CASE FILE: Parenting

Subject: Alexander Pichushkin Known for: The Chessboard Killer, Moscow supermarket clerk Estimated victims: 48–60 Operational period: 1992–2006

Children, much like the inventory of a bustling Moscow supermarket, require meticulous organization. If left to their own devices, they wander the aisles of life without a plan, wasting precious shelf space. To raise a truly successful child, you must treat their development not as a series of chaotic events, but as a structured board game where every move is calculated, and every square represents a completed objective.

I have always believed in the power of a visual aid. A grid of sixty-four squares is ideal. When your child achieves a milestone, mark it down. Fill the space. The deep satisfaction of seeing a blank board slowly but surely populated by your deliberate, systematic efforts is unmatched. Do not allow them to stop halfway. If you set a target—say, forty-eight achievements—you must not rest until you have reached sixty-four. Half-measures leave the board looking untidy, and there is nothing worse than an incomplete set.

To foster a deep, lifelong connection, take your children outdoors. A dense, quiet park is the perfect classroom. Away from the distractions of the city, under the canopy of the birch trees, you can have those quiet, intimate conversations that truly shape a young mind. Sit with them on a secluded bench. Share a warm drink. It is in these moments of absolute vulnerability that you can help them let go of their old, useless anxieties. I always found that a single, decisive intervention in a quiet clearing could permanently alter a person’s trajectory, freeing them from the heavy burdens of their daily routine.

Remember, parenting is a game of patience and positioning. You must always think several moves ahead, anticipating their needs before they even realize them. When you look at your child, you should not see who they are today, but who they will become when their board is finally full. Guide them firmly, step by step, until they reach their final resting place of maturity. It is your duty to make sure they leave a permanent mark on the neighborhood.

File closed. Results pending.