Kazakhstan's young chess players shine in Astana, securing 2026 titles
Young chess players dominated the 2026 Kazakhstan Chess Championship in Astana, with teenagers taking home both the men's and women's top honors, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Fifteen-year-old Sauat Nurgaliyev and 16-year-old Zarina Nurgaliyeva won the men’s and women’s titles and earned spots at the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. This marks the first time Kazakhstan is represented by such a youthful team at this level.
The championship featured 14 players in both the Open and Women’s tournaments, competing in a 13-round round-robin format with classical time control. Along with prize money of 20 million tenge, the top finishers qualified for the 46th Chess Olympiad.
The men’s tournament included five grandmasters and six international masters. Despite the strong field, Nurgaliyev took the lead early and remained consistent throughout the event. Going into the final round, he led by one point and only needed a draw to secure the title. He finished unbeaten with 9 points from 13 games, recording five wins and eight draws.
Born on September 16, 2010, Nurgaliyev became an international master in 2024. He previously won silver at the 2025 U16 World Championship and bronze at the 2024 U14 World Championship. This was his first appearance at the adult national championship.
In the women’s event, defending champion Yelnaz Kaliakhmet started strongly, but the competition tightened by the ninth round. In the final round, Nurgaliyeva and Meruert Kamalidenova drew their game, while Kaliakhmet and Liya Kurmangaliyeva both won, leaving four players tied with nine points each.
The title was decided through rapid and blitz tiebreaks. Nurgaliyeva eventually defeated Kamalidenova 2-0 in blitz to claim the championship.
Born on October 9, 2009, Nurgaliyeva previously won bronze at the 2024 National Championship and silver in 2025. She is also a former U14 girls’ world champion and won gold at the 2026 U18 World Blitz Championship.
The tournament highlighted the rise of Kazakhstan’s young chess generation. Several teenagers competed against experienced masters, including 12-year-old Alanna Berikkyzy, who finished seventh and achieved her second women’s international master norm.
Many of the young players arrived in Astana after strong performances at the Junior World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Serbia, where Kazakhstani players won several gold, silver, and bronze medals.
