NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh women’s team finished fifth as the 44th World Chess Olympiad concluded on Aug. 9 in Chennai, India, reported the country’s Chess Federation. The players beat India-3 in the final round scoring 2.5-1.5.
Kazakh women’s team during the game. Photo credit: FIDE
This year, India welcomed over 2,000 participants, including 189 men’s teams and 162 women’s teams.
The Kazakh team, one of the youngest on the roster, scored 17 match points (8 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses). It includes the nation’s famous chess players such as Zhansaya Abdumalik (22 years old) who scored 7 points out of 9 games, Bibisara Asaubaeva (18 years old) who scored 8 points out of 11 games, Ksenia Balabaeva (17 years old) scoring 5.5 points from 10 games, Guliskhan Nakhbaeva (31 years old) who scored 6 points from 10 games and Nurgali Nazerke (18 years old) scoring 1.5 points from 4 games.
Speaking to FIDE after the game, Kazakhstan’s chess prodigy and international grandmaster Abdumalik said that the game was tough.
“That was the only game that I lost in this tournament. I think I played well. I didn’t study much for the last month, but I played quite well for the first board. The team is doing well, but unfortunately, we do not have our strong players Dinara Saduakassova and Meruert Kamalidenova here,” said Abdumalik.
Zhansaya Abdumalik during Round 10. Photo credit FIDE:L.Ootes
The Ukrainian team, which boasts two former women’s world champions on the roster Anna Ushenina and Mariya Muzychuk, won in the women’s event, followed by Georgia, the United States, and India. Ukraine won gold in the women’s section for the second time after the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin back in 2006 and this is the seventh time that the Ukrainian women have won medals in the last eight Olympiads.
The men’s team from Kazakhstan, however, finished 17th, scoring 15 match points (7 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses). The team included Rinat Jumabayev (33 years old) who scored 5.5 points out of 9 games, Alisher Suleimenov (22 years old) who scored 6.5 points from 10 games, Murtas Kazhgaleev (49 y.o.) who scored 1 point out of 4 games, Arystanbek Urazayev (24) who scored 7 points from 11 games and Nogerbek Kazybek (18 years old) who scored 7.5 points from 10 games.
Bibisara Assaubayeva playing against a chess player from India. Photo credit FIDE: L.Ootes & S. Bonhage
The winners in the men’s section were a team from Uzbekistan, one of the youngest teams on the roster led by 17-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov. They secured a gold medal by defeating a team from the Netherlands by 2.5-1.5.
Their win comes at a time when the Uzbek capital of Tashkent has been confirmed to host the 2026 edition of the Chess Olympiad.
