
The FIDE World Rapid Championship 2013 and FIDE World Blitz Championship
2013 are being held in Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia) from June 06 to 10, 2013.
The total prize fund of the championship is 400 000 U.S. dollars, which
also shows the high status of the tournament.
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Khanty-Mansiysk is an oil boom town, located on the eastern bank of the
Irtysh River, 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from its confluence with the Ob. Population:
80,000.
The event is being held in the Ugra Chess Academy (6a Loparev St., Khanty-Mansiysk),
which is located in the city center. This unique three-level building, which
has no sharp edges, was designed by the famous Dutch architect Erick Van
Egeraat and constructed using modern energy conserving technologies. The
games will be held in the tournament hall on the first floor.

The hall, in which numerous international
congresses and forums take place, can be transformed and changed in
size due to the innovative construction. Apart from the tournament hall
the Ugra Chess Academy consists of classrooms for children who are keen
on chess, computer classrooms for holding the Internet tournaments, a cozy
café and a hall decorated with pieces of art regarding chess.
Immediately after the end of the championships Khanty-Mansiysk will bring
together about 200 participants of the international conference “Chess
education – an important resource of the world system of education.”
30 leading experts in chess education from eight countries (Sweden, Latvia,
Armenia, Brazil, Israel, Serbia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan) will hold master
classes in Ugra.
The official tournament hotel is the Olympic,
45 Engels St., Khanty-Mansiysk
The participants
62 players from 18 countries
are competing in the Fide World Rapid & Blitz Championships, including
representatives from chess powers such as Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Israel,
India, the United States and Armenia. There are also players from Iran,
Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Spain and other countries. More than thirty players
are from Russia, among them the clear favorites of the tournament: the current
world champion in blitz Alexander Grischuk, Jan Nepomniachi and Sergey Rublevsky.
An interesting participant: the 14-year-old prodigy from Omsk, international
master, chess rising star Vladislav Artemyev.
Opening ceremony
All participants, guests, as well as locals from Ugra gathered for the
Opening Ceremony on June 5th.

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov told the press that today FIDE and its
activities have been going on far better than in 1995, when he started his
work as a head of the organization. Nowadays big chess events take place
everywhere in the world almost every day. “Just two days ago we closed
the FIDE Grand Prix in Greece, and today we are opening the World Rapid
and Blitz in Khanty Mansiysk,” said the FIDE President.

The Vice Governor of Ugra Alexey Putin emphasized the value of chess for
the Khanty Mansiysk Okrug. “More than 23,000 children study chess,
and we have successful results not only within the Okrug but also outside
it. That is why we will do our utmost to support chess development in Ugra.
It is a great honor for us to host the best chess players and to organize
chess events of highest possible levels. We support and will continue supporting
this sport.”
Here are some photos of the festivities at the opening ceremony.








Video from the opening ceremony
Watch the action live on video (with commentary) here