A city guide to chess life in Astrakhan
Chess schools, clubs and chess lessons in Astrakhan
A guide to chess in Astrakhan: where to learn, how to find a coach, a chess club, a tournament or simply somewhere to play. We have gathered verified addresses of schools, clubs and the regional federation, along with information about prices, tournaments and the history of chess in the city.
It will suit parents looking for a section for their child and adults thinking of coming back to the board.
The city that hosted a FIDE Grand Prix stage
In May 2010 Astrakhan hosted a stage of the prestigious FIDE Grand Prix series, where Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Boris Gelfand, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Peter Svidler, Peter Leko and other leading players of the world met over the boards; the winner was the Ukrainian grandmaster Pavel Eljanov. Today the region's chess life is held together by the Chess Federation of the Astrakhan Region, and children and adults can learn at the municipal sections in schools and at the city's private clubs.
The region's only grandmaster is Alexander Evdokimov, who received the title in 2005. He has also organised the Astrakhan Chess Festival since 2006 and has been developing a chess-centre network of his own in the city since 2018. In parallel a city amateur format lives here - Vibe Chess: short tournaments in cafes and bars for people who want to play and talk without sporting pressure.
Chess schools and clubs in Astrakhan
The chess addresses of Astrakhan: municipal sections at schools and supplementary-education centres, private clubs and the network of grandmaster Evdokimov's chess centre. Every card is a working organisation with public contact details.
Where there is chess near you
The chess addresses of Astrakhan by administrative district - where to look for a school or a club nearer home or work.
- The children's chess club at sports school No. 9 (Akhsharumova 80)
- Shakhmatlandia / supplementary education centre No. 1 (Dzhona Rida 43)
- The Ferz chess club (Krasnoarmeyskaya 25A)
- The Chess Academy (Maksakova 2)
- The Evdokimov chess centre - branch (Tatishcheva 43B)
- The Klassik-64 sports club (Kostina 2 and Baumana 9)
- The Evdokimov chess centre - branch (2nd Zelenginskaya 3)
When to start a child, and what to choose
The free municipal sections at schools No. 51, No. 12 and No. 32 and the Shakhmatlandia group take children from 5-7. The private Evdokimov chess centre divides its groups by level - from «Initial training» to «Sports training» - and the Chess Academy admits children by competition.
What parents should look at before signing up: the age and level of the group, the coach, the district, the timetable, whether there is tournament practice, how many children are in the group and what the atmosphere is like.
What chess gives a child
- ConcentrationA game means 30-60 minutes in a single focus. That is a skill in itself, and it helps later at school.
- Understanding consequencesIn chess you cannot say «oops, that was an accident». Every move changes something, and a child learns to think a move ahead.
- Losing calmlyArguably more important than the wins. A child learns not to fall apart after a defeat and to try again.
- A communityThe child gets a circle of peers outside school and the courtyard, with its own atmosphere and rules.
- Tournament experienceTravel, regulations, playing on the clock - all of it feeds a growing independence.
You can start from scratch - and nobody will laugh
The Klassik-64 club and the Prometey club at the Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan sports club are open to adults at any level. The city also has the city amateur format Vibe Chess, where you can turn up knowing only the rules.
You do not need a rating or a rank. Nor do you have to join a group - you can work one-to-one, or simply come to club meetups and amateur tournaments. Competitive chess and the amateur format are two different worlds; in the amateur one what counts is not the result but the fact that you turned up.
A group at a club
Regular lessons, a programme, a coach - if you want it systematic.
An individual coach
The fastest progress and a flexible timetable. It costs more.
Club meetings
Casual games, company and regional tournaments both rated and not.
Vibe Chess
City amateur tournaments in cafes and bars. No rating requirements, open to everybody.
A corporate club
Prometey at the Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan sports club - for anyone looking for a team atmosphere.
Studying on your own
Books, lichess or chess.com, going over your games. A useful supplement to lessons.
How to look for a coach in Astrakhan
We deliberately do not compile a «top coaches» list - there is no objective source for such a ranking, and subjective selections often do harm. Better to give the criteria to choose by.
There are serious coaches at the clubs and schools listed above; you can write to them directly through the clubs' websites or approach the regional federation. The service directories (Profi.ru, Yandex Services) also list private coaches in Astrakhan at a range of prices.
Experience with children
A child needs not the strongest player but the one who can explain. Ask how many children of that age the coach has taught.
Sporting title
Candidate master, master, grandmaster - a guide but not a guarantee. What matters more is the combination of title and teaching experience.
Experience preparing for tournaments
If the aim is to travel for norms, you need a coach who has taken pupils to tournaments and understands the regulations.
Reviews and recommendations
Real reviews from parents or adult pupils are worth more than a rating on an aggregator. Ask people you know and look in local groups.
District and format
For a child the journey is a big factor. Sometimes a good coach «right across town» works out worse than an average one round the corner. The alternative is online lessons.
Price
Prices vary: from free municipal sections to 5,000 roubles a month for a sports-training group. The ratio of price to goal matters more than the price itself.
An individual approach
At a trial lesson the coach should be asking questions about the pupil rather than switching straight into «the programme». If that is missing, be wary.
Communication with parents
With a sensible coach it is clear what you are doing, why, and how progress is going. Answers along the lines of «all fine, keep going» are a bad sign.
A trial lesson
Never buy a season ticket from a photo and a description. The Klassik-64 club, for instance, offers a free trial lesson - a good standard for comparison.
A guide to chess tuition prices
The price depends on the format and the group. Below is a guide to the main formats of chess tuition in Astrakhan.
A municipal section
The sections at schools No. 51, No. 12 and No. 32, the Shakhmatlandia group and the children's club at sports school No. 9 - the lessons are free.
The «Initial training» group
The Evdokimov chess centre, two one-hour lessons a week.
The «Sports training» group
The Evdokimov chess centre, two 1.5-hour lessons a week.
The «Higher School of Mastery» group (first rank to candidate master)
The Evdokimov chess centre, two or three 1.25-hour lessons a week.
A single lesson
The Evdokimov chess centre, depending on the group.
A Vibe Chess amateur tournament
City chess evenings in cafes and bars. Registration in the Telegram bot.
The chess federation of the Astrakhan Region
The region's chess life is coordinated by a single organisation. Below is what it does and how to get in touch with it.
Chess tournaments in Astrakhan
The tournament calendar is kept by the regional federation. The Astrakhan Chess Festival is held annually, and for children there is a stage of the Russian Children's Cup. Below is where to look and what formats exist.
What the formats are
Vibe chess in Astrakhan
Vibe Chess runs city chess evenings in the cafes and bars of Astrakhan. Short games, different opponents, real conversation between rounds. It suits anyone who wants to come back to chess without the atmosphere of an exam or the pressure of competition.
It is not a replacement for the classical sections but an addition to them. After a working week you do not want to sweat over the board - you want a good evening with a game and some interesting people. Vibe Chess has a page of its own for Astrakhan with all the rules of the format.
What a «vibe tournament» means
- Short games: 3+2 or 5+3.
- Several rounds in an evening, with different opponents.
- The levels vary - nobody has to be strong.
- Between games you can talk and order a coffee or a drink.
- You can come on your own - that is the normal way of it.
- Registration and announcements are in the Telegram bot.
The history of chess in Astrakhan
Only verifiable events, with no embroidery. If any of the dates turn out to be inexact, we will correct them.
The Astrakhan city chess championship is held - one of the first documented official competitions in the city.
The Astrakhan Region chess championship is held.
Alexander Evdokimov receives the international grandmaster title - the first and so far only grandmaster in the region.
Alexander Evdokimov founds the Astrakhan Chess Festival - an annual tournament still held today.
Astrakhan hosts the sixth stage of the 2008-2010 FIDE Grand Prix (9-25 May, category XX, an average participant rating of 2729.5). Mamedyarov, Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Ponomariov, Leko, Svidler and others play. The winner is the Ukrainian grandmaster Pavel Eljanov, who rises to 6th in the FIDE world rankings on the strength of the tournament.
Alexander Evdokimov heads the Astrakhan Chess Federation.
Evdokimov opens the first branch of the chess centre bearing his name in Astrakhan; by the second half of 2021 the network has grown to five venues across the city.
The Astrakhan Chess Federation changes its name to the Chess Federation of the Astrakhan Region and is re-registered (by a decision of the general meeting of 9 January; the charter came into force on 25 February 2021).
A chess club of Sergey Karjakin's Chess Diplomacy network opens in Astrakhan.
Notable chess players connected with Astrakhan
Only confirmed names, with the nature of the connection stated. The sources are in the cards.
A checklist for choosing a chess school
For parents
- The age and level of the group - will the child land somewhere interesting for them.
- The coach - do they have experience with children of that age, and do they ask about your child.
- The district - can you realistically make the journey regularly. If not, online is better.
- The group's level - is the average level even, or will the child be «the weakest of all».
- Tournament practice - is there a plan to enter local events.
- The atmosphere - after the trial lesson the child wants to go again.
- Price and package - what is included, what is not, and whether there is a trial lesson.
- The timetable - does it fit around school and other activities.
- Reviews - live ones are better, not only from an aggregator.
For adults
- Whether there are adult groups, not only children's.
- Whether you can come from scratch - literally knowing only the rules.
- Whether there is a casual-play format, not only lessons.
- An evening timetable - can you get there after work.
- Whether the competitive pressure is heavier than you want.
- Whether there are amateur tournaments - for your own motivation.
- Whether the format suits: a group, individual lessons or a club.
School, club, coach or tournament - the differences
Frequently asked questions about chess in Astrakhan
Where can you learn chess in Astrakhan?›
The city has both municipal sections and private schools. The free ones are the children's club at sports school No. 9 (Akhsharumova 80), Shakhmatlandia at supplementary education centre No. 1 (Dzhona Rida 43) and the sections at schools No. 51, No. 12 and No. 32. Among the private ones: Klassik-64, the chess centre of grandmaster Evdokimov (five venues across the city), Sergey Karjakin's club, the Chess Academy and the Prometey club.
Which chess schools and clubs are available in the city?›
Municipal and school sections: the club at sports school No. 9, the Ferz club (a branch of children's sports school No. 9), the sections at schools No. 51, No. 12 and No. 32, and the Shakhmatlandia group. Private: Klassik-64, the Evdokimov chess centre network, Karjakin's club, the Chess Academy and Prometey at the Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan sports club.
Where do I find a chess club near me?›
Look by district: in Sovetsky there is the club at sports school No. 9 (Akhsharumova 80) and Shakhmatlandia (Dzhona Rida 43); in Leninsky, Ferz (Krasnoarmeyskaya 25A), the Chess Academy (Maksakova 2) and a branch of the Evdokimov centre (Tatishcheva 43B); in Kirovsky, Klassik-64 (Kostina 2 and Baumana 9) and a branch of the Evdokimov centre (2nd Zelenginskaya 3). See the table «A map of chess places in Astrakhan».
Where should I send my child for chess in Astrakhan?›
It depends on age and budget. The free municipal sections at schools No. 51, No. 12 and No. 32 and Shakhmatlandia take children from 5-7. The private Evdokimov chess centre divides its groups by level: «Initial training», «First ranks», «Higher School of Mastery» and «Sports training». The Chess Academy admits children by competition.
Can an adult start playing chess from scratch in Astrakhan?›
Yes. The Klassik-64 club and the Prometey club at the Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan sports club are open to adults. The city also has the Vibe Chess format of city amateur meetups, where you can turn up knowing only the rules of the game.
How much does a chess coach cost in Astrakhan?›
At the Evdokimov chess centre a season ticket for «Initial training» or «First ranks» costs around 2,800 roubles a month (two one-hour lessons a week), «Sports training» around 3,100 roubles a month, and the «Higher School of Mastery» group (first rank to candidate master) around 5,000 roubles a month. A single lesson costs 450-600 roubles. The municipal sections at schools and supplementary-education institutions are free.
Are there tournaments for beginners in Astrakhan?›
The region's tournament calendar is kept by the Chess Federation of the Astrakhan Region at astrachess.ru. The Astrakhan Chess Festival is held annually (since 2006; in 2026 it will be the 20th, an anniversary edition). For children there is the «Hopes of Astrakhan» stage of the Russian Children's Cup. For complete beginners the Vibe Chess format is the answer - city chess evenings with no rating requirements.
Where are official chess competitions held in Astrakhan?›
The biggest event in the city's history was the FIDE Grand Prix stage held in Astrakhan in May 2010 with Mamedyarov, Gelfand, Ivanchuk and other top grandmasters of the time. The Astrakhan Chess Festival is held regularly. Current dates and venues are in the calendar of the Chess Federation of the Astrakhan Region.
What is the regional chess federation in Astrakhan?›
The Chess Federation of the Astrakhan Region (before 2021 the Astrakhan Chess Federation) is a regional public organisation headed by international master Renat Bigaliev. It coordinates tournaments, the training of competitive players and the region's calendar of competitions.
What is the difference between a chess school and a chess club?›
A school is a system: a programme, a coach, regular lessons, an assessment of level and a route to tournaments. A club is a place where you can play and run into other players; there may be teaching there, but not necessarily. The Evdokimov chess centre and the Klassik-64 club combine both formats.
Do you need a rating to enter a tournament in Astrakhan?›
It depends on the tournament. Amateur chess meetups are unrated and you can turn up from scratch. Tournaments of the regional federation and the Astrakhan Chess Festival rated by FIDE or the Russian federation require registration in the system - which can be done through a club or the federation.
Where can you play chess in Astrakhan without the sporting pressure?›
Vibe Chess runs city chess evenings in Astrakhan, in cafes and bars. The games are short, the levels vary, and nobody judges you after every mistake. It suits people coming back to the game or starting from scratch. Announcements are in the Telegram bot.
Can I come to chess on my own?›
Yes, to every format. Most people come to club meetups and the Vibe Chess city evenings without company - the format connects you through the games. Coming alone to a school or a section is also standard practice.
Does Astrakhan have grandmasters of its own?›
Yes, one. Alexander Evdokimov received the international grandmaster title in 2005 - the first and so far only grandmaster of the Astrakhan Region. He also founded the Astrakhan Chess Festival in 2006 and in 2018 opened a network of chess centres of his own in the city.
Solve a chess puzzle
Mate in one - a real position from a chess database. Solve it and see if you're a fit for us.
How to run a tournament in Astrakhan without being an arbiter
No arbiter skills required. The app takes over the part that usually stops people from running tournaments at all: who plays whom in each round and who finishes first.
- 1Creating the event takes a minute
- 2Open registration and drop the link into the chat
- 3Pairings follow FIDE rules (Dutch system, the bbpPairings engine)
- 4Results go in with two taps and the table recalculates instantly
- Swiss system. works for ten players and for fifty
- Round robin. for a small group that wants to play everyone
- Free meetup. for those who do not need a bracket at all