IM Anwesh Upadhyaya is now safe as he reaches Polish border
Anwesh Upadhyaya, Indian IM, doctor, former National Rapid Champion, was trapped in his apartment in Kyiv as the Russian troops entered Ukraine. Things were looking gloomy as there was curfew imposed and it was difficult to move out. However, when the curfew was lifted, Anwesh and fiance took a train from Kyiv to Lviv. There he was helped by Olexandr Prohorov, an International chess arbiter from Ukraine. Prohorov ensured that the couple had a place to stay in Lviv and also helped to plan their safe exit to Poland. At the time of writing the article, Anwesh has safely reached Poland and moving towards Warsaw. He is safe.
A couple of days ago, we reported about IM and doctor Anwesh Upadhyaya, who was trapped in his apartment in Kyiv. He was naturally scared as the Russian troops had invaded the city. Speaking to ChessBase India, he had mentioned, "Things are bad out here. I am tensed. I am hoping not to get in crossfire or collateral damage." We spoke to Anwesh on Sunday (27th of February). There was going to be curfew until Monday in Kyiv. As soon as Anwesh got an opportunity he took a train from Kyiv to Lviv. "I travelled in an evacuation train. Actually now all trains are being operated by Ukrainian railways are evacuation train. You don't need tickets to travel. Just get in and try to reach safely somewhere." Anwesh was helped in his travel from Kyiv to Lviv by IA Olexandr Prohorov. Olexandr is a well-known International arbiter, he was also the chief arbiter at the Chess Super League event that was hosted a few months ago.
Prohorov helped Anwesh book a hotel in Lviv. The two recorded a video together (which you can find below). In it Anwesh says, "I am with Sasha Prohorov. He has helped me a lot to get from Kyiv to Lviv. He is also arranging for me some special accommodations and helping me to get out from here to reach the Polish border and hopefully back to home safely. A big thanks to Prohorov. He is my longest friend in Kyiv. I have known him for over 10 years. Really, really sad situation here. I feel really sorry for the Ukrainians. They are facing very difficult times. Any help, anything will be deeply appreciated. They should not be going through this. In no way is this a good thing. I really wish that you keep every Ukrainian, and the whole of nation in your prayers and wishes. Help them in any way possible. Ukraine has been my home for 10 years. Now I am leaving Ukraine, but Ukraine will always be within me." Prohorov mentions in the video, "Your prayers are the most important for us. I hope to meet you all soon. I will miss Anwesh."
FIDE, the world chess body, has a motto - it's called Gens Una Sumus. It means "We are one people." These times that are being faced in Ukraine are truly difficult. There is mass destruction, civilians being killed. Amidst all of this, we see such beautiful stories of humanity and kindness, which restores our faith in our future. A big thanks to Olexandr for his wonderful gesture and we hope Anwesh, his fiance and their cat make it safely back to India soon.