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Chess City
In 1998, a remote region of Russia hosted one of the biggest events in chess. The controversial president of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, spent millions of dollars on the venue.
In 1998, a remote and impoverished region of Russia hosted the Chess Olympiad - one of the biggest events in the sport. The controversial president of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, spent millions of dollars on the venue, which he named Chess City. British Grandmaster Nigel Short played at the Olympiad.
PICTURE: The plans for Chess City (大象传媒)
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Wed 13 Apr 2016
01:50GMT
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