ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s women’s chess team moved into second place at the 46th Chess Olympiad after securing its sixth consecutive victory, defeating Azerbaijan 2.5–1.5 in the sixth round.
Kazakhstan’s women’s chess team moved into second place. Photo credit: KazChess.
Alua Nurman delivered the decisive point for Kazakhstan, defeating Gunay Mammadzada 1–0. Bibisara Assaubayeva, Meruert Kamalidenova and Zarina Nurgaliyeva drew their respective games. Kazakhstan now has 12 team points, level with leaders China. The two teams will meet in the seventh round on Sept. 23.
“The last two rounds have been tense. Yesterday, I had a losing position but managed to hold on. Meruert also won on the third board, and thanks to that we secured the victory. This is an Olympiad, so nothing comes easily. We will keep trying,” said Kazakhstan team member Yelnaz Kaliakhmet.
Kazakhstan’s men’s team also secured a convincing victory in the sixth round, defeating Colombia 3.5–0.5. Denis Makhnyov, Sauat Nurgaliyev and Daniyal Sapennov won their games, while Zhandos Agmanov drew. The result moved Kazakhstan to 25th place in the standings, up from its starting position of 35th.
“The Olympiad has been interesting. The guys are trying hard. My tournament is not going exactly as I would like so far, but the team supports me. Overall, we are doing well. We have a strong team. Our girls are performing very well – they have won every match, and we are supporting them,” said Kazakhstan team member Aldiyar Ansat.
Uzbekistan, the host nation, currently leads the men’s standings. Kazakhstan will face Serbia in the seventh round. The Olympiad had a rest day on Sept. 22, with the seventh round scheduled for Sept. 23. The 46th Chess Olympiad consists of 11 rounds.
Kazakh coaches prepare six foreign teams
Kazakh chess coaches have also contributed to the preparation of six foreign national teams competing at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, reported the Kazakh Chess Federation’s press service.
Kazakh chess coaches have also contributed to the preparation of six foreign national teams. Photo credit: KazChess.
Under the FACI programme, teams from Jordan, Cambodia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal, Pakistan and Turkmenistan prepared for the Olympiad with Kazakh coaches during the current season. Turkmenistan held a two-week training camp in May–June at the Chess House in Kokshetau under Grandmaster Alexander Rakhmanov. The team continued training online during the summer before returning to Kazakhstan for another two-week camp ahead of the Olympiad.
The preparation produced immediate results, with both Turkmenistan’s men’s and women’s teams winning their opening-round matches 4–0. The men defeated Timor-Leste, while the women beat Liechtenstein.
Other Kazakh coaches working with foreign teams include Grandmaster Petr Kostenko, who leads the Kyrgyz Republic’s men’s team; International Master Rustam Kaiyrbekov, who coaches Cambodia’s men’s team; and International Master Kirill Kuderinov, who works with Nepal’s men’s team. Kazakh coaches also worked with players from Jordan and Pakistan shortly before the Olympiad.
Kazakh specialists have previously worked with foreign teams at international competitions. At the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Dmitry Stativkin served as captain of Oman’s team, Bakhtiyar Askarov worked with Cambodia, and Zhanibek Amanov with Sri Lanka. Grandmaster Evgeny Vladimirov also coached Tajikistan’s team remotely.
