Kazakhstan’s Chess “Oscar”: KazChess Awards 2026 unites champions, legends, and the nation’s future
At the Hilton Astana in Astana, the KazChess Awards 2026 ceremony brought together world champions, coaches, arbiters, regional leaders, and distinguished guests from the international sports community. In just a few years, this national award has evolved into a true celebration – comparable in scale to the Oscars – except here, the spotlight is on intellect and strategic mastery. The evening opened with a “Renaissance” performance by the FLAME STARS dance ensemble – a fitting metaphor for the renaissance Kazakhstan’s chess has experienced in recent years. Athletes, coaches, officials, journalists, and patrons filled the hall, reflecting how chess in Kazakhstan has long outgrown its niche status. The KazChess Awards is more than an annual recognition of the best performers. It is a showcase of systemic transformation launched in January 2023 that has reshaped Kazakhstani chess. The results are measurable: 126 international medals in 2023, 160 in 2024, and 162 in 2025. These achievements form the foundation behind every statuette presented on stage. High-level representation A welcome address on behalf of Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, was delivered by Nurtore Zhussip, Chairman of the Committee on Socio-Cultural Development and Science. Awards to para-athletes were presented by Major General Aidar Saitbekov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs. Nominations within the “Chess in Education” program were presented by Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Aidos Zholmanov, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Education. The final nominations were announced by Arkady Dvorkovich, President of FIDE. Such representation at a national sports award is rare in any discipline. The ceremony also featured a congratulatory letter from Olzhas Suleimenov, poet, diplomat, Director of the International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under UNESCO. His message emphasized unity, shared responsibility, and chess as a tool for societal development. International recognition In his remarks, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich noted that Kazakhstan has become a model for chess development worldwide, particularly through its youth system and grassroots expansion. These words are supported by data: hundreds of international medals, world team titles, and junior world champions in recent years. “Over the last few years, Kazakhstan, together with the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, has firmly established itself as one of the key global hubs for chess development – investing in school chess and education as well as in elite events. A huge part of this progress is connected to Timur Turlov and the Freedom Holding Corp., which he founded. Since 2022, Kazakhstan and Freedom have supported some of the biggest events in the global chess calendar – from the 2022 World Rapid & Blitz Championships in Almaty and the 2023 World Championship Match in Astana, to the 2024 WRB Teams as well as the WRB in New York that year, and many other initiatives worldwide. I am confident this is only the beginning. Many more ambitious projects are ahead, and Kazakhstan will continue to play an important role in shaping the future of world chess,” he said. Vision from the federation Timur Turlov, President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, highlighted the philosophy behind the awards: recognition not only of athletes and coaches, but also arbiters, managers, and educators working across the country toward a common goal–strengthening Kazakhstan through chess. What produces champions: The Young Talents Support Program A key distinction in Kazakhstan’s approach is between elite sports development and educational outreach. The Young Talents Support Program for athletes under 16 provides grants, training camps, international exposure, and professional coaching. In 2024, 18 national team players received support totaling 454 million tenge; in 2025, 21 athletes received 425 million tenge. Over three years, Kazakhstani players across age groups have won 448 medals in official international competitions. Standout achievements include: Bibisara Assaubayeva – three-time World Blitz Champion Women’s national team – historic Olympic silver in Budapest 2024 Kazybek Nogerbek – World Junior U20 Champion Alisha Bisaliyeva – multiple youth world titles Edgar Mamedov and Mark Smirnov – 2025 youth world champions Over three years, the federation awarded 5 new Grandmaster and 15 International Master titles. “Chess in Education”: 1,500 schools and 60,000 children Separate from elite sports, the “Chess in Education” program focuses on cognitive development for all children. The state target of 1,400 schools (2023–2027 plan) has already been exceeded: today, more than 1,500 schools and 60,000 students participate nationwide. Some 2,800 primary school teachers have been trained. In the 2025–2026 academic year, 204 students in five pedagogical universities enrolled in a specialized Minor program. Fourteen memorandums have been signed with universities. In September 2025, Almaty hosted the III International Conference “Chess in Education” with 281 experts discussing chess’s role in the era of digitalization and AI–positioning Kazakhstan among global leaders in this movement. Emotional highlights of the ceremony One of the most memorable moments was the presentation of the ‘Hope of the Year’ award, named after Toktar Aubakirov. The award was personally handed to eight-year-old world champion Alisha Bisaliyeva by the first Kazakh cosmonaut himself, prompting a standing ovation. The “Juniors of the Year” awards were presented by Olympic boxing champion Serik Sapiyev and President of the Kazakhstan Gymnastics Federation Aliya Yussupova. Special warmth filled the hall during the para-athlete awards. Winners included Erlan Nurkhaev, Aiganim Kambarova, and Nina Zhukovskaya. Regional emphasis Awards for the best university, best school, and best regional branch underscore a core principle: chess development extends far beyond the two largest cities. By 2025, the federation had established fully operational branches in all 17 regional centers and three cities of republican significance, supported by centralized funding and reporting. From the national championship to the awards stage Notably, many stars arrived directly from the National Classical Chess Championship final, which concluded just hours before the ceremony. The new national champions – 15-year-old Sauat Nurgaliyev and 16-year-old Zarina Nurgaliyeva – represent a generation shaped by this newly built system. A growing foundation In three years, the number of award categories has expanded from 9 to 18. This reflects a widening circle of recognition – athletes, educators, arbiters, managers, regional
Fraud alert: Fraudulent payment requests related to FIDE World Youth Chess Championships
Dear National Federations, We would like to alert you to a serious fraud attempt involving the impersonation of the FIDE Events Commission and/or the Organizing Committee of the FIDE World Youth Chess Championships. It has come to our attention that fraudulent emails requesting payments have been sent to national federations in connection with the event. Please note that this communication was not sent by the Organizing Committee, nor by any official representative of FIDE. We would like to emphasize that all official communications regarding registration, accommodation, and payments are handled exclusively through official FIDE and Organizing Committee channels. In particular, all official correspondence from FIDE is sent exclusively from email addresses using the fide.com domain. We strongly advise all federations to: Disregard any suspicious payment requests; Carefully verify the sender’s email address before making any payment; Contact the Organizing Committee or FIDE directly through official channels if there is any doubt regarding the authenticity of a communication. Given the seriousness of the matter and the potential risk of financial damage, we kindly ask all federations to remain vigilant and share this information with the relevant persons within their organizations. Thank you for your attention and cooperation!