ALMATY – Kazakh chess rising star Meruert Kamalidenova delivered another remarkable performance by finishing as women’s vice-champion at the sixth El Llobregat Open Chess Tournament, a major international event held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 8 in the town of Sant Boi de Llobregat on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain.
Meruert Kamalidenova’s strong performance in Spain caps an extraordinary year in which she solidified her status as one of Central Asia’s most promising young chess players. Photo credit: Kazakhstan Chess Federation
The tournament, a well-established fixture on the European chess calendar, featured a prize fund of 35,050 euros (approximately US$37,500), reported the Kazakhstan Chess Federation on Dec. 9.
The main event brought together 132 players from 33 countries, including 12 participants from Kazakhstan. The competition followed a 10-round Swiss format with classical time controls.
Among the standout performers, Kamalidenova emerged as one of the brightest figures. Entering the event as the 63rd seed with a rating of 2343, she delivered an exceptional run, scoring 6 points out of 9 and finishing 24th overall in a mixed field of both male and female competitors. In the women’s category, she finished second behind India’s Vantika Agrawal, earning the vice-champion title and a 300 euros (US$320) prize.
Kazakhstan’s best overall finisher was 23-year-old grandmaster Ramazan Zhalmakhanov, who placed 16th with 6.5 points.
Kamalidenova’s strong performance in Spain caps an extraordinary year in which she solidified her status as one of Central Asia’s most promising young chess players. Her 2025 season included a bronze medal at the Asian Zone 3.4 Championship in April, followed by another bronze at the Kazakhstan Women’s Championship in May. In June, she helped lead the national team to silver at the FIDE World Team Blitz Championship and earned an individual silver in rapid play on Board 7.
With her latest silver, Kamalidenova reaffirms her position as one of the region’s most dynamic and accomplished young chess talents, carrying Kazakhstan’s chess tradition confidently onto the global stage.
