Kazakh Chess Players Shine at World Blitz Team Championship, Winning Team Silver and Six Individual Medals — Including Two Golds, DKnews.kz reports.
Kazakhstan delivered a stellar performance at the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship in London, securing a team silver medal (KazChess) and six individual medals, including two golds, the press service of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation reports.
KazChess stormed into the finals, showcasing spectacular play and unshakable determination. Kazakhstan continues its rise to the summit of the global chess elite.
“Congratulations to the KazChess team on their brilliant performance and silver medals at the World Blitz Team Championship in London! We managed to assemble a truly strong and united team — a blend of young talents and seasoned players who fought with heart and skill throughout the tournament. This result once again proves that we are now competing on equal footing with the world’s top teams. Considering the youth and ambition of our players, I am confident that the greatest victories are still ahead of us” Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation
Team KazChess included:
- Alexander Grischuk (2683, FID)
- Richard Rapport (2631, Hungary)
- Andrey Esipenko (2646, FID)
- Darmen Sadvakasov (2575)
- Aldiyar Ansat (2488)
- Meruert Kamalidenova (2255)
- Yelnaz Kaliahmet (2189)
- Islam Ayten (1929, amateur)
Captain – Gulmira Dauletova
“We are extremely happy. This is a breakthrough for Kazakh chess” Darmen Sadvakasov, First Vice President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and member of the team
KazChess placed second in Group D, then defeated Rookies in the Round of 16, overcame Freedom in the quarterfinals, and triumphed over Uzbekistan in the semifinals. In the final, they faced WR Chess Team, who successfully defended their title and took home €75,000. Silver medalists earned €50,000, bronze medalists €30,000. The 4th and 5th place finishers received €20,000 and €15,000 respectively.
Six Kazakh players also distinguished themselves individually, ranking among the top three performers on each of the nine boards based on performance rating:
Gold Medals:
- Yergali Suleymen (Rookies, Board 7)
- Aldiyar Sailaubai (Ashdod Elit Chess Club, Board 9)
Silver Medals:
- Aldiyar Ansat (KazChess, Board 6)
- Kseniya Balabaeva (Barys.kz, Board 7)
- Darmen Dauren (Rookies, Board 9)
Bronze Medal:
- Daniyal Sapenov (Rookies, Board 2)
The 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships mark the third edition of the event, following Düsseldorf in 2023 and Astana in 2024.
Held from June 11 to 15, the tournament brought together 52 teams in London. The rapid segment concluded earlier with Team MGD1 winning gold, Hexamind Chess Team taking silver, and Freedom securing bronze.
In the blitz format (3 minutes + 2 seconds per move), teams competed on six boards: four main boards, one female board, and one amateur board (under 2000 FIDE rating).
Kazakhstan’s team silver and six individual honors have firmly demonstrated that the country is home to a world-class chess school.
Our players gained invaluable experience and proved they can compete for top honors at the highest levels of international competition.
