About 300 players came to Atyrau for I Intl Chess Festival
58 students of the Academy are participating in the festival together with professional chess players.
Among the participants is 6-year-old champion of the region Ali Saparov.
Another participant Nurpeis Umbetali is 13 years old. This is his first international chess event.
The festival will include three tournaments – Atyrau Open, Atyrau Juniors and Atyrau Blitz, the results of which will be evaluated as per the Swiss system.
Master classes and a simultaneous display are expected to be held too. The festival will also host the first seminar of international arbiters, where judges, after an examination, will be awarded the FIDE Arbiter title.
The prize fund of the event is 13 mln tenge. The Kazakh British Technical University will award the best players with grants for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Those attending the opening ceremony were Governor of Atyrau region Serik Shapkenov, Vice Minister of Information and Social Development Alexander danilov, Chairman of the Sport and Physical Culture Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Sport Samat Yergaliyev and famous Kazakh boxer, Olympic champion Serik Sapiyev.