Ugra Chess Academy

«Chess Academy» in Khanty-Mansiysk. In 2010 in preparation for the 39th World Chess Olympiad and the 81st FIDE Congress and Assembly a unique ultra-modern building with the total area of 2840.3 square meters was built in the capital of Ugra. The building was designed by the famous Dutch architect Erik van Egeraat. In 2011 the Chess Academy in Khanty-Mansiysk was recognized as the winner of «Best Building» («House of the Year»). The building is equipped with everything necessary for events for people with disabilities. There are special elevators for transporting people in wheelchairs, restrooms are equipped, and there is free access to the play areas. The main objective of the building construction is to create a modern material and technical base for chess development in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra. This is a high-level ground for holding various official international, all-Russian and district chess tournaments and other events on a high technical level in accordance with FIDE requirements. The first major event held in the Chess Academy building was the 81st FIDE Congress and Assembly in 2010. In August 2011 the Chess World Cup was held in the building, and in 2012 the Women's World Championship and finals of the Russian Cups for men and women were held. The Chess Academy has a «transformer» room with 128 seats, which allows for different organization of the space and spectator area, depending on the format of the event. Autonomous Institution «Ugra Chess Academy» of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra is functioning in the building. For chess lovers of different age categories there is an opportunity to realize their potential in the specially equipped for this purpose room. Seminars and advanced training courses are held for chess coaches and teachers. For this purpose the building has all the necessary technical equipment and a conference room. In the building of «Chess Academy» there are two classrooms, in which 45 persons are trained simultaneously. When taking a class with one group (15-20 people) there is an opportunity to organize a zone of individual classes for students. Each study room is equipped with computers and interactive whiteboards which allow the trainer to use time effectively in the classroom. There is a separate computer room (25 working areas) for Internet competitions, Internet lessons for schoolchildren of general educational institutions of the Autonomous Okrug, Internet chess master classes for all comers from Yugra under supervision of leading Russian chess trainers. In the Chess Academy there are mass cultural events of Okrug, all-Russia and international importance. The chess club is one of the objects often visited by guests of the autonomous district.