A city guide to the chess life of Novokuznetsk
Chess schools, clubs and chess lessons in Novokuznetsk
A big guide to chess in Novokuznetsk: where to learn, find a coach, a chess club, a tournament or simply a place to play. We have gathered verified addresses of schools, clubs and federations, plus information on coaches, tournaments and the city's chess history.
Useful for parents looking for a school for a child and for adults thinking about returning to the board.
A rich chess history and an active city scene
The city has the municipal B. A. Kustov Sports School with two venues, private schools and clubs - Intellect Academy, Two Kings, Champion and Fenomen - and free municipal sections at the Vektor house of creativity and House of Children's Creativity No. 2. Two chess bodies operate here: the Novokuznetsk Chess Federation (nvkz-chess.ru) and the Kemerovo Region Chess Federation, both based in Novokuznetsk.
The city's first grandmaster, Sergei Iskusnykh, came out of Novokuznetsk. In 1972 Yuri Anikaev, a native of the city, became world student champion. In 2008 Novokuznetsk hosted the world student chess championship. Running alongside all this is the amateur format Vibe Chess: short tournaments in cafes and bars for people who want to play and talk without sporting pressure.
The chess schools and clubs of Novokuznetsk
The chess addresses of Novokuznetsk: a municipal sports school, free sections in the houses of creativity, private centres and clubs. Each card is a working organisation with public contact details.
Where there is chess near you
The chess addresses of Novokuznetsk across its four districts - where to look for a school or a club closer to home or to work.
- The Kustov sports school (Ordzhonikidze 23)
- The SibSIU chess club (Kirova 42)
- Intellect Academy (Kirova 36)
- The Vektor house of creativity (Yemelyanovskaya 1)
- Champion (Bardina Ave. 26)
- House of Children's Creativity No. 2 (Sibiryakov-Gvardeytsev 16)
- Two Kings (Tolyatti 27a and Arkhitektorov 16a)
- Kinetic (Rokossovskogo 3B)
- The Kustov sports school branch (Tsiolkovskogo 34)
When to start a child, and what to choose
The private schools of Novokuznetsk take children from the age of 5 (Fenomen), and Intellect Academy from pre-school age. The municipal sections at Vektor and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 are also open to younger children, and free of charge. Sports training at the Kustov school begins after an initial selection.
What parents should look at before signing up: the age and level of the group, the coach's experience with children of that age, the district and how realistic the journeys are, the schedule and whether there is tournament practice.
What chess gives a child
- ConcentrationA game is thirty to sixty minutes in a single focus. That is a skill in its own right, and it pays off 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 experienceRegional and city competitions - about growing independence and responsibility for every move.
You can start from nothing. And nobody will laugh
The private schools of Novokuznetsk - Intellect Academy and Two Kings - work with adults of any level. The Tolstoguzov chess club at SibSIU is aimed at adults and students. Beyond that there is Vibe Chess: city amateur meetups in cafes and bars with no rating requirements.
You do not need a rating or a rank. You can go to a coach individually or join a group, attend club meetups and amateur tournaments. Competitive chess and the amateur format are two different worlds; in the amateur one what is judged is not the result but the fact that you came.
A group at a school
Regular lessons, a programme, a coach - if you want it systematic.
An individual coach
The fastest progress and a flexible schedule. It costs more than a group.
Club meetings
Casual games, company, city tournaments rated and unrated.
Vibe Chess
City amateur tournaments in cafes and bars. No rating requirements, open to everybody.
Online lessons
If travelling is awkward, some schools and tutors offer an online format.
On your own
Books, lichess or chess.com, going over your games. A useful supplement to lessons.
How to look for a coach in Novokuznetsk
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.
In Novokuznetsk you can find private coaches at a range of levels and prices. Serious coaches work at the schools listed above, and you can write to them directly through the schools' sites or telephone numbers.
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, international master are a guide but not a guarantee. What matters is the title combined with teaching experience.
Experience preparing for tournaments
If the goal is to go for rank norms, you need a coach who has taken pupils to regional and national competitions themselves.
Reviews and recommendations
A live word from parents or adult pupils beats a rating on an aggregator site. Ask friends and the VK groups.
District and format
For a child the journey is a big factor. Sometimes a good coach «across the whole city» works worse than an average one near home. The alternative is online.
Price
Prices vary: from about 400 ₽ an hour with teachers starting out to 1,500 ₽ an hour with title-holders. The ratio of price to the task at hand 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. One or two trial lessons is the standard.
A guide to chess tuition prices
The price depends on the school, the coach's level and the format. Below are the benchmarks for the main formats of chess tuition in Novokuznetsk.
A municipal section (Vektor, House of Children's Creativity No. 2)
The chess sections in Novokuznetsk's houses of creativity run as part of the free further-education programme.
The Kinetic training centre
The chess stream at a training centre in the Novoilinsky district.
The municipal Kustov sports school
The conditions depend on enrolment. Check directly with the school: +7 (3843) 45-36-98.
An individual coach, a beginning teacher
The rate charged by teachers starting out. A good fit for a first introduction.
An individual coach, candidate master or master
The middle of the range for coaches with master titles in Novokuznetsk.
A Vibe Chess amateur tournament
City chess evenings in cafes and bars. Registration in the Telegram bot.
The chess federations of Novokuznetsk
Two chess federations are based in Novokuznetsk: the city one and the regional one. Both are headed by Maxim Ivakhin.
Chess tournaments in Novokuznetsk
City and regional tournaments are at nvkz-chess.ru. The federal calendar and the official competitions are at ruchess.ru. Below is where to look and what formats there are.
What the formats are
Vibe chess in Novokuznetsk
Vibe Chess is a series of city chess evenings in the cafes and bars of Novokuznetsk. Short games, a variety of opponents and real conversation between rounds. It suits people who want to come back to chess without the atmosphere of an exam and without sporting pressure.
This is not a replacement for the classic schools but an addition to them. After a working week you want not to sweat over the board but simply to spend a good evening over a game and meet interesting people. Vibe Chess has a separate page for Novokuznetsk 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 Novokuznetsk
Only verifiable events, with no embellishment.
Novokuznetsk's first chess club appeared. Its first coach was M. A. Goryainov - systematic chess work in the city began with him.
Organised chess matches between the teams of SibSIU and the Kuznetsk metallurgical works formed the city's first chess audience.
Yuri Anikaev, a native of Novokuznetsk, becomes world student chess champion - the first major international success for the city's players.
Sergei Iskusnykh receives the FIDE grandmaster title - the first grandmaster in the history of Novokuznetsk.
A children's chess sports school opens in the city, later renamed the B. A. Kustov Sports School in honour of coach Boris Kustov.
On 14 January the Novokuznetsk Chess Federation is registered (nvkz-chess.ru). Its president is Maxim Ivakhin.
Novokuznetsk hosted the world student chess championship - one of the most notable international chess events in the city's history.
The IGRA regional innovation centre (Intellect Academy) opened at Kirova St. 36 - the first centre of its kind in Siberia.
Maxim Ivakhin is re-elected chairman of the Kemerovo Region Chess Federation.
Well-known players connected with Novokuznetsk
Only confirmed names, each with the nature of the connection stated: «born here», «worked here», «president of the federation».
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 - whether there is a plan to enter city and regional tournaments.
- 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 you: a group, one-to-one, online or a club.
School, club, coach or tournament - the differences
Frequently asked questions about chess in Novokuznetsk
Where can you learn chess in Novokuznetsk?›
The city has both municipal and private chess schools. The municipal one is the B. A. Kustov Sports School (Ordzhonikidze 23, schoolchess-nvk.ucoz.ru). Free sections run at the Vektor house of creativity (Yemelyanovskaya 1) and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 (Sibiryakov-Gvardeytsev 16). The private options are Intellect Academy (Kirova 36), Two Kings, Champion, Fenomen, Formula of Success and Kinetic.
What chess schools are there in Novokuznetsk?›
Municipal: the Kustov sports school (two venues), the Vektor house of creativity and House of Children's Creativity No. 2. Private: Intellect Academy, Two Kings, Champion, Fenomen, Formula of Success and Kinetic. For adults and students there is the Tolstoguzov chess club at SibSIU.
Where do I find a chess club near me?›
By district: in Central there are the Kustov school (Ordzhonikidze 23), Intellect Academy (Kirova 36), the SibSIU club (Kirova 42) and Vektor (Yemelyanovskaya 1); in Kuybyshevsky, Champion (Bardina Ave. 26) and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 (Sibiryakov-Gvardeytsev 16); in Novoilinsky, Two Kings (Tolyatti 27a and Arkhitektorov 16a) and Kinetic (Rokossovskogo 3B); in Ordzhonikidzevsky, the Kustov school branch (Tsiolkovskogo 34).
Where can you send a child for chess in Novokuznetsk?›
Children are taken by both the municipal and the private schools. The private schools take them from the age of 5 (Fenomen), and Intellect Academy from pre-school age. The municipal sections at Vektor and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 also take younger children. Sports training at the Kustov school begins after an initial selection.
Are there free chess sections in Novokuznetsk?›
Yes. Vektor (Yemelyanovskaya 1) and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 (Sibiryakov-Gvardeytsev 16) are municipal institutions with free chess sections for children. The Kustov school works to a sports training programme - check the conditions with them directly.
Can an adult start playing chess from scratch?›
Yes. The private schools of Novokuznetsk work with adults - Intellect Academy (Kirova 36) and Two Kings. The Tolstoguzov chess club at SibSIU is aimed at adults and students. Beyond that, Vibe Chess runs in Novokuznetsk - city chess meetups in cafes and bars with no rating requirements.
How much does a chess coach cost in Novokuznetsk?›
Individual coaches range from about 400-800 ₽ an hour with teachers starting out to 1,500 ₽ with masters. It is free at Vektor and House of Children's Creativity No. 2 (both municipal). Kinetic starts at 300 ₽. For the private schools (Intellect Academy, Champion, Fenomen), check their sites and telephone numbers.
Are there tournaments for beginners in Novokuznetsk?›
Yes. City and regional competitions are listed at nvkz-chess.ru and ruchess.ru. The Novokuznetsk city championship, the junior championship and children's tournaments run regularly. For complete beginners there is Vibe Chess: chess meetups with no rating requirements.
Where can you find the calendar of chess tournaments in Novokuznetsk?›
The main places are the site of the Novokuznetsk Chess Federation, nvkz-chess.ru, and ruchess.ru for federal and regional competitions. Announcements of the amateur Vibe Chess meetups are in the Telegram bot.
What is the B. A. Kustov Sports School?›
The B. A. Kustov Sports School (schoolchess-nvk.ucoz.ru) is Novokuznetsk's main municipal chess school, named after coach Boris Kustov. The director is Maxim Petrovich Ivakhin (IM). It has two venues: Ordzhonikidze 23 and Tsiolkovskogo 34. Telephone: +7 (3843) 45-36-98.
What is the Novokuznetsk Chess Federation?›
The city federation (nvkz-chess.ru), registered on 14 January 2004. Its address is Tsiolkovskogo St. 78 and its president is Maxim Ivakhin. It runs the city's rated tournaments, awards ranks and liaises with the Kemerovo Region Chess Federation.
What is the difference between a chess school and a chess club?›
A school is a system: a programme, a coach, regular lessons, assessment and a route into tournaments. A club is a place where you can play and cross paths with other players. In Novokuznetsk the Kustov school and Intellect Academy are first and foremost schools. The Tolstoguzov club at SibSIU is a playing venue for adults.
Do I need a rating to play in a tournament?›
It depends on the tournament. Amateur meetups need no rating and you can come from scratch. Official tournaments with Russian Chess Federation rating calculation require registration through a club or the federation. Vibe Chess has no rating and no requirements at all.
Where can I play chess without the competitive pressure?›
Vibe Chess is a series of city amateur chess evenings in Novokuznetsk, in cafes and bars. The games are short (3+2 or 5+3), the levels vary and nobody is judging you after every mistake. Announcements are in the Telegram bot.
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 Novokuznetsk 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.
works for ten players and for fifty
for a small group that wants to play everyone
for those who do not need a bracket at all
- 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
More about chess in Novokuznetsk and in other cities
Besides the schools and sections, Novokuznetsk hosts the informal Vibe Chess evenings — short games and new acquaintances in cafes and bars, which you can come to knowing only the rules. And below are guides to lessons in neighbouring cities and a catalogue of openings for practice on your own.