---
title: "Chess Instead of Football: Presidents of Polissya and Veres Staged a Duel During a UPL Match Break"
description: "During the break of the 7th round UPL match between Polissya and Kryvbas, the club presidents Hennadii Butkevych and Ivan Nadein staged a chess game. The match ended with a 1:0 victory."
date: 2026-09-18T17:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/polissya-veres-presidents-chess-duel-upl-match-break-en
tags: [ukrainian-premier-league, polissya, krivbas, chess, football]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Chess Instead of Football: Presidents of Polissya and Veres Staged a Duel During a UPL Match Break

![President of Polissya in the club's green kit and white cap smiles on the stands during a UPL match, in the break of which a chess duel with the head of Veres took place](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/prezidyenty-klubov-upl-ustroyili-shahmatnuyu-duel-v-perevyve-matcha/prezidyenty-klubov-upl-ustroyili-shahmatnuyu-duel-v-perevyve-matcha-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- During the break of the 7th round UPL match, the presidents of Polissya and Veres played chess
- The match ended with a 1:0 victory thanks to a penalty by Ihor Krasnopir in the 6th minute
- Ruslan Rotan's team kept the top spot in the UPL standings with 18 points
- There are discrepancies in the sources regarding the home team and the exact date of the match

During the break of the 7th round match of the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) between Zhytomyr's Polissya and Kryvyi Rih's Kryvbas, cameras of the official UPL TV broadcaster captured an unusual and, at first glance, atypical episode for a football stadium. While the players rested in the dressing rooms before the second half, the VIP guests of the match decided to dedicate the pause to another sporting discipline — chess.

### An Intellectual Duel in the Stands

According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the broadcast, the president of the Zhytomyr club, Hennadii Butkevych, staged a chess game right on the stadium. His opponent was Ivan Nadein, the head of Rivne's Veres, who arrived at the match at a personal invitation from the Zhytomyr side. Cameras captured the heads of two Premier League clubs intently analyzing positions on the board, turning the break into a full-fledged intellectual duel.

### Results of the Football Part

The match itself ended with a minimal victory with a score of 1:0. The only goal was scored in the 6th minute from a penalty by Ihor Krasnopir. This victory allowed the team managed by Ruslan Rotan to keep the top spot in the UPL standings, having collected 18 points.

### Reaction in Football Communities

The chess duel between Butkevych and Nadein quickly became one of the most discussed moments of the matchday in Ukrainian football communities and social networks. The contrast between the tense game on the board and the players' rest in the dressing rooms attracted the attention of fans and journalists.

### Contradictory Data

Upon fact-checking, discrepancies in the details were found. In the main text, Polissya is presented as the home team, while a number of sources (Korrespondent, Championat) indicate that Kryvbas hosted the opponent. Moreover, different materials feature different dates for the match — March 14, 2025, and September 14, 2025. Given that it is the 7th round, the autumn date seems more likely; however, there is no final consensus among sources on the home team and the exact date.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [UPL Club Presidents Staged an Intellectual Duel During a Match Break (Video)](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/prezidenti-klubiv-upl-vlashtuvali-intelektualnu-1789752875.html) - Основной источник: шахматная партия Буткевич–Надеин в перерыве, счёт 1:0, пенальти Краснопира на 6-й минуте, 18 очков и первое место у команды Ротаня.
- [Polissya – Kryvbas. UPL Match Preview and Prediction for 14.03.2025](https://www.ua-football.com/predictions/upl/1773411973-polese-krivbass-anons-i-prognoz-matcha-upl-na-14-03-2025.html) - Указывает дату 14.03.2025 и порядок «Полесье – Кривбасс», что противоречит осенней дате 7-го тура.
- [Kryvbas - Polissya, September 14, 2025, match results](https://www.championat.com/football/_other/tournament/6614/match/1254216/) - Подтверждает осеннюю дату 14.09.2025, но указывает «Кривбасс» как первую (домашнюю) команду.
- [Kryvbas Loses to Polissya at Home by One Goal](https://korrespondent.net/sport/football/4815610-kryvbass-ustupaet-doma-polesui-v-odyn-miach) - Подтверждает счёт 1:0 в пользу «Полесья», но называет «Кривбасс» домашней командой — расхождение с основным текстом.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who conducted the chess game during the match break?
**A:** Polissya's president Hennadii Butkevych and Veres's head Ivan Nadein, who arrived at the match at the invitation of the Zhytomyr side.

### Q: What was the final score of the Polissya – Kryvbas match?
**A:** 1:0 in favor of Polissya; the goal was scored in the 6th minute from a penalty by Ihor Krasnopir.

### Q: What is Polissya's position in the UPL standings after the match?
**A:** Ruslan Rotan's team kept the top spot with 18 points.

### Q: Are there any discrepancies in the data about the match?
**A:** Yes: sources do not agree on the home team (Polissya or Kryvbas) and the exact date (14.03.2025 or 14.09.2025).