“Fundraising for anti-missile weapons”: how a 9-year-old girl plays checkers and helps the Armed Forces

Warm summer evening. Children collect funds for the armed forces at the Golden Gate — a traditional scene for most cities and towns. A small table, two chairs, and a checkerboard. A girl is sitting behind the board.

The girl's name is Tanya Portyanko; she is nine years old, and her mother, Larysa, is next to her. Tetiana, the vice-champion of Ukraine, addresses passers-by: "come up, play, it's not scary." She has a sly smile on her face – that day, she did not lose a single party (of course, with such statistics, she is not afraid!). People approach Tanya, but not all of them play – most simply leave money instead. Maybe due to lack of time; maybe because they don't know how to play; and perhaps, because Tanya plays so well, not everyone wants to lose to her.

Rubryka also decided to play a game – but our resistance to Tanya's skill did not last long. We played the last game back in July — in a similar match with Valeria Yezhova, the world champion among children under ten. She collected funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the avenue named in honor of Petro Hryhorenko, a major general and human rights defender who, during the USSR, defended the Crimean Tatars and other deported peoples. As it turned out, Tetyana and Valeria are also familiar – both girls train with the same coach, Viktor Kovalenko. Now Rubryka can boast of two defeats against the champions — something to be proud of (and it's also an excellent incentive to restore forgotten game skills, not to mention helping our Armed Forces)

While Tetyana plays the next game, her mother, Larysa, tells us:

"We work with the Serhiy Prytula Foundation. 33,000 hryvnias have already been transferred, and a total of 45,000 hryvnias have been collected. We have been playing for more than a month. Currently, there are five children in Kyiv under the care of Viktor Kovalenko, who play to raise funds for the Armed Forces. They all study together in a group in the Kyiv Palace for children and youth. Tetyana is 9 years old, has been playing checkers for three years, has the first adult rank, and is the vice-champion of Ukraine. We won the rank on February 23, immediately after returning from the tournament in Kherson." 

"It's a small world; I think we'll definitely see her again!!!" — such a comment was left by Serhiy Prytula under the post about the transfer of UAH 6,000 to the ZSU by a young player Tanya, born in Novohrad-Volynskyi, home town for Lesya Ukrainka and Valerii Zaluzhnyi. After the rocket attack on Vinnytsia, Tanya has an even more ardent desire to raise funds for the Armed Forces again, but already in the capital.

"Mom, we will play checkers to fundraise for anti-missile weapons; I really want to go to school…" the little vice-champion says.

Larysa notes that checkers are also useful because they add to the child's intellectual development. And besides, classes allow you to travel – to tournaments and competitions, communicate with peers, and play with many girls your age.

"We are trying very hard, working, developing, dreaming that Tanya will become a world champion. There will be another World Cup soon, but unfortunately, we are unlikely to go; it is costly now and a long way to Turkey," adds Larysa with a sigh.

At this moment, one of the players from whom she won takes Tetyana's autograph. While the girl has not yet become a star, we ask about her hobbies:

"I have been playing checkers for three years. My mom used to play when she was a child and had a second rank. She played with me, and I asked: "Can I play checkers too?" She let me. I've been beating her for a long time, for about two years now. In checkers, I like to make combinations the most; it adds extra energy. When you make them, that's a 99 percent guarantee of the victory."

Larysa says that many people come to play with her daughter after learning about her from social networks. Therefore, she hopes to collect an even larger amount by the end of the summer.

↓Read also

Toy bunnies and bags in Ukraine's defense: how mother and daughter crochet and help buy a drone for Ukrainian army

10-year-old world champion, checkers, and the help for the Ukrainian Armed Forces: how a girl in Kyiv raises money for the army with street checkers games