Kazakh chess players Alua Nurman and Kumar Tulyupov have won silver medals in the individual board standings at the 2026 FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships in Hong Kong, DKNews.kz reports.
Alua Nurman, representing Team Barys, recorded the second-best performance on Board 7, while Kumar Tulyupov of Team Kazchess secured silver on Board 9.
The medals became one of Kazakhstan’s biggest achievements at one of the strongest team events on the international chess calendar.
World’s Best Players Compete in Hong Kong
The FIDE World Team Rapid and Blitz Championships brought together 48 teams featuring many of the world’s leading chess stars.
Among the participants were:
- Magnus Carlsen
- Ding Liren
- Alireza Firouzja
- Arjun Erigaisi
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Kazakhstan was represented by two teams, Kazchess and Barys, supported by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation and its генеральный sponsor Freedom Holding Corp.
Two Strong Kazakh Teams Reach the Top 10
Kazchess and Barys both delivered solid performances in the rapid tournament, finishing among the world's top ten teams.
Final rapid standings for the Kazakh teams:
- Kazchess – 7th place (15 match points)
- Barys – 9th place (15 match points)
One of the tournament’s biggest surprises came when Barys defeated WR Chess, the team led by Magnus Carlsen and the top seed of the competition.
The victory was widely regarded as one of the standout results of the rapid championship.
Star-Studded Lineups
Kazchess featured a combination of Kazakhstan’s leading players and internationally renowned grandmasters.
The team included:
- Bibisara Assaubayeva
- Kazibek Nogerbek
- Aldiyar Ansat
- Meruert Kamalidenova
- Kumar Tulyupov
The team was also strengthened by:
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
- Alexander Grischuk
- Richard Rapport
- Wang Hao
Kazchess was captained by Kazakhstan Chess Federation First Vice President Darmen Sadvakasov.
Barys competed with:
- Dmitry Andreikin
- Peter Svidler
- Denis Makhnev
- Ramazan Zhalmakhanov
- Daniyal Sapenov
- Yergali Suleimen
- Ksenia Balabayeva
- Alua Nurman
- Aylin Zarkym
The team was led by Kazakhstan Chess Federation Executive Director Gulmira Dauletova.
Both Teams Advance to Blitz Playoffs
Following the rapid tournament, players moved on to the World Team Blitz Championship.
The competition uses a time control of:
- 3 minutes per player
- 2-second increment from move one
After the group stage, the top 16 teams advanced to the knockout rounds.
Both Kazakh teams successfully reached the playoffs.
Group stage results:
- Barys – 3rd place in Group A (18 match points)
- Kazchess – 2nd place in Group D (18 match points)
Strong Fight Against Tournament Favorites
In the Round of 16, Barys faced Dragon Chilling of China, the winner of the rapid championship.
The first match ended in a 3:3 draw, but Dragon Chilling won the second encounter 4:2 to advance.
Despite the loss, Barys delivered several impressive performances.
Alua Nurman won her mini-match against 2018 World Blitz Championship bronze medalist Lei Tingjie by a score of 1½–½.
Ramazan Zhalmakhanov also held Chinese grandmaster Lu Shanglei to a 1:1 tie.
Kazchess faced Team MGD1, the reigning World Team Rapid Champion.
After losing the first match 5:1, the Kazakh side fought back strongly in the second encounter but narrowly lost 3½–2½.
Kazakhstan Finishes Among World’s Best
Although both teams were eliminated in the Round of 16, they finished among the top 16 teams in the world in the blitz competition.
Combined with the silver medals won by Alua Nurman and Kumar Tulyupov in the rapid event, the championship highlighted the growing strength of Kazakhstan’s chess program on the international stage.
Why This Matters
Competing against teams featuring some of the world's strongest grandmasters, Kazakhstan’s players demonstrated that they can challenge the global elite.
The silver medals won by Alua Nurman and Kumar Tulyupov represent significant individual achievements, while the performances of Kazchess and Barys underline the depth of talent within Kazakhstan’s chess community.
With two teams reaching the knockout stage and earning international recognition, the championship further strengthens Kazakhstan’s reputation as one of the fastest-rising nations in world chess.
