Kazakhstan’s 11-year-old chess prodigy Alimzhan Zhауynbay has claimed gold at the prestigious International Chess Festival in Fujairah, UAE, DKNews.kz reports.
Competing in the Youth-Open section (rating below 2200), Alimzhan delivered a brilliant performance, scoring 8 out of 9 points. This outstanding result secured him clear first place among 250 young participants. His victory has become a remarkable milestone for Kazakhstan’s chess community. Just recently in Abu Dhabi, Alimzhan won silver in the U11 category, and now he continues his confident march toward new achievements. The Fujairah triumph strengthens his momentum ahead of the upcoming World and Asian Championships this autumn.
Held from August 25 to September 1, 2025, the inaugural Global Fujairah Championship gathered elite players from across the world.
In the Superstars tournament, 44 grandmasters rated 2560+ from 19 countries competed.
The winner was 18-year-old Indian Pranav Venkatesh, scoring 7 points (5 wins, 4 draws) with a stunning performance rating of 2843.
21-year-old American Brandon Jacobson finished second with 6 points.
26-year-old Mexican Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara took third, while 24-year-old Iranian Mohammad Amin Tabatabaei placed fourth.
In the Masters tournament, 239 players rated 2200–2599 took part, including 14 from Kazakhstan.
The title went to 16-year-old American GM Bruington Hardaway with 7½ points.
21-year-old Turk Umut Ata Akbas finished second with 7 points, while Iran’s Artin Ashraf came third.
Kazakhstan’s Aldiyar Zhауynbay, Daniyal Sapenov, Arystanbek Urazayev, and Aldiyar Ansat each scored 6 points, finishing between 20th and 36th.
13-year-old Aldiyar Zhауynbay gained 72.4 rating points and achieved the International Master (IM) norm, while 12-year-old Danis Kuandykuly also secured the IM norm with 5 points.
The impressive results of Kazakhstan’s young talents in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah set the stage for major events this fall:
World Cadet Championships (U8–U12) in Almaty
World Youth Championships (U14–U18) in Albania
Asian School Championships in Mongolia
World Rapid & Blitz Championships (U9–U17) in Turkey
With growing confidence and skill, Alimzhan and his peers are determined to deliver strong performances on the world stage.
