Assaubayeva’s earnings at FIDE Candidates revealed
The final amount of prize money to be awarded to Kazakh chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva for her participation in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament has been revealed, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Although Assaubayeva did not secure a spot in the Women’s World Chess Championship match, she will not return home empty-handed.
Assaubayeva received €17,000 for her runner-up finish, as stipulated by the tournament rules. She also earned €2,200 for every 0.5 point scored, bringing in an additional €17,600 for her eight points.
In total, one of Kazakhstan’s most prominent chess players earned €34,600 in prize money (over 19.3 million tenge).
Notably, no Kazakh player had previously qualified for the biennial Candidates Tournament, which features the world’s top players. In this context, Assaubayeva’s runner-up finish on her debut at this level marks a strong result.
Reflecting on her performance, Assaubayeva said she would work on her mistakes and aim to qualify again for the next Candidates Tournament in two years with a stronger result.
“The 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament has come to an end. Unfortunately, I was a bit unlucky towards the end, finishing in second place. There is still work to be done, and I will come back stronger. I am proud to represent our country at the highest level — more to come. I would like to thank everyone for your support; it means a lot to me. Onward,” the athlete wrote on Instagram.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan's Aiym Serikbayeva has become a world junior taekwondo champion in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
