Azerbaijan has always been an example for the development and popularization of chess among the other 186 countries from the World Chess Federation (FIDE). This was announced today in an exclusive interview for Vestnik Kavkaza by FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
He also stressed that Azerbaijan is the first country where a state program on development of chess was adopted. The head of FIDE said that it happened in 2008 when the corresponding program was signed by President Ilham Aliyev. According to him, since that time Azerbaijan started supporting chess not only at the professional level, the game was introduced on a mandatory basis, as well as optional. "A lot of competitions and tournaments take place in primary schools. In particular, Baku will become the next capital where the Chess Olympiad will take place this year in September. Several thousand players from 190 countries will compete for the right to become Olympic champions," Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said.
In addition, he noted that in 2015 FIDE, together with the leadership of Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Sports and the National Chess Federation of the country organized the chess cup at the highest level. "It entered the history with its own drama. Two outstanding chess players Sergey Karjakin and Peter Svidler played ten games in the final and none of them ended in a draw. All the parties were successful," the president of the International Chess Federation said.
In addition, he spoke about the development of chess in Armenia and the North Caucasus. "The Chess at Schools program was also adopted seven years ago. The first Chess at Schools international conference took place last year in Tsakhkadzor." "Chess is introduced as a compulsory subject of study in primary classes in Armenia. The game is supported by the country's president Serzh Sargsyan," the head of FIDE noted.
"As for the North Caucasus, Nalchik hosted the World Chess Championship among women. Chess is being introduced in schools. President of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov and the head of the Chess Federation of the North Caucasus Federal District supports chess. He plays chess very well, and this game has become a compulsory subject of study in many schools,'' Kirsan Ilyumzhinov concluded.
