Secretly from his family, he joined the army to defend Ukraine, even though he had no military experience. The vice president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, Artem Sachuk, was killed in the war with the Russian occupiers.
He was born on November 27, 1984, in the Magadan, Russia. He had lived there for six years before he moved to Ukraine. Before the full-scale Russian invasion, he had his own business, worked in the Reform Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and was vice president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation. Artem had the title of candidate for master of sports and even on the front line he did not forget about his hobby. Until February 24, 2022, he had no practical military experience, except for the military studying at the university, but this did not stop him. On the second day of the full-scale invasion, he went to his native town Zhytomyr, where he was registered, to join the army. He sent his wife and children abroad, but did not tell them about his plans. His wife found out about it accidentally. In one of his company’s work chats, Artem wrote that he was going to war, forgetting that his wife Kateryna was also in the chat.
During his service, he held various positions. But despite everything, he found time for his favorite pastime. He taught his comrades to play chess, and also used it to explain combat procedures and how the unit should act in different situations. He said, chess is actually a military game that simulates a military conflict and has practical value.
On November 27, 2023, Artem Sachuk would have turned 39 years old, but on November 26, he was killed…