AYCC 2024: Rapid Winners Announced

The first winners and prize-winners of the 26th Asian Youth Chess Championship, held in Almaty, have been determined. Young chess players from Kazakhstan (4), Russia under the FIDE flag (3), India (3), Vietnam (1), and Iran (1) won gold medals in rapid.

Over the course of two days, more than 630 participants aged 7 to 18 competed in the rapid “15+10” format at the Baluan Sholak Arena. They often surprised not only the spectators in the stands and those watching the broadcast but also seasoned commentators like grandmaster Murtas Kazhgaleev and arbiter and coach Olzhas Mengali with their extraordinary solutions.

Among the notable participants were 15-year-old Russian Anna Shukhman, a two-time world chess solving champion, and Aldiyar Ansat, the 2023 champion of Kazakhstan among adults. Both took first place in the under-18 age category.

However, the nature of fast chess, which includes rapid and blitz, means that titled players and rating favorites do not always manage to confirm their class, especially over a short distance like the 7-round Swiss format.

For instance, Zarina Nurgaliyeva (rating 2103), competing in the U16 category, lost 1½ points on the first day and could not even reach 3rd place. It was unrealistic to rise higher because Iranian Mahsa Alavi (rating 1962) won all 7 games, and Mongolian Khuslen Erdenebayar (rating 1884) won 6, losing only to the champion.

The level of competition was so high that rating leaders in the U12 category, such as Syrian Mazen Fendi (rating 2138) and Russian Anastasia Barabash (rating 1938), were outside the top 10. The winners, Kazakh Suleiman Akhmet (rating 2027) and India's Pratiti Bordoloi (rating 1587), had to score almost the maximum number of points (6½) to win!

The high competition level also explains why only Kazakhstan's Adinur Adilbek and Rizat Ulan in the U8 category and Vietnam's Dinh Nho Kiet and Tran Ngoc Minh Duy (U16) achieved winning doubles - 1st and 2nd place.

Interestingly, Adinur Adilbek, a student of the capital's Chess Academy of Dinara Saduakasova, took 5th place in the classics at the Kazakhstan Championship held in January in Shymkent. He was off the podium in both the classic and rapid blitz. Yet here, he emerged as the champion of Asia in rapid chess, entering the classics with a good mood and fighting spirit.

Young chess players from eight countries became rapid winners. In the team competition, Kazakhstan led with 4 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal (8 in total). The Russian team under the FIDE flag had more medals overall (11) - 3 gold, 2 silver, and 6 bronze. The Indian team took third place with 3 gold and 1 silver medal (4 in total). Vietnam's team had 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze medals (6 total), while Iran secured 1 gold medal.

26th Asian Youth Rapid Chess Championships 2024

Almaty (Kazakhstan), June 10-11, 2024

Boys U8:

1. Adinur Adilbek (1565, Kazakhstan) – 6½ points
2. Rizat Ulan (1610, Kazakhstan) – 5½
3. Nguyen Tien San (1603, Vietnam) – 5½

Girls U8:

1. Narayani Umesh Marathe (1517, India) – 6 points
2. Chen Qingran (1451, China) – 5½
3. Nguyen Vu Bao Chau (1580, Vietnam) – 5½

Boys U10:

1. German Kalinichenko (1647, FIDE) – 6 points
2. Zuo Zunyu (1730, China) – 6
3. Phan Tran Khon Nguyen (1785, Vietnam) – 5½

Girls U10:

1. Puja Sri R (1672, India) – 6 points
2. Alice Henrietta Junker (1830, FIDE) – 6
3. Peng Jingyi (1718, China) – 6

Boys U12:

1. Suleiman Akhmet (2027, Kazakhstan) – 6½ points
2. Siddhant Punja (1886, India) – 6
3. Le Anh Tu (1933, Vietnam) – 5½

Girls U12:

1. Pratiti Bordoloi (1587, India) – 6½ points
2. Adelina Abasova (1859, FIDE) – 6
3. Kristina Zavivaeva (1760, FIDE) – 5½

Boys U14:

1. Marat Gilfanov (2117, FIDE) – 6 points
2. Aldiyar Zhauynbay (2022, Kazakhstan) – 5½
3. Nikolay Averin (2385, FIDE) – 5½

Girls U14:

1. Maria Kholyavko (1924, Kazakhstan) – 6½ points
2. Shi Yige (1775, China) – 5½
3. Ulyana Dudkina (1956, FIDE) – 5½

Boys U16:

1. Dinh Nho Kiet (2135, Vietnam) – 6½ points
2. Tran Ngoc Minh Duy (Vietnam) – 6
3. Kirill Otdelnov (2118, FIDE) – 6

Girls U16:

1. Mahsa Alavi (1962, Iran) – 7 points
2. Erdenebayar Khuslen (1884, Mongolia) – 6
3. Olesya Vlasova (1997, FIDE) – 5

Boys U18:

1. Aldiyar Ansat (2349, Kazakhstan) – 6 points
2. Eldiyar Orozbaev (2244, Kyrgyzstan) – 5½
3. Alexander Khripachenko (2283, FIDE) – 5½

Girls U18:

1. Anna Shukhman (2171, FIDE) – 6 points
2. Amina Kayrbekova (2231, Kazakhstan) – 6
3. Alua Nurman (2258, Kazakhstan) – 5½

The 26th Asian Youth Chess Championship is ongoing in Almaty, drawing around 650 young chess players from 34 countries. Beyond the intense battles on the chess boards, participants are enjoying various leisure events organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. One of the highlights was a Q&A session with grandmaster Alisher Suleimenov. The Kazakhstani chess player answered questions from young Asian players, shared useful tips, and talked about his future plans.

Participants were eager to know how Alisher's life had changed after his victory over the 16th world champion, Magnus Carlsen. Alisher created a sensation at the Qatar Masters Open 2023 in Doha by defeating Magnus. “Life after the game with Magnus changed in some ways positively and in some ways negatively. Yes, there is more popularity and collaboration, but this takes a lot of time, which I want to spend on developing my chess skills and participating in tournaments,” Alisher explained.

Most of the juniors were interested in his preparation for competitions, both practically and psychologically. For example, Alisher was asked how many hours a day he dedicates to the game and how to cope with defeats: “I train 6-7 times a week, 6-7 hours a day. As for losing, if you truly love and are passionate about what you do, you should always be prepared for losses and negative emotions. This is inevitable; it is important to be ready for different outcomes. The main thing is to focus on the next goal,” the grandmaster advised the juniors.

When asked if he has a dream, Alisher shared his aspiration to become a world champion, which received applause and support from the young chess players. He also mentioned wanting to play against Iranian grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo (ranked 2732, No. 19 in the world), who recently won the Aktobe Open tournament. Alisher had already faced Parham during this tournament and lost to him.

Pakistani chess player Hafsa Qamar received a chessboard with Suleimenov’s autograph as a prize for asking the best question. She asked about the justification of all the efforts and expenses on classes with coaches and participation in tournaments for young chess players. The grandmaster firmly answered that all efforts are justified: the more you invest, the more you gain in the end. “Today, excellent conditions have been created in Kazakhstan for the development of chess. This has never happened before. We have great support for preparation and participation, and this is very motivating,” noted Suleimenov.

The Asian Youth Championship, organized by KazChess with the support of the Asian Chess Federation, Almaty Akimat, Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, and Baluan Sholak Arena, with the general partnership of Freedom Holding Corp., will continue until June 20.