Three of four medals were gold. Kazakh chess players Aldiyar and Alimzhan Zhauynbay won four medals between them in their respective age categories at a tournament in Singapore, according to the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, DKNews.kz reports.
The brothers both secured gold in blitz, while Aldiyar added another title in rapid and Alimzhan took silver in classical chess.
Aldiyar Zhauynbay wins two gold medals
The elder brother, FIDE Master Aldiyar Zhauynbay, competed in the under-20 category.
In the rapid tournament, the Kazakh player scored 5.5 points to take first place.
He finished ahead of International Master Christian Gian Karlo Arca of the Philippines and Tran Gia Phuc Pham of Vietnam.
Aldiyar claimed his second gold medal in blitz. He scored seven points after nine rounds, finishing ahead of Tran Gia Phuc Pham in second place and Christian Gian Karlo Arca in third.
He also came close to another medal in classical chess.
Aldiyar scored 6.5 points — the same total as the players who finished first, second and third — but placed fourth after tiebreak criteria were applied.
Alimzhan takes gold and silver
FIDE Master Alimzhan Zhauynbay competed in the under-12 category and also returned from Singapore with two medals.
He won gold in blitz after scoring eight points and finishing ahead of his Vietnamese rivals.
In classical chess, Alimzhan collected seven points and took silver.
He finished level on points with tournament winner Phan Hoang Quan Le of Vietnam but lost first place on tiebreak criteria.
Together, the brothers' results in Singapore were:
- Aldiyar Zhauynbay — gold in rapid
- Aldiyar Zhauynbay — gold in blitz
- Alimzhan Zhauynbay — gold in blitz
- Alimzhan Zhauynbay — silver in classical chess
Brothers are part of KazChess talent program
Both Aldiyar and Alimzhan participate in the Kazakhstan Chess Federation's program supporting young talent.
The initiative is designed to develop the country's strongest young chess players by providing support for coaching, international competitions and preparation for major tournaments.
A total of 45 promising chess players currently participate in the KazChess young talent support program.
The Zhauynbay brothers have been part of the initiative for several years.
Why their Singapore result matters
The four-medal performance adds to Kazakhstan's growing results in international youth chess.
The brothers competed in different age groups but both demonstrated strength in faster time controls, winning their respective blitz competitions.
Aldiyar's fourth-place finish in classical chess was also decided only by additional criteria despite him scoring the same number of points as all three medalists.
Alimzhan's progress is particularly notable. In 2025, at the age of 11, he became the youngest FIDE Master in the history of Kazakh chess.
The Singapore results provide another indication of how Kazakhstan's emerging generation is moving from domestic talent programs into competitive international events.
