Ukraine has a new world chess champion. Nine-year-old Myron Netrebka won a gold medal at the World Chess Championship in Spain, outperforming competitors from other countries. His victory was particularly significant for the Ukrainian national team, as he secured the country’s only gold medal at the tournament.
The Ukrainian Chess Federation reported the young player’s achievement.
Myron competed in the boys’ under-9 category. Throughout the championship, he played 11 games, winning nine, drawing one, and losing just once. The Ukrainian finished with 9.5 points out of a possible 11, securing first place in the standings.
The battle for the world title was intense. Myron’s closest rival, Saifuddin Erkinboev of Uzbekistan, finished just half a point behind him and claimed the silver medal. Poland’s Viktor Stankowski took third place with 8.5 points.
The World Championship brought together young male and female chess players competing in six age categories: under 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17.
Despite strong international competition, Myron managed to outperform every opponent in his category.
The Ukrainian team’s overall result made his achievement even more remarkable. Netrebka’s gold medal was Ukraine’s only medal at this World Championship.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan topped the overall medal standings with 13 medals, including seven gold, two silver, and four bronze.
This was not Myron’s first major international success. The young Ukrainian had previously become European rapid chess champion, demonstrating his talent and potential on the international stage.
Now, the nine-year-old chess player has added a world title to his European championship victory, once again proving that Ukrainian athletes can succeed at the highest level of international competition, even at such a young age.
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