I naively decided to play in my first chess tournament in nearly 15 years last October. I made it clear to one of the organisers that I would be seeking a bye on the Sunday to attend a Russian Orthodox Church service. When I read the tournament summary after the tournament had ended I read this tripe A completely unnecessary, cynical and snide comment. This is why honourable Russians refuse to engage in civil society with local descendants of convicts who have no respect for the religious convictions of Christians.