Kazybek Nogerbek and Elnaz Kaliyahmet crowned new champions of Kazakhstan
Kazybek Nogerbek and Elnaz Kaliyahmet emerged as the winners of the 2025 Kazakhstan Championship, each claiming their maiden national titles. Notably, both champions completed their tournaments unbeaten. The 2025 Kazakhstan Championships (Open and Women’s sections) took place in the capital, Astana, from May 21 to June 1. Both competitions, featuring a total prize fund of 20 million tenge (approximately USD 39,150), were 14-player round-robin tournaments played under classical time control. The Open event turned into an exciting race between the two top seeds, Kazybek Nogerbek and Denis Makhnev. Both started strong and seized the lead early on, but in Round 8, Makhnev suffered a setback, losing to IM Abilmansur Abdilkhair and falling behind. Heading into the final (13th) round, Nogerbek held a half-point lead over his main rival. He opted for a quick draw, while Makhnev scored a crucial win over FM Yerlan Tleukhanov, tying for first place. A tiebreaker was played to determine the champion, where Kazybek Nogerbek ultimately prevailed in the decisive Armageddon game to capture the title. IM Aldiyar Ansat completed the podium, taking bronze. Final Standings – Open In the Women’s event, 14-year-old Elnaz Kaliyahmet delivered an impressive performance, scoring 10/14 to finish clear first. She became the youngest champion in the history of Kazakhstan, breaking a record that had stood since 1998. Zaroma Nurgalieva gave the young champion a strong challenge but, but lost two games at the start and finished half a point behind Kaliyahmet. Top seed Meruert Kamalidenova secured the bronze medal. Final Standings – Women Photos: Kazakhstan Chess Federation
FIDE June 2025 rating list is out
The June 2025 FIDE rating list was primarily shaped by results from the final leg of the Women’s Grand Prix in Austria, the Asian Championship, the GCT Superbet Chess Classic Romania, the 8th Sharjah Masters, and the Mitropa Cup. There were no significant changes in the Open top 10, but just outside it, Anish Giri climbed six places following his victory at the Sharjah Open, returning to the world’s top 12 after more than a year. Photo: Przemek Nikiel The women’s top 10 saw more notable shifts. Zhu Jiner, who shared first place in the WGP Austria, reached a new career high and is now ranked #4 among women. Bibisara Assaubayeva, soon to be awarded the GM title after her strong performance in the 8th Sharjah Masters, hit a career-high rating of 2509, making her debut in the women’s top 10. Biggest gains in the top 100 Open and Women Ouellet, Maili-Jade WGM 2350 (+45) Balabayeva, Xeniya WGM 2352 (+41) Bodnaruk, Anastasia IM 2357 (+25) Indjic, Aleksandar GM 2661 (+24) Klek, Hanna Marie WGM 2344 (+22) Manko, Mariia WIM 2354 (+20) Daneshvar, Bardiya GM 2640 (+19) Yip, Carissa IM 2431 (+19) Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM 2509 (+15) Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime GM 2736 (+13) Maili-Jade Ouellet of Canada (pictured below) was the top overperformer in May, gaining 45 rating points after finishing second in the Sophia Spring Open tournament. Photo: Anna Shtourman Close behind her in the list of biggest rating gains is Xeniya Balabayeva from Kazakhstan, who tied for first place in the 2025 Asian Women’s Championship but missed the podium due to inferior tiebreaks. Still, she gained an impressive 41 points, reached a career high, and entered the top 100 Women for the first time. The winner of the open section in the Asian Championship, Bardiya Daneshvar gained 19 points, debuting in the top 100 Open. GM Aleksandar Indjić (pictured below) had an excellent May as well, earning 24 points thanks to his victory at the Baku Open and a third-place finish at the 8th Sharjah Masters. Photo: Azerbaijan Chess Federation Hanna Marie Klek tied for first place in the German Women’s Championship, adding 22 rating points, while Carissa Yip’s third-place finish in the 2025 Spring Chess Classic (Group B) brought her 19 points. Mariia Manko (pictured below) shone in the 2025 Mitropa Cup, collecting 20 rating points. The Ukrainian native was one of the top scorers in the women’s competition, making a significant contribution to Switzerland’s gold-medal victory. Photo: Tomáš Danada Finally, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who lost on tiebreak to Praggnanandhaa R after tying for first at the GCT Superbet Chess Classic Romania, likely found some consolation in gaining 13 rating points and returning to the top 20 Open.
American Continental Championship 2025: Sam Shankland captures title
GM Sam Shankland (USA) emerged as the winner of the American Continental Chess Championship 2025, claiming the title on superior tiebreak after finishing in a seven-way tie for first place. The 2025 edition of the American Continental Chess Championship took place in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, from May 23–31. The 11-round Swiss tournament, played with classical time control, brought together 218 participants from 17 countries, including 21 grandmasters. The event awarded four qualification spots for the 2025 FIDE World Cup, scheduled for October. It was a fiercely contested tournament, with multiple players sharing the top position throughout. Heading into the final round, top seed Shankland, along with José Eduardo Martínez Alcántara, Alexandr Fier, and Luis Paulo Supi, led the field with 8/10, closely followed by eight players just half a point behind. After the top boards ended in draws, Cristóbal Henríquez Villagra, Santiago Ávila Pavas, and José Gabriel Cardoso Cardoso scored crucial wins, catching up to the leaders. As a result, seven players ultimately tied for first place, with Shankland (gold), Martínez Alcántara (silver), and Fier (bronze) reaching the podium based on the Buchholz tiebreak. Final standings: 1 GM Shankland, Sam USA 2666 8½ 2 GM Martinez Alcantara, Jose MEX 2611 8½ 3 GM Fier, Alexandr BRA 2556 8½ 4 GM Cardoso Cardoso, Jose COL 2516 8½ 5 GM Henriquez Villagra, Cristobal CHI 2597 8½ 6 GM Supi, Luis Paulo BRA 2566 8½ 7 GM Avila Pavas, Santiago COL 2469 8½ 8 GM Bachmann, Axel PAR 2570 8 9 IM Rojas Salas, Steven PER 2343 8 10 GM Oparin, Grigoriy USA 2660 8 Complete final standings Photos: FIDE América