President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with 17-year-old chess player Roman Dehtiarov, who became the first-ever European Championship winner without holding the title of grandmaster, and presented him with the Future of Ukraine award.
Roman Dehtiarov from Kharkiv scored 9 out of a possible 11 points at the continental championship held in Katowice, Poland. His winning performance earned him a FIDE rating of 2,781 points. He also secured qualification for the FIDE World Cup.
The Head of State congratulated Roman Dehtiarov on this important victory and spoke with the chess player about his training and plans. Roman has been playing chess since the age of five. In 2022 and 2024, he became Ukrainian champion, and in 2025 he won the European Corporate Chess Championship as part of the Greco team (Ukraine).
“Thank you from all of us for representing Ukraine on the international stage at such a level. I wish you great victories, and not only in sport,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Future of Ukraine award was established by a presidential decree on May 29, 2025. The Head of State awards it to Ukrainians, foreign citizens, and stateless persons under the age of 18 for personal courage, bravery, resilience, patriotism, active civic engagement, volunteer work, and the defense of universal values, Ukraine’s national interests, its development, and a dignified future.