MK Kalmykia reported on October 2, 2026, at 7:15 p.m. local time that the personal republic championship in chess had started in Elista. One hundred fifty young players are entered, 114 boys and 36 girls, from Elista and the Maloderbetovsky, Tselinny, Oktyabrsky, Lagansky, Yustinsky, and Iki-Burulsky districts. It is a qualifier for the Southern Federal District tournament. Winners go to Dzhubga in Krasnodar Krai in early November. Organizers said youth interest in chess is growing.