On Saturday, June 19, Elista will host the XXXII All-Russian Olympic Day, dedicated to the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo, reports the deputy head of the sports department KalmykiaNews.

Program of the event (more…)

Chess is a required subject for all children in Kalmykia, a Buddhist region whose authoritarian president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, also happens to be the president of FIDE.

For years Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has been trying to make chess more appealing to television audiences by expediting the matches and encouraging running commentary. He even pushed successfully for mandatory drug testing for chess players (more…)