Six criteria that decide whether a venue works or not
A tournament doesn't ask for much, but what it asks for is specific, and half of Moscow's beautiful event spaces fail the test, not because of their size but because of round tables and dimmed lights. Below is what to check before you book, and which venue types suit different group sizes.
The most important criterion and the most common mistake. Restaurants and lofts are full of round tables: the board sits at an angle and there's nowhere to put the clock. Ask about table shape before you book
If it's a fifteen-minute walk through backstreets from the metro, some people simply won't make it. On a Moscow weekday evening this decides turnout more than the venue itself
Live music or karaoke behind the wall makes a tournament impossible: people need to calculate variations, not shout over each other. You need a separate room, not a corner of the main hall
Moody half-light with fairy lights is a disaster for the board. You need ordinary overhead lighting that can be turned up all the way
The equipment is heavy. A separate entrance or the ability to drive up to the door saves half an hour and a lot of nerves
In winter, without one, the room fills with a mountain of coats on chairs, and there are exactly as many chairs as players
The full list of room requirements: what you need from the room. On the layout: seating and setup.
Nothing to rent, nobody has to travel. The cheapest and most common option
When the tournament is part of an evening with dinner. Check the table shape and the noise from the main hall
Moscow has turned dozens of old factories into event spaces, and they are the best option for a large tournament with a prize-giving
Neutral ground near the metro, rented for the evening, and the tables are already the right kind
For off-site sessions and partner meetings, when some guests are coming in from other cities
Often free for tenants of the building. Check how late it stays open and whether guests need passes
Guides by venue type: office, restaurant, hotel, coworking space, bar.
The rule is simple: the venue should be close to the office or close to the metro line most people use. Everything else is secondary, because on a weekday evening people won't cross the city.
Red October and the area around Kropotkinskaya: expensive, but everyone can get there and everyone knows it
Flacon, Khlebozavod and neighbouring venues: a dense cluster of lofts within walking distance of the metro
Danilovskaya Manufaktura and the business quarters around it: convenient if your office is in this belt
Artplay, Winzavod and venues nearby: the choice of creative teams and agencies
The towers and restaurants of the business district, where people don't need to leave the complex at all
If your office is out here, look for a venue close to it: the team won't travel into the centre in the evening
These are pointers, not our partner venues: the company books directly. For the restaurants in the towers, see Moscow City.
Send us a link to the room or a couple of photos and tell us how many people are coming. We'll look at the tables, lighting and layout and give you an honest answer: it works, it works with caveats, or you're better off looking elsewhere.
We tell you what to look for and what to check, but the company books the venue itself: the hire agreement is signed directly, without us. Tell us the area and the number of people, and we'll suggest where to look.
Plan for two people per table plus an aisle between rows so people can walk around. A simple rule of thumb: if the room can seat a banquet for the same number of guests, the tournament will definitely fit.
Worse than rectangular ones, but it's possible: a board fits on a round table, while the clock and scoresheets are a tight squeeze. If you have a choice, go rectangular.
No. A microphone is handy for the prize-giving if there are more than fifty people, but you couldn't call it essential. A stage isn't needed at all.
In summer, yes, with caveats: wind blows away light pieces and scoresheets, and in direct sun you can't see the board. You need shade and a sheltered spot.
That doesn't affect us: we're responsible for the tournament, while catering and drinks stay with the venue and the company.
Normally one to two weeks ahead. In December, earlier: good rooms for the second half of the month are snapped up by November, especially Fridays.
Every format in the city: corporate chess tournaments in Moscow. No venue hire at all: office tournament. Getting everyone involved: team building. Equipment: chess set rental. December: New Year corporate party.
