ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva won over four-time women’s world champion China’s Hou Yifan on April 17 in round three of the first day of a three-day chess match between top women players from Kazakhstan and the world, reported the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) press service.
Photo credit: Steve Bonhage/FIDE.
Rapid and blitz chess match between the women’s national team of Kazakhstan and Team World is a side event of the World Chess Championship between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren.
The event features eight rounds each in rapid and blitz games, having 15 minutes plus 10 seconds in rapid and three minutes plus two seconds for blitz.
The national team of Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Steve Bonhage/FIDE.
The world team leads with 18.5 points, while team Kazakhstan has 13.5 points.
Following day one, India’s Harika Dronavalli, who scored two victories and made two draws, became the most productive player on the world team. Alua Nurmanova was Kazakhstan’s top-performing player, gaining three victories and one defeat.
The national team of Kazakhstan includes Nurmanova, Assaubayeva, Dinara Saduakasova, Liya Kurmangaliyeva, Meruert Kamalidenova, Xeniya Balabayeva, Zarina Nurgaliyeva and Zhansaya Abdumalik.
The world team. Photo credit: Steve Bonhage/FIDE.
The world team features Azerbaijan’s Gunay Mammadzada, Bulgaria’s Nurgyul Salimova, China’s Hou, Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze, Hungary’s Zsoka Gaal, India’s Dronavalli and Savitha Shri B, and Uzbekistan’s Afruza Khamdamova.
“The players gathered here today are an example for the younger generation and I am sure many young players will join the ranks and that there will be a huge number of people in our country taking up chess,” said Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov, opening the event on April 17.
The three-day match is a “logical continuation of what Kazakhstan is doing in chess,” said FIDE’s Chief Executive Officer and grandmaster Emil Sutovsky.
“We see the country as an important hub for FIDE. We see this event as an opportunity to raise awareness about women’s chess in general, but also to motivate younger women in Kazakhstan to look into chess,” he added.
The match will last through April 19.
