Construction of International Chess Academy to begin in Armenia in Spring 2013

YEREVAN, January 21. /ARKA/. International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, speaking Saturday at FIDE board’s session in Tsakhkadzor, Armenia, said he, along with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who is also the president of Armenian National Chess Federation, will attend the ceremony of the cornerstone laying ceremony for construction of the International Chess Academy building in Yerevan. 

Novosti-Armenia quotes him as saying that investors and businessmen from Moscow and Europe meet with the Yerevan mayor now and search a place for the construction. 

Ilyumzhinov said that Businessmen, who are members of the board, came to Armenia with him and discussed also prospects for investments in construction of a garbage-recycling plant, power plants and a hotel. 

“We have brought a total of $100-million investments with to Armenia,” he said. “This is not a small amount. This is new jobs and taxes.”

Ilyumzhinov also said that not only chess, but Armenia as a whole is vigorously developing now.  

“In three of the last four Olympiads, golden medals have been pulled off by Armenian chess players,” he said. “This result has naturally come from the titanic everyday work of the chess federation and the entire state.”

He said that sportsmen are not able to win Olympic gold without support from the government. -0-