FIDE wants to build Chess Academy in Astana

FIDE (World Chess Federation) will open a chess academy in Astana. Kirsan Illumzhinov, International Chess Federation president said this at the official opening of Astana Fast Chess Championship, Tengrinews.kz reports. “Recently you said that Astana should become a chess capital of the world," Illumzhinov said addressing Nursultan Nazarbayev. President of Kazakhstan. "The instruction will be implemented soon. FIDE’s Executive Council has made a decision to construct the International Chess Palace and to open the International Chess Academy and a chess school so that Astana children can learn to play chess,” Kirsan Illumzhinov said at the opening ceremony of the World Fast Chess Championship. “Yes, it is true, we are going to establish a chess center in Astana if we get some support. We’d like to construct the Chess Palace, Chess Academy to promote the 1500 year-old sport among the children and young people of Kazakhstan,” Nazarbayev said. “There are a lot of important events that are being held nowadays, and today’s World Fast Chess Championship and blitz tournament stands out among these events. Prominent chess-players and Grand Masters have come to Astana today and they will show their skills. When I met Illumzhinov to discuss arrangements for this event, we also discuss that influences of chess of the people. Fast chess make people think fast. The world today is very fast and these blitz tournaments make people take decisions fast and act on them,” Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev said speaking of the need to develop chess in Kazakhstan.