At just eight years old, Iskander Zhakupov has earned a spot on the French national youth chess team. This fall, the Kazakhstani citizen will represent France at the World Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the European Championship in Budva, Montenegro. In France, non-citizen children can compete internationally under the national flag if they attend school in the country and are part of a chess club. For adults, however, citizenship is required. Iskander was born in 2017 and is growing up to be an active and inquisitive boy. He enjoys soccer, playing guitar, solving Rubik’s Cubes, and studying math. In preschool, he was even awarded the title “Math Student of the Year.” Although both of his parents are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, they currently live and work in France. His mother, Marzhan Kamardina, told The Times of Central Asia that his passion for chess began at the age of three, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, his older brother was taking online chess lessons with a coach, and Iskander became fascinated while watching him play. “In the summer of 2021, we happened to visit a science museum,” his mother recalled. “As part of a chess promotion exhibit, there were tables set up for casual play. The organizers were amazed to learn that Iskander was only four years old. By then, he already knew so much. It was the first outside confirmation of his abilities and a real discovery for us.” Iskander soon began competing in online tournaments. During one hosted by a Kazakhstani chess school, a referee noted his use of a wide range of openings, including unconventional ones. Unlike Kazakhstan, France lacks a formal ranking system, so Iskander earns his titles through online qualifiers. He reached the equivalent of a second-level rank six months ago and will need to compete in an in-person tournament in Kazakhstan to advance to the first level. Iskander’s first major tournament took place in 2021, when he entered the qualifying round of the French under-8 championship at just four years old, competing against children three or four years older. He competed in seven games, winning four, drawing one, and earning 4.5 points, which was enough to advance to the regional Ile-de-France Championship. As the youngest player to qualify, he received a special prize. At the time, he didn’t grasp the significance of the achievement. He was simply enjoying the game. By age seven, Iskander had taken second place in the Ile-de-France tournament. In 2025, he became the French under-8 champion. The 62nd French Junior Chess Championship was recently held in Vichy, drawing more than 1,800 young players from across the country. The under-8 and under-10 categories competed over five days, each playing nine intense rounds. In the final rounds, Iskander faced regional champions from all over France. He lost only one game, to a player who had earlier been defeated by someone Iskander had beaten. Both players finished with 8 points, and the outcome remained uncertain until the very end. Iskander had...
