¡¡ ABU DHABI, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will start to build an International Chess City in Dubai in six month, with total investment expected to reach 2.62 billion US dollars, the local Gulf News daily reported Sunday.

    Kirsan Ilumjinov, President of the Russian internally self-governing republic of Kalmykia announced his intentition to establish the International Chess City in Dubai, with that to makeDubai, one of the emirates in UAE, to become the world center for the chess game.

    According to Dubai Projects and Armada Group, which are the investors of the project, the Chess City will be built in the chessboard-shaped real estate venture, it is expected to become the headquarters of the International Chess Association, relocatedfrom its present site in Lausanne, Switzerland.

    The project, covering 64,000 square meters, will have 32 buildings representing the 32 pieces of the chess set.

    Among the 32 buildings, the two "King" towers will each have 64floors, in the design of the traditional black and white chess board. The new development will have three to seven-star hotels and hotel apartments in which the "King" and "Minister" towers will be categorized as seven-star.

    All the buildings will be shaped like chess pieces and have thetraditional black and white colors of the game.

    The 'King' buildings will be the highest. Work is now underway to collect all building plans and decide on project location, according to the investors of the project.

    Al Fahim, chief executive of Dubai Projects, noted "We intend to make the International Chess City a centre for all chess lovers,whether they are beginners, masters or amateurs. Through its design, we will have in place massive interactive screens where international contests can be held."

    Dubai is chosen to be hosted this gigantic undertaking precisely because of Dubai's international reputation as a place where imaginative projects such as the International Chess City can come to life, Mohammad Raheef Hakmy, chairman of the Armada Group, was quoted as saying. Enditem