Young Kazakh chess players won an impressive total of 10 gold and 4 bronze medals at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship for juniors, held on the Greek island of Rhodes, reports the national portal “Adyrna.”
The tournament brought together 433 participants aged 8 to 18 from 49 countries.
According to the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, those who became champions in their age categories in both rapid and blitz include Alisha Bisaliyeva, Amirzhan Anetov, Yergali Suleimen, and Elnaz Kaliahmet. In addition, Adinur Adilbek and Ayaru Altynbek took first place in rapid chess. Previously, Kazakhstan would return with only 2–3 gold medals per year — this year’s result is a record-breaking achievement.
Two bronze medals in Greece went to Zhansaya Sholpanbek, while Suleiman Nurakyn and Daniyal Sapenov took third place in blitz.
The standout star of the tournament was 8-year-old Alisha Bisaliyeva from Astana. She won all 22 games in both rapid and blitz formats, leaving no chance for her opponents.
“Our young chess players have exceeded all expectations! They demonstrated brilliant performances. We are proud of this new generation, consistently proving themselves at every international tournament. Systematic training and faith in youth — that’s the path to success,” said Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
Organized by FIDE, the championship was held in six age categories, with separate sections for boys and girls. Kazakhstan was represented by 22 players, nine of whom became medalists.
The tournaments were played in 11 rounds under the Swiss system. In rapid, each player had 15 minutes with a 5-second increment per move, while in blitz, the time control was “5+3.”