23.03.2016

Ilyumzhinov about chess in the Caucasus

Azerbaijan has always been a model for the development and popularization of chess among the other 186 countries of the World Chess Federation. In particular, the president of FIDE Kirsan Ilyumzhinov told about that in his exclusive interview.

He stressed that Azerbaijan was the first country that adopted the state programme on the development of chess. The head of FIDE said that it happened in 2008 when the programme had been signed by the President Ilham Aliyev.

"Presently a lot of competitions are held in the elementary schools. And Baku will host the next Chess Olympiad in September this year. Thousands of players from 190 countries will compete for the right to become the Olympic Champions", said Ilyumzhinov.
He noted that FIDE together with the leadership of Azerbaijan held the high-level World Chess Cup in 2015: "The Cup will be remembered into the future by its tension. The two outstanding chess players Sergey Karjakin and Peter Svidler played 10 matches in the finale. None of those ended in a draw and all were productive. "
"The chess programme in schools was adopted seven years ago in Armenia. Last year, the first international conference "Chess in Schools" was held in Tsaghkadzor. To date, chess is included as the compulsory subject of study in all primary schools in Armenia. The country's president Serzh Sargsyan supports chess", said Ilyumzhinov.
"As for the Northern Caucasus, Nalchik hosted the World Women’s Chess Championship, the Grand Prix. Ramzan Kadyrov as the President of the Republic and the head of the Chess Federation of the North Caucasus Federal District supports chess in Chechnya. He himself plays it perfectly and chess is the compulsory subject in many schools", said the head of FIDE.