Kazakhstan heads to the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad with one of the world's strongest women's teams, entering the tournament as the fourth seed and carrying the momentum of a historic breakthrough that put the country on the global chess map, DKNews.kz reports.
When the world's best players gather in Samarkand this September, Kazakhstan won't just be chasing another medal — it will arrive as one of the tournament's biggest contenders.
The official team lists for the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad have been released, confirming Kazakhstan's women's national team as the No. 4 seed in the competition. Only India, Georgia and China are ranked higher, placing Kazakhstan firmly among the favorites for the podium.
The tournament will take place from September 15 to 27 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
A team built to challenge the world's best
Kazakhstan's women's lineup combines experience with one of the strongest generations of young chess talent the country has ever produced.
The team includes:
- Grandmaster Bibisara Assaubayeva
- International Master Alua Nurman
- International Master Meruert Kamalidenova
- Woman International Master Elnaz Kaliakhmet
- Woman International Master Zarina Nurgaliyeva
The squad will be led by Grandmaster Pavel Kotsur and enters the Olympiad with an average rating of 2421.
Behind Kazakhstan in the seedings are traditional powerhouses including the United States and Ukraine.
Building on a historic Olympic breakthrough
Expectations are high after Kazakhstan produced its best-ever result at the previous Chess Olympiad in Budapest in 2024.
The women's team captured a historic silver medal — the country's first medal in Chess Olympiad history — finishing just one match point behind the eventual champions.
That performance transformed Kazakhstan from an emerging force into a legitimate title contender.
Bibisara Assaubayeva leads Kazakhstan's title ambitions
Much of the spotlight will once again fall on Bibisara Assaubayeva, who continues to establish herself among the world's elite.
The Kazakh grandmaster has enjoyed another outstanding season, winning Norway Chess Women earlier this year before finishing runner-up at the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament.
Her recent form gives Kazakhstan one of the strongest first boards in the competition.
Kazakhstan's Open team faces a tougher challenge
In the Open section, Kazakhstan enters as the 34th seed with an average team rating of 2516.
Grandmaster Anuar Ismagambetov will captain a squad featuring:
- Grandmaster Denis Makhnev
- Grandmaster Aldiyar Ansat
- International Master Zhandos Agmanov, whose Grandmaster title is awaiting official ratification
- International Master Daniyal Sapenov
- International Master Sauat Nurgaliyev
The United States tops the Open seedings, followed by India, while host nation Uzbekistan starts the tournament as the third seed.
Nearly 400 teams to compete in Samarkand
The 46th Chess Olympiad is set to become one of the largest editions of the event.
A total of 400 national teams have confirmed their participation, including 208 teams in the Open section and 192 in the Women's competition.
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for September 15, with the first of 11 Swiss-system rounds beginning the following day.
For Kazakhstan, the mission is clear: after making history two years ago, the women's team now arrives in Samarkand with a realistic chance of going one step further — and fighting for the country's first-ever Chess Olympiad gold.
