might be expected at their age" ?
arzi arzi 2/3/2022 09:27
At a young age you have to start in order to get old and wise.
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