Maxim Doroshenko, a full-time MBA student at Simon Fraser University, finished first in the 2011 Paul Keres Memorial Chess Tournament held in Vancouver from May 20-23, cementing his position as British Columbia’s reigning chess champion, and one of the elite chess players in North America. The 36th annual chess tournament – hosted both in Vancouver, Canada at the River Rock Casino and in Tallinn, Estonia – drew 35 players in the open section.

Participating in the Keres Memorial Tournament for the first time, Doroshenko edged out his competition in four rounds, and finished with a draw in three others, to ultimately tie for top billing along with the ten-time champion of the tournament, Georgi Orlov. Orlov, from Seattle, has competed in the last sixteen Keres tournaments, and has won the Keres a record ten times.

Doroshenko is no stranger to success himself – whether it is on the chessboard or off. The Moldova-born Ukrainian has played in four world championships previously and holds the title of national chess master. Doroshenko has seen impressive success in Canada as well, finishing in first place at the 2011 BC Active Chess Championship.

According to the British Columbia Chess Federation, the chess master’s big win at the Keres tournament will put him among the country’s elite. “Doroshenko’s performance at the Keres should qualify him for the FM title when the next FIDE ratings list comes out,” reported the Federation’s Bulletin newsletter. “He also takes the Keres qualifying spot for the next B.C. Championship.”

Off the chessboard and before moving to Canada to pursue his MBA at Simon Fraser University, the ever-entrepreneurial Doroshenko had started his first business— a grocery store in the city of Balti – at the young age of 18.

Upon graduation from Moldova State University, he moved to Khanty-Mansiysk, an oil-boom town in the Russian territory of Siberia, where he launched a technology company focused on building systems for utilities.

The enthusiast of the Royal Game is completing his full-time MBA at the Beedie School of Business, focusing on strategy, marketing, and management information systems.

Doroshenko also lends his talents to charitable efforts. In April of 2011, Doroshenko hosted a simultaneous chess exhibition at the Segal Graduate School during the Charity Chess Competition, presented by SFU’s chapter of Net Impact – an organization that strives to advocate for responsible business practices that have positive environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Ultimately, he has found a way to marry his passion for business and entrepreneurship with his lifelong talent in chess. “I believe chess can play a big strategic role in helping me achieve my business career goals in Canada. When I moved here, nobody knew me,” says Doroshenko. “But since resuming competitive chess playing, I now get lots of emails from chess amateurs and many invites to events. Chess is one of the best ways I can connect with people and build my business network.”

More information about the 2011 Paul Keres Memorial Tournament can be found online at http://www.chess.bc.ca/Bulletins/BCCFBulletin216.pdf

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Canada.com: Using chess as business strategy

Written by Jevta Lukic