{"id":32404,"date":"2025-03-12T12:07:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T12:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/?p=32404"},"modified":"2025-03-12T12:45:48","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T12:45:48","slug":"qazaq-queens-chess-fest-2025-a-global-chess-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/qazaq-queens-chess-fest-2025-a-global-chess-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025: A global chess celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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On March 7, 2025, Almaty became the focal point of the chess world as it hosted the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025, a women\u2019s blitz chess tournament organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess) with support from the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Dedicated to International Women\u2019s Day, the tournament brought together 95 participants of various ages and skill levels, uniting them in a spirited competition for the championship title.<\/p>

More than just a sporting event, the tournament was a true celebration of intellect, artistry, and inspiration. The event was officially opened by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich<\/strong>, who made the symbolic first move, emphasizing the global significance of women\u2019s chess and reinforcing support for the initiative.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Later, the FIDE President had a productive meeting with top officials from KazChess, where they discussed joint projects both in Kazakhstan and internationally. He also fulfilled a long-standing promise by delivering a lecture at NARXOZ University.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The rise of new Champions<\/strong><\/p>

The tournament followed a 9-round Swiss system with a 3+2 time control. In a gripping battle, 13-year-old WFM Aiaru Altynbek<\/strong> emerged victorious scoring an impressive 8 points. Mariya Kholyavko<\/strong> secured second place, while 11-year-old Zhansaya Sholpanbek<\/strong> claimed third. All three winners are recipients of the Young Talent Support Programme scholarships.<\/p>

The tournament\u2019s prize fund amounted to KZT 2 million (approximately $4,000), with the champion receiving KZT 500,000. Additional cash prizes were awarded to the top finishers and best players in various age categories.<\/p>

A Year of Triumph for Kazakhstan<\/strong><\/p>

2024 marked a historic milestone for Kazakhstan\u2019s chess scene. Across international competitions, the country\u2019s juniors, adults, and seniors won 160 medals, including 55 golds. The most remarkable achievement came from Kazakhstan\u2019s women\u2019s team, which secured silver medals at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. These victories have inspired a new generation of female players, many of whom participated in the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025.<\/p>

Supporting women\u2019s chess<\/strong><\/p>

Timur Turlov<\/strong>, President of KazChess, emphasized:<\/p>

\u201cKazakhstan\u2019s women are shining brighter in chess than ever before in our country\u2019s history. We witness their growing skill and professionalism each year. With their victories, they are paving a new path for Kazakhstan to reach the pinnacle of world chess. This motivates us to invest even more in supporting our remarkable female players. The Kazakhstan Chess Federation remains committed to expanding opportunities for women in chess. We will continue to nurture their talents and open new career prospects for them.\u201d<\/p>

Chess and Art: When Boundaries Blur<\/strong><\/p>

As part of the tournament, an art exhibition showcased paintings by Kazakhstan\u2019s artist Aituar Amirkhanova<\/strong>, whose works explore themes of women\u2019s experience and self-expression. A special guest at the event was Inessa Nazarova, titleholder of Mrs. Supermodel Worldwide 2019, who inspired participants with her motivational speech.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kazakhstan and the world: Women\u2019s Chess without borders<\/strong><\/p>

The Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025 became part of a global chess movement, with similar women\u2019s tournaments taking place simultaneously in five countries:<\/p>

  • Wroclaw, Poland<\/strong> \u2013 IV Memoria\u0142 Apolonii Litwi\u0144skiej, honoring the legendary Polish chess player.<\/li>
  • Saint-Tropez, France<\/strong> \u2013 a simultaneous exhibition match with 24 opponents, led by the Ukrainian 15-year-old quad sisters, the Prochaievs.<\/li>
  • Nairobi, Kenya<\/strong> \u2013 the 3rd<\/sup> Queens Rapid Chess Tournament, the largest women\u2019s chess competition in the region.<\/li>
  • Kampala, Uganda<\/strong> \u2013 the 4th<\/sup> Queens of Chess Rapid Chess Tournament, bringing together Africa\u2019s strongest female players.<\/li><\/ul>

    Kazakhstan has reaffirmed its role as a key hub for women\u2019s chess, and the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025 has solidified its place in an international movement that unites women worldwide through the game of chess.<\/p>

    Women are changing the chess world\u2014and this is just the beginning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    On March 7, 2025, Almaty became the focal point of the chess world as it hosted the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025, a women\u2019s blitz chess tournament organized by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation (KazChess) with support from the International Chess Federation (FIDE). Dedicated to International Women\u2019s Day, the tournament brought together 95 participants of various ages and skill levels, uniting them in a spirited competition for the championship title. More than just a sporting event, the tournament was a true celebration of intellect, artistry, and inspiration. The event was officially opened by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, who made the symbolic first move, emphasizing the global significance of women\u2019s chess and reinforcing support for the initiative. Later, the FIDE President had a productive meeting with top officials from KazChess, where they discussed joint projects both in Kazakhstan and internationally. He also fulfilled a long-standing promise by delivering a lecture at NARXOZ University. The rise of new Champions The tournament followed a 9-round Swiss system with a 3+2 time control. In a gripping battle, 13-year-old WFM Aiaru Altynbek emerged victorious scoring an impressive 8 points. Mariya Kholyavko secured second place, while 11-year-old Zhansaya Sholpanbek claimed third. All three winners are recipients of the Young Talent Support Programme scholarships. The tournament\u2019s prize fund amounted to KZT 2 million (approximately $4,000), with the champion receiving KZT 500,000. Additional cash prizes were awarded to the top finishers and best players in various age categories. A Year of Triumph for Kazakhstan 2024 marked a historic milestone for Kazakhstan\u2019s chess scene. Across international competitions, the country\u2019s juniors, adults, and seniors won 160 medals, including 55 golds. The most remarkable achievement came from Kazakhstan\u2019s women\u2019s team, which secured silver medals at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. These victories have inspired a new generation of female players, many of whom participated in the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025. Supporting women\u2019s chess Timur Turlov, President of KazChess, emphasized: \u201cKazakhstan\u2019s women are shining brighter in chess than ever before in our country\u2019s history. We witness their growing skill and professionalism each year. With their victories, they are paving a new path for Kazakhstan to reach the pinnacle of world chess. This motivates us to invest even more in supporting our remarkable female players. The Kazakhstan Chess Federation remains committed to expanding opportunities for women in chess. We will continue to nurture their talents and open new career prospects for them.\u201d Chess and Art: When Boundaries Blur As part of the tournament, an art exhibition showcased paintings by Kazakhstan\u2019s artist Aituar Amirkhanova, whose works explore themes of women\u2019s experience and self-expression. A special guest at the event was Inessa Nazarova, titleholder of Mrs. Supermodel Worldwide 2019, who inspired participants with her motivational speech. Kazakhstan and the world: Women\u2019s Chess without borders The Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025 became part of a global chess movement, with similar women\u2019s tournaments taking place simultaneously in five countries: Wroclaw, Poland \u2013 IV Memoria\u0142 Apolonii Litwi\u0144skiej, honoring the legendary Polish chess player. Saint-Tropez, France \u2013 a simultaneous exhibition match with 24 opponents, led by the Ukrainian 15-year-old quad sisters, the Prochaievs. Nairobi, Kenya \u2013 the 3rd Queens Rapid Chess Tournament, the largest women\u2019s chess competition in the region. Kampala, Uganda \u2013 the 4th Queens of Chess Rapid Chess Tournament, bringing together Africa\u2019s strongest female players. Kazakhstan has reaffirmed its role as a key hub for women\u2019s chess, and the Qazaq Queens Chess Fest 2025 has solidified its place in an international movement that unites women worldwide through the game of chess. Women are changing the chess world\u2014and this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32405,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[334],"regular":[],"sticky-post":[],"class_list":["post-32404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chess-news","tag-national-federations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32404"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32429,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32404\/revisions\/32429"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32405"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32404"},{"taxonomy":"regular","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/regular?post=32404"},{"taxonomy":"sticky-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fide.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sticky-post?post=32404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}