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Chess

Kyrgyzstan Chess Development a Priority Says Japarov

Kyrgyzstan chess development is a priority of state social policy, according to a decree signed by the country's president, Sadyr Japarov. Through measures such as after school clubs and training a new generation of teachers, Kyrgyzstan to the sport known as the "Game of Kings". The decree, titled “On Urgent Measures for the Development and Popularization of Chess in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2026-2030,” calls for creating conditions to broaden access to chess and strengthen the country’s system for training players and coaches. Under the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Kyrgyz Chess Union have been tasked with drafting a National Program for the Development and Popularization of Chess by September 1, 2026. A Chess Development Fund is also envisaged to provide financial backing for the sport. One of the centerpiece projects is “Chess in Schools,” a pilot program that will introduce after-school chess clubs at 500 schools across the country for students in Grades 3-5 . The decree also establishes annual presidential awards for the country’s best chess player and best chess coach, with nominees to be proposed by the Kyrgyz Chess Union. The initiative has been welcomed by Aida Salyanova, the newly elected president of the Kyrgyz Chess Union and a former prosecutor general of Kyrgyzstan. Salyanova said government support creates an opportunity to turn chess into one of Kyrgyzstan’s intellectual brands and a tool for developing strategic thinking, discipline, and decision-making skills amongst young people. In a statement published after her election on May 23, she described state support for chess as an investment in human capital rather than merely support for a sport. “Chess should become part of the country’s modern educational, digital, and intellectual environment,” Salyanova said, adding that the long-term goal is to create a sustainable system extending from school chess programs to international competitive success. Kyrgyzstan has an active chess scene, though it remains a modest player internationally. At the 2025 national championship, the open title was won by International Master Eldiyar Orozbaev, while Woman FIDE Master Begimai Zairbek Kyzy won the women’s event. Five of the top 10 finishers in the open tournament were under 20, suggesting the country already has a young competitive base on which the new program can build. The decree comes as chess is attracting wider attention across Central Asia. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the elite Tata Steel Chess Tournament in the Netherlands in early 2026 and later rose to fourth in the live world rankings after victory at the Prague Chess Festival Masters. Kazakhstan has also been investing in chess education, including through KazChessLab, a program designed to train chess teachers for secondary schools.

Chess

Chess: Sindarov Wins Candidates Contest, Will Face World Champion

Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan has won the eight-player FIDE Candidates Tournament, earning the opportunity to challenge world chess champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India later this year. Sindarov drew a game against Anish Giri at the tournament venue in Cyprus on Tuesday, “and with one round remaining, Sindarov holds a commanding two-point lead over the rest of the field,” said FIDE, the international governing body of chess. On the women’s side, Bibisara Asaubayeva of Kazakhstan defeated Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk on Tuesday to move into a tie for first place with India’s R. Vaishali. The women’s final round on Wednesday “will determine whether there will be an outright winner or a tiebreak will be required,” FIDE said. “Up to six of the eight players still have a theoretical chance to win the event.” Sindarov, who won the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, was one of Uzbekistan’s youngest national champions in history, achieving that goal at the age of 13. He is now 20 years old. Magnus Carlsen of Norway currently doesn’t play in the candidates tournament format even though he is the top-ranked classical chess player in the world.

Chess

Sindarov and Asaubayeva: Two Top Chess Players from Central Asia Form Friendship

He’s from Uzbekistan, and she’s from Kazakhstan. They’re elite chess players and good friends accustomed to the high-pressure environment of international tournaments. They went horse-riding together during downtime in South Africa and, on another occasion, played a game in which they had to guess each other’s character quirks. Both are competing right now in Cyprus, where Uzbekistani Javokhir Sindarov is the frontrunner in the eight-player FIDE Candidates Tournament that will determine who challenges the world champion later this year. On the women’s side, Kazakhstani Bibisara Asaubayeva was tied for first place in the early stages of the event but has since slipped further down in the field. Sindarov, 20, became a grandmaster at the age of 12, won the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, and has impressed the chess community with his commanding performance in Cyprus so far. Asaubayeva, 22, won the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2021, 2022, and 2025, and achieved grandmaster status last year as well. Sindarov and Asaubayeva talk with each other about chess, and the player from Kazakhstan said her friend from Uzbekistan wrote to her when he won last year’s World Cup, which led to his qualification for this year’s candidates tournament. In an interview with the TimesofIndia.com, Asaubayeva said she was delighted when her “closest friend” won in Goa. FIDE, the international governing body of chess, described the pair as “2 Happy Winners!” after they won their round three games in Cyprus and left the venue together. In December, Sindarov and Asaubayeva took a horse-riding break together during the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Finals, which was held at the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve near Cape Town in South Africa. They took a selfie together. Predictably, the friendship has led to social media chatter about whether there is a romance, as well as speculation about whether chess might one day have a “king” and “queen” if they become world champions or eventually reach the top of the rankings. One thing seems sure: They don’t mind poking fun at each other and themselves. A Freestyle Chess video short shows them answering questions, including “Who is more likely to blunder the queen in time trouble?” and “Who gets angry more quickly?” and “Who has the better haircut?” and “Who would survive longer in a zombie apocalypse?” The answer to the last one: Asaubayeva thinks she would do better against the zombies, but Sindarov believes he’d last longer.

Chess

Big Names in Chess Praise Sindarov, Now Candidates Frontrunner

The chess world knew Javokhir Sindarov was dangerous heading into the FIDE Candidates Tournament this year, even though he was making his debut at the prestigious event and, at 20 years old, is the youngest of the eight elite contenders. But few people expected the Uzbekistani phenomenon to tear through the field in the first week of the event, racking up five wins and two draws so far in the 14-round tournament. Sindarov has six points out of a possible total of seven, and a 1.5 point lead over second-placed Fabiano Caruana of the United States. He is the strong frontrunner to win the event and earn the right to challenge the current world champion, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, later this year. Monday was a rest day and there are still seven games to go at the candidates tournament being played this year in Cyprus. But some of the biggest names in chess are in awe over Sindarov’s aggressive, resourceful performance. “Incredible result so far!” former world champion Garry Kasparov said on X on April 3 after Sindarov’s wins over second-ranked Caruana and third-ranked Hikaru Nakamura. “Do not underestimate the boost that confidence plays after a strong start. You trust your instincts more, a positive cycle of intuition and performance. Meanwhile, your opponents doubt themselves against you.” Judit Polgár, often described as the best female chess player of all time, said that Sindarov will be at the top of the game for many years regardless of what happens at this year’s candidates tournament. “He is 20 years old, a fearless player, a genius in management,” said Polgár, who is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled Queen of Chess. “Can he keep calm and stay focused until the very end of the tournament? Will he be able to handle the pressure of being so close to becoming the next World Championship challenger?” Nigel Short of Britain, who rose to third in the world in the late 1980s and is currently FIDE director of chess development, compared Sindarov to a young Boris Spassky, the former world champion from Russia who died in 2025. Sindarov, Short said on Facebook, is “a classical player with an excellent feeling for the initiative, who stays calm and trusts his own judgement in dynamic positions.” Sindarov, who won the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, was one of Uzbekistan’s youngest national champions in history, achieving that goal at the age of 13. Still, right now, compatriot Nodirbek Abdusattorov is the higher-ranked player. Abdusattorov didn’t qualify for this year’s candidates tournament, though he recently won several consecutive tournaments. Magnus Carlsen of Norway currently doesn’t play in the candidates tournament format even though he is the top-ranked classical chess player in the world. But he is also keeping an eye on Sindarov, saying “nobody” expected such a strong start to the event.

Chess

Beyond the Magnus Selfie: Kazakhstan’s Alua Nurman Climbs the Chess Ranks

Kazakhstani chess player Alua Nurman attracted attention on social media after taking a selfie with top-ranked Magnus Carlsen at a tournament. However, some chess analysts suggest that greater attention should be paid to her recent success on the board. This year, 18-year-old Nurman was awarded the International Master (IM) title by FIDE, the international governing body of chess. She previously held the lower-ranking Woman Grandmaster title. Nurman delivered strong performances at the Prague International Chess Festival in late February and early March, and again at the Agzamov Memorial tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she defeated American grandmaster Brandon Jacobson, whose classical chess rating is about 2,590. Her rating has increased by around 65 points to more than 2,440 as a result of her recent results. The International Master title requires a rating of at least 2,400. “Alua didn't just take a selfie w/ Magnus, she also earned the IM title, had the best tournament performance of her career, got her highest-rated win ever, & became No. 1 in the girls' junior rankings!” Women’s Chess Coverage, a social media account focused on women’s chess, said on X. FIDE defines juniors as players under 20. Nurman is Kazakhstan’s second-ranked female chess player after Bibisara Asaubayeva, who is currently competing in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. The selfie was taken on April 2, just before Nurman and Carlsen played at the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open in Karlsruhe, Germany. Nurman asked for a selfie, and Carlsen obliged. The Kazakhstani player then put her phone in her bag. After a moment, Carlsen got up and told a tournament official that Nurman had a phone, and it was confiscated for the duration of the game. FIDE generally prohibits players from having electronic communication devices during matches because of concerns about cheating. The selfie incident occurred before the start of the match, which the Norwegian won. Nurman was delighted with the experience of playing Carlsen, who is widely considered one of the best chess players of all time. “Dream come true!!” she said on Instagram. It was, Nurman added, a “truly enjoyable game.”

Chess

Uzbekistan’s Sindarov Beats American Nakamura, Stays in Lead at FIDE Candidates

Playing with the black pieces, Javokhir Sindarov defeated Hikaru Nakamura at the FIDE Candidates Tournament on Friday and maintained his lead at the elite chess event underway on the shores of the Mediterranean. The 20-year-old Uzbekistani grandmaster has won four games after five rounds at the tournament near Paphos, Cyprus, in what some commentators have described as the best start seen at the tournament in many years. Sindarov now has 4.5 points, one point ahead of Fabiano Caruana in second place. The winner of the eight-player, 14-round tournament will challenge the current world champion, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju, later this year. Sindarov’s win over Nakamura of the United States came after he defeated Caruana, who is also American, on Wednesday. Nakamura spent about one hour considering one move, and Caruana had also got into time trouble against Sindarov. “Interesting opening choice from Sindarov,” American grandmaster Hans Niemann, who is not playing in the candidates tournament, tweeted during the Sindarov-Nakamura game. “Slight surprise and betting that Hikaru won't have a dangerous counter-surprise prepared. If Sindarov remembers the line, it seems like it will end in a perpetual. Sindarov continues to impress.” In chess, a perpetual is a situation where one player can endlessly check the other player’s king, leading to a draw. Sindarov, however, turned expectations of a perpetual into a victory. Sindarov won the 2025 World Cup in Goa, India, but his wins over Nakamura, ranked second in the world, and third-ranked Caruana indicate that the Uzbekistani is a consistent contender at the very top of men’s chess. After defeating Nakamura, he signed autographs for children at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, where the candidates tournament is being held. While Sindarov is ranked just outside the top ten in classical chess, his performance in Cyprus is expected to boost his ranking. Another player from Uzbekistan, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, has moved up to fourth place in the classical ratings list. Abdusattorov is currently playing in the Freestyle Chess Open in Karlsruhe, Germany. Top-ranked Magnus Carlsen is also playing there.