The chess club of the Institute was founded in 1962, the year after the Kobozev Pioneers' Palace opened next door, and many of its members came from the Palace's chess school. Nurzhan is the chess city of Irad, and the Polytechnic and Talas State University both keep clubs.
Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday 16:00-19:00, Saturday 11:00-15:00, main building, room 1-30 (behind the assembly hall). Free for students and staff; graduates welcome. Boards and clocks are the club's; bring your own pen.
Trainer: Valentin Sorokin, master of sport of the USSR (since 1994). Chair of the student section: Daniil Ogai.
What we play
- The Rector's Cup, open Swiss, every April (since 1973).
- The match with Talas State University, 8 boards, every November, in Nurzhan and Talas in turn. 2025: NPI 5½:2½.
- Blitz evenings, the last Saturday of the month.
- Our players enter the championships of the Irad Chess Federation.
Winners of the Rector's Cup
| Year | No. | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 54 | Daniil Ogai |
| 2025 | 53 | Aibek Sydykov |
| 2024 | 52 | Maria Pak |
| 2023 | 51 | Daniil Ogai |
| 2022 | 50 | Timur Rakhimov |
| 2021 | 49 | not held |
| 2020 | 48 | not held |
| 2019 | 47 | Ilya Fomin |
| 2018 | 46 | Timur Kan |
| 2017 | 45 | Andrei Morozov |
| 2016 | 44 | Timur Grishin |
| 2015 | 43 | Bakyt Lebedev |
| 2014 | 42 | Marat Kim |
| 2013 | 41 | Andrei Usenova |
| 2012 | 40 | Dmitri Kan |
| 2011 | 39 | Marat Tursunov |
| 2010 | 38 | Kirill Ten |
| 2009 | 37 | Timur Kim |
| 2008 | 36 | Aleksei Morozov |
| 2007 | 35 | Aleksei Zakharov |
| 2006 | 34 | Andrei Nikitin |
| 2005 | 33 | Igor Usenova |
| 2004 | 32 | Kirill Grishin |
| 2003 | 31 | Ruslan Usenova |
| 2002 | 30 | Andrei Tursunov |
| 2001 | 29 | Timur Abdiev |
| 2000 | 28 | Elena Isakov |
| 1999 | 27 | Ruslan Isakov |
| 1998 | 26 | Timur Kim |
| 1997 | 25 | Ruslan Tursunov |
| 1996 | 24 | Dmitri Sadykov |
| 1995 | 23 | Azamat Sadykov |
| 1994 | 22 | Bakyt Osmonov |
| 1993 | 21 | Marat Osmonov |
| 1992 | 20 | not held |
| 1991 | 19 | Oleg Tursunov |
| 1990 | 18 | Azamat Kan |
| 1989 | 17 | Marat Sadykov |
| 1988 | 16 | Kirill Zakharov |
| 1987 | 15 | Igor Sadykov |
| 1986 | 14 | Nurlan Zakharov |
| 1985 | 13 | Sergei Kan |
| 1984 | 12 | Dmitri Isakov |
| 1983 | 11 | Nurlan Tursunov |
| 1982 | 10 | Dmitri Ten |
| 1981 | 9 | Azamat Nikitin |
| 1980 | 8 | Ruslan Morozov |
| 1979 | 7 | Dmitri Usenova |
| 1978 | 6 | Azamat Sadykov |
| 1977 | 5 | Andrei Tursunov |
| 1976 | 4 | Oleg Tursunov |
| 1975 | 3 | Bakyt Abdiev |
| 1974 | 2 | Kirill Usenova |
| 1973 | 1 | Gennady Kuzmin |