The organizers of the largest chess tournament in Poland donated all ticket proceeds to an exceptional warrior of the chess world. Łukasz Nowak, who participated in the closing ceremony of the Superbet Rapid & Blitz 2025, is an international chess master who, despite his disability, competes effectively with able-bodied players using only eye movements!

The entire proceeds from ticket sales during the Superbet Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament will be donated to the exceptional chess player – Łukasz Nowak. Fighting physical limitations every day, he has been an international master since 2023, and in 2020 he won a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad for people with disabilities with his team.

“I like chess because it allows me to be no different from my opponent. I can play with anyone. I absolutely love it because I am no different from able-bodied players, I play as an equal with everyone, regardless of my illness. It’s competition, there are surprising situations that need to be solved. Often it seems that there is no way out, but you can find the right solution and get out of trouble. They teach humility, calmness. They show that you should never give up” – Nowak emphasized in an interview with Tomasz Zimoch for “Angora”. The interview was conducted several years ago when Łukasz was able to speak. Unfortunately, his health has deteriorated and he now communicates with his surroundings only through eye movements. Similarly, thanks to specialized technology, he plays chess. A few months after birth, Łukasz was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. Currently, he is unable to make practically any movement and needs support in performing ordinary, everyday activities. Our international master learned to play chess at the age of seven, introduced to the secrets of the sport by his grandfather. He now plays at a level that most can only dream of. Thanks to significant progress made over the past two years, the latest July FIDE ranking list shows the Pole’s ranking at 2336 points.

The 27-year-old is well known throughout the chess community, for many he is an inspiration and proof that nothing is impossible. Above all, he has won many trophies, and for the past two years he has been an international master. He is the winner of the Hetman award in the Player of the Year 2020 category, won a bronze medal at the World Individual Chess Championship for the Disabled (Prague 2018), and has 4 gold medals at the Polish Individual Chess Championships for the Disabled. In 2020, Łukasz – along with his team – won gold at the Chess Olympiad for the Disabled.

– I took to heart the sentence spoken by the former pastor of my parish: “Life is beautiful, you just have to live it beautifully” – said Łukasz. – I try to act in such a way as to live my days beautifully. Every day lived is my success. Every day gives me great joy because I can play chess.

During the entire Superbet Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament, brick tickets were sold, from which the decision of the Superbet Foundation, the organizer of the Grand Chess Tour series tournament, the entire proceeds will be donated to Łukasz and his family.

– Łukasz Nowak’s story touched our hearts. As Superbet, we often support various noble initiatives around sports. We thought for a long time about what to allocate this year’s funds obtained from tickets, during the previous edition they supported the Polish Paralympic Committee Foundation in the Olympic year, helping disabled athletes fulfill their dreams. When we heard about the chess master who fights every day to fulfill his sports dreams, we had no doubts that we wanted to support him. This story contains everything that is most beautiful not only in chess but in sports in general: facing adversity, extraordinary passion and the successes that follow, as well as the recognition of fans and rivals. We are proud that by co-organizing the largest chess tournament in Poland, we can also support such a warrior – emphasized Łukasz Seweryniak, general manager of Superbet Polska.