On October 21, 2022, the Russian Center for Science and Culture (“Russian House”) in Rome hosted a screening of the film “World Champion” within the “Art Unites” project.
The event was organized by the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, the United Nations Russian Association, the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Rome ("Russian House") and the Peace and Harmony Charitable Foundation.
Director of the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Rome Daria Pushkova; Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Vatican Alexander Avdeev; Deputy Head of the General Secretariat of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, President of the Charitable Foundation "Peace and Harmony" Elmira Shcherbakova; Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, President of the Soviet Peace Fund, multiple world chess champion Anatoly Karpov spoke before the screening.
The Italian writer Luca D'Ambrosio, in his speech, spoke about the importance of Anatoly Karpov's personality in the world history of chess and spoke about the World Championship in Merano, which he was fortunate enough to attend in person, as well as about the impact of this event on Italy.
Some victories in sports are more than just sports. They become part of history. This film is about the most dramatic and legendary duel in the history of chess: the match for the title of world champion between the current world champion Anatoly Karpov and the contender for this title, grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi, who emigrated from the USSR a few years before this match.
The clash of outstanding chess players is above all a duel of characters. Against a young genius who has barely risen to the chess Olympus, a child prodigy and an idealist - a seasoned fighter, obsessed and unpredictable, ready to fight with any weapon, chess is war for him. A virtuoso game, maximum psychological tension and a personal human confrontation between the two strongest chess players on the planet. The price of victory in this match is immeasurably high.
The screening of the film in Rome was an important event, a real act of cultural diplomacy. After all, real art really unites us all.