FIDE World Championship Match wins Singapore’s 2024 Sports Event of the Year
The FIDE World Chess Championship Match 2024, between Gukesh D and Ding Liren held in Singapore, was one of the most exciting events of the year for chess fans around the world. After 13 rollercoaster games, we crowned the youngest undisputed World Champion in history. Although the match took place seven months ago, the excitement and impact continue to resonate. To that extent, we are proud to announce that the match has been awarded Best Sports Event of the Year (Exhibition/Competition) at the 2025 Singapore Sports Awards! Reflecting on the win, Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation, shared: “We won the Sports Event of the Year! This is easily one of the proudest moments of my career. Grateful to the sponsors, Google, Resorts World Sentosa, FIDE – International Chess Federation, all our partners, the awesome local organising committee, volunteers, journalists, and photographers for putting up a spectacular show.” Organised by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Sport Singapore, the Singapore Sports Awards are the country’s highest recognition for sporting excellence. This year’s edition celebrated standout performances and events from 2024, with FIDE’s flagship event named the best in its category. The award acknowledges not only the exceptional level of play, but also the world-class organisation, media production, and community engagement that made the match a truly global spectacle. Supported by Google and hosted at Resorts World Sentosa, the event helped position Singapore as a hub for premier international sporting events. Adding to the celebration, Singaporean photographer Chin An Eng was awarded Sports Photo of the Year for a powerful image taken during the match (above). The photograph captures the intensity of the match with both players mirroring each other with their heads in their hands, flags in view, as they navigate the mental tension of the game. FIDE extends its heartfelt thanks to the Singapore Chess Federation, local organisers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and fans who made this event such a resounding success. This recognition is a powerful testament to the growing stature of chess on the world stage. Congratulations to everyone involved!
Georgian Championship for People with Disabilities: Malania and Gogonadze clinch titles
Amirani Malania and Anano Gogonadze emerged as the winners of the 2025 Georgian Championship for People with Disabilities. The fourth edition of the event—a seven-round Swiss-system tournament—was held at the Ibis Styles Batumi Hotel in Batumi, from June 14–19. Organized by the Georgian and Adjara Chess Federations, the championship was financially supported by the Adjara Sports Department and attracted 14 participants. Male and female players competed in the same pool but were ranked separately. WGM Salome Melia, a member of the FIDE Commission for People with Disabilities, served as the tournament director. Open category winners: 1. Amirani Malania 2. Leri Talikadze3. Badri Tsetskhladze Women’s category winners: 1. Anano Gogonadze2. Tekla Gakhokidze 3. Anna Mgeladze
Carissa Yip wins 2025 Cairns Cup
IM Carissa Yip emerged as the winner of the 2025 Cairns Cup, completing a GM norm and taking home $65,000 for her first-place finish. The fifth edition of the elite women’s super-tournament took place in Saint Louis, at the World Chess Hall of Fame, from June 8–21. The Cairns Cup shares its format with other prestigious events like the illustrious Sinquefield Cup: a ten-player round-robin played with classical time control. This year’s edition featured a $250,000 prize fund—the largest in the event’s history. As expected, it was a tightly contested competition that came down to the wire. GM Humpy Koneru, IM Harika Dronavalli, and IM Alice Lee started strong and shared the lead through Round 6, when Alice Lee lost to IM Bibisara Assaubayeva and Humpy Koneru defeated Harika to pull ahead. However, Koneru’s sole lead was short-lived. In the next round, Carissa Yip—who had started the tournament with a loss—scored a crucial win over Koneru to catch up. Meanwhile, Alice Lee outplayed Alina Kashlinskaya to join the leading duo. In Round 8, Lee drew with Dronavalli, Koneru was defeated by Nino Batsiashvili, and Yip beat Assaubayeva to surge ahead. Heading into the final round as the sole leader with 5.5/8, Yip achieved a winning position against her closest competitor, Lee, but the game eventually ended in a draw, securing Yip the title. Lee finished second with 5.5/9, while Dronavalli completed the podium with 5/9 after Koneru lost her final-round game against Mariya Muzychuk. Photos: Saint Louis Chess Club / Crystal Fuller and Lennart Ootes
World Refugee Day: Chess as a tool for empowerment
For the past four years, a project in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya helps children and the displaced in finding hope and a path in life through chess The 2025 World Refugee Day, initiated by the United Nations in 2001 to recognise the resilience and struggle of refugees in finding sanctuary and a better life, occurs at a time when conflicts across the globe are intensifying, bringing more threats and disasters to people everywhere. The International Chess Federation (FIDE), as well as the global chess community, have always sought to highlight the role chess can play in bringing people together, regardless of backgrounds or differences. This is clearly illustrated by the simple yet powerful motto of FIDE – Gens una Sumus – We are one family. As we mark World Refugee Day, FIDE would like to highlight its ongoing commitment to supporting displaced communities, most notably visible through the Chess for Protection programme in the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kenya. The initiative, running since 2021 in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), has become a gathering space for well over 2,000 participants across 37 schools, and uses chess as a vehicle for education, social interaction and personal development, offering hope and perspective to the participants. It is FIDE’s staunch belief that, for those who have endured conflict and persecution, chess offers much more than simple recreation. “When I play chess, I feel happy because I get to interact with more people. Chess is a game where you exchange ideas and learn more though that exchange… Chess also helps in teaching people about inclusion and gender equality,” noted Akuol Mach, a resident of the Kakuma Refugee Camp and one of the participants in the project. “When people are forced to leave everything behind, even a small sense of structure, focus, or hope can make a real difference, and chess gives exactly that,” said Anastasia Sorokina, the project leader and the Chairwoman of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess. “I’ve seen how it helps girls grow stronger, think ahead, and believe in themselves again.” FIDE’s leadership views this as a long-term investment in human potential, with aspirations that extend to the highest levels of the sport. “We hope to see a Refugee Team at the World Chess Olympiad one day,” noted Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board. “But what matters most is the progress these girls make every day—learning to think independently, make decisions, and gain confidence both on the board and beyond. This is at the heart of FIDE’s mission: using chess as a tool for education, empowerment, and social inclusion.” The success of the project relies not only on the partnership between FIDE and the UNHCR, but also other partners such as Chess Kenya and its president Benard Wanjala, which have provided unwavering support for the project. Also, corporate and not-for-profit partners have made vital contributions, which includes the donation of 100 chess sets from the Gift of Chess organisation, its Founder and Director Russ Makofsky and its Global Head Susan Namangale, as well as 100 chess clocks from DGT and its CEO Hans Pees. “We’re not just teaching a game; we’re helping to build resilience, confidence, and a sense of community,” Anastasia Sorokina added. “And chess always brings one quiet but powerful message: you are not alone. That matters deeply in circumstances like these.” To this end, FIDE is planning at least two new activities in Kakuma in the near future: Motivational talks and friendly matches (June 28): Phylis Ngigi, Director of Gift of Chess, will visit the camp to deliver a motivational talk to the members of the Girls’ Club, followed by friendly matches with the local players. Mass chess tournament (June 29): A large-scale tournament will be organised for the wider community in Kakuma, with the goal of promoting community spirit through chess. Chess Kenya is kindly providing organisational support for this project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3qTYmg_oFM Photos: Stev Bonhage
FIDE World Championships 2027 – Call for bids
FIDE Events Commission has announced “Call for Bids FIDE World Championships” and invites FIDE member Federations to participate. The bidding deadline is September 15, 2025, 15:00 CET. There are 9 competitions in the list: 2027 World Cup U8, U10, U12 & 2027 World Chess Championships U8, U10, U12 2027 World Youth U14, U16, U18 Championships 2027 World Youth U16 Olympiad 2027 World Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships 2027 World Senior Individual Championships 50+ and 65+ 2027 World Senior Team Championships 2027 World Amateur Championships 2027 World Junior U20 Championships 2027 World Rapid and Blitz U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, U17 Dear bidders, all details about the new format, useful links and procedure including the Bid Form and Bid Form Annex, Bid and Deposit Fees and Regulations you can find HERE
WR Chess clinch their second FIDE World Team Blitz Championship title
In the final stage of the knockouts at the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship, WR Chess defeated KazChess in both matches with 4:2, securing their second Blitz crown since the competition began in 2023. The FIDE World Blitz Championship concluded today in London after a day of tense final-stage matches. Out of 53 teams playing on the first day, only 16 advanced to the knockout stage that included the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. In each knockout pairing, teams played at least two matches, alternating colours. If the score was level after two matches, additional games were played until a winner emerged. At the end of the day, rating favourites Team WR Chess came out on top, outplaying the squad of KazChess in a tight final duel. WR won both matches (4:2 each), with Alireza Firouzja, Hikaru Nakamura and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scoring crucial wins in the final match to secure the crown for WR Chess. This is the second consecutive Blitz title for WR Chess, following their in 2024 in Kazakhstan. In his first reaction to the victory, WR Chess Team owner and one of the initiators of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Teams, Wadim Rosenstein, said he was very pleased with the victory, adding that the event was a great success “not just for the winners but for chess in general”. Asked how it feels to win first place, Rosenstein – who also played on the non-professional board for WR – briefly responded: “Like always, when you win – it feels great”. In addition to receiving a trophy shaped like a fusion of Big Ben and a chess piece, the winning team was awarded a €75,000 prize. Third place went to the Hexamind Chess Club, who defeated the squad of Uzbekistan in both matches with 3.5:2.5. Meanwhile, the winners of this year’s rapid tournament, MGD1, defeated Freedom in the duel for fifth place. In his address at the closing ceremony, former World Champion and Deputy President of International Chess Federation (FIDE) Viswanathan Anand reflected on the excitement and the intensity of the tournament. He congratulated all 53 teams for participating, particularly the winners. Anand also expressed deep gratitude to Isai Scheinberg for supporting this event. He closed by emphasizing FIDE’s ongoing commitment to growing the game. “A core part of our strategy has always been to forge a strong partnership between chess and the broader community – from the world of sports, business, or culture. Tournaments such as the World Rapid and Blitz Teams, alongside events such as the World Corporate Championship, are a shining example of this vision in action and FIDE will continue to work hard on having more of them”, Anand said. Here is a closer look at how the knockouts unfolded, until the finals: Round of 16 In this stage all of the first-placed teams from the pools won their matches. While WR Chess Team, Freedom and MGD1 Team won both matches, Uzbekistan had one victory and one draw (with Barys.kz). Ashdod moved to the quarter-finals after defeating Theme International Trading in the playoffs with 5:1. KazChess also reached the quarter-finals after the playoffs, defeating Rookies with 5.5:0.5. Quarter-finals The quarter-final stage brought the first big surprises, with some of the favourites being eliminated from the tournament. In the first match, Germany and Friends set up the stage for a huge upset by defeating WR Chess 4:2. All WR’s top boards – Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura and Firouzja lost their games. However, WR appealed the match on the grounds that they were not informed of the exact time when the round was starting, making them late two minutes. While it would have made sense for them to immediately make an appeal before playing the match, WR complained afterwards. As WR Chess Team captain Jan Gustafsson explained in the live broadcast, the teams were given different information about the start of the round compared to when it started. In the end, it was decided that the match will be replayed. Germany and Friends reluctantly accepted. This time, WR Chess won 4.5:1.5 and the return match finishing with a 4:2 victory for WR Chess, sending them to the semi-finals. All other first-matches ended in draws. In the return matches – Hexamind eliminated the Rapid winners MGD1 with 4:2. The duel was decided by Hexamind’s Anish Giri who defeated Pentala Harikrishna in a tense endgame. KazChess outclassed Freedom by winning the second match 3.5:2.5. The team from Kazakhstan defeated all the top three boards of Freedom, to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Uzbekistan won over the team of Ashdod 5:1, securing a place in the semis. The semi-finals WR Chess faced the team of Hexamind. In the first match, WR completely dominated, scoring a crushing victory 5.5:0.5. On Hexamind’s side only Leinier Dominguez drew, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. In the other semi-final encounter, Uzbekistan and KazChess played a tightly contested match, with Grischuk defeating Abdusattorov on the top board, in a tense endgame where both were in a time scramble. In the return-match, Hexamind pushed hard against WR to get a playoff. Aronian beat Nepomniachtchi on board one, but boards two and three drew. The match was decided on the lower boards, where WR won two games: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave beat Leinier Dominguez, and Wadim Rosenstein defeated David Muradyan. Despite Divya Desmukh prevailing over Hou Yifan on the women’s board, the final result was 3:3, which meant Hexamind were knocked out. In the second return-duel, KazChess defeated Uzbekistan 4:2, thanks to crucial wins on the bottom boards. The match for the fifth place Two of the best performing teams that were eliminated in the semi-finals faced off in a match for fifth place. In the end, MGD1 emerged victorious, after defeating Freedom in both matches with 3.5:2.5. The teams of Ashdod and Germany and Friends tied for 7-8th place. Written by Milan Dinic Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz Official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/ About the event: The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships
WBTC 2025: Favourites deliver as 16 teams move into knockouts
After three days and 12 rounds of Rapid, things got hotter in London as the FIDE World Blitz Team kicked off. Following 13 rounds of fast-paced action, 16 out of 53 teams have advanced to the final playoff stage on Sunday. The blitz competition is split in two stages. On day one, the teams were divided into four equally strong pools, playing in a round-robin format. There were four pools – three had 13 teams, while Pool D had 14. The top four teams in each pool qualified for the knockout playoffs, which are taking place on Sunday, June 15. In Pool A, WR Chess, Ashdod Elit Chess Club, Knight Dance and FIDE Management Board Tram advanced to the knockouts. WR Team won all of their matches, with the closest they came to a struggle being the round six match against The MongolZ squad, which ended with a narrow win, 3.5:2.5. In that match, WR’s Hou Yifan, the world’s top-rated female player, lost to more than 500 points lower-rated Khishigbat Ulziikhishig. WR was significantly strengthened by the late arrival of Ian Nepomniachtchi, who received his UK visa just in time to play in the Blitz. The big hero of the day for WR was Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda who scored 11.5 points out of 12 games on one of the top boards. In a big surprise of the day, 13-year-old IM Ahmad Khagan (2290) from Turkish Airlines stunned GM Hikaru Nakamura (2837) in round five. Visibly upset, Nakamura didn’t even set up his pieces back, as is customary after the game, and just walked out of the playing hall. During the day, Khagan proved his victory was not an accident – he won 9 out of 13 games, facing strong grandmasters. Ashdod dropped just one match – a 1.5:4.5 loss to WR Team – drew another and won the rest to comfortably secure second place, with 21 matchpoints. Their standout performer was Aldiyar Sailaubay on the amateur board, who scored 9.5/12. Knight Dance finished third with 19 matchpoints, despite two losses and a draw. Close behind were the FIDE Management Board Tram, who secured fourth place on 17 matchpoints. Zhu Chen and non-professional standout Stepan Zaiarski played key roles in their qualification. From Pool B, Freedom, Hexamind, Theme International Trading and Malcolm’s Mates moved to the knockout phase. In round 10, Freedom suffered a defeat at the hands of Theme International Trading, but that didn’t endanger their spot in the knockouts. Freedom’s Le Quang Liem and Haik Martirosyan were the best performers, scoring 8.5 points out of the nine games they played. Despite losing a match to Freedom (4.5:1.5), Hexamind stormed through in all other matches to enter the knockouts in shared first place in Pool B. Both Freedom and Hexamind ended the day with 22 matchpoints. Theme International Trading recovered from a stunning 6:0 opening loss to Hexamind to finish third with 19 matchpoints. Fourth place went to the British squad Malcolm’s Mates, with 18 matchpoints which was greatly helped by GM Luke McShane who won 10 out of 12 games. In Pool C, the most consistent performance was delivered by Team Uzbekistan, who entered the final round with two matchpoints ahead of the field. Their star player, Nodirbek Yakubboev, had a great run, scoring 9.5 points out of 12. Germany and Friends, led by Vincent Keymer, came in second place after losing just one match – to Uzbekistan. They finished on 22 matchpoints. Rookies took third place with 20 matchpoints, despite losses to the top two teams. Generation XYZA claimed the final qualifying spot with 17 matchpoints, even after losing to all three teams above them. Notably, XYZA’s Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus topped individual scoring in Pool C with 10/12. Pool D saw the favourites – 2025 World Rapid champions MGD1 – advance alongside KazChess, Hetman GKS Katowice, and Barys.kz. MGD1 made just one draw (with fifth-placed Team Hungary) and won all other matches, ending the day on 23 matchpoints. The Indian team scored five match victories in which they won all six games – the most of all top-placed teams in the Blitz, across all groups. Their top-performing player was board one Arjun Erigaisi, who made 11 points out of 13 games. With 22 matchpoints, KazChess was second. Their non-professional player Islam Aiten made the biggest contribution having won 12 out of 13 games. Hetman GKS Katowice took third place with 20 matchpoints. Their top board, GM David Navara, was instrumental in their success with a score of 11/13. Barys.kz clinched the final knockout spot in Pool D with a commanding 6:0 win over Perfect in the last round, finishing on 17 matchpoints. The knockouts With the pool stages now concluded, the focus shifts to Sunday’s knockout rounds, where the 16 qualifiers will battle for the title of the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Champion. With the stakes rising and a sharper, knockout format – it promises to be an exciting closing to a spectacular week of chess. FIDE World Blitz Team Championship – Knockout pairings Written by Milan Dinic Photos: Rafal Oleksiewicz Official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/ About the event: The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships is taking place in London, United Kingdom, between June 10 and 16, 2025. The event is open to teams from all over the world. Teams can be made of club members, members of different federations, or any other chess players. Altogether, 52 teams are taking part in the Rapid World Championship. The total prize fund is €500,000 (£421,000), €310,000 will go to the Rapid tournament, €190,000 is earmarked for the Blitz.
India’s Team MGD1 win 2025 FIDE World Rapid Team Chess Championship
The rapid section of the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Teams ended with a commanding finish by MGD1, who won all four matches on the final day to claim sole first place. The FIDE World Rapid Teams Chess Championship wrapped up in London today, with the last four of the 12 rounds played. As the competition neared its end, MGD1 and Hexamind distinguished themselves as the prime contenders for the title. In the decisive four rounds of the day, the Indian squad of Team MGD1 won every match, rightfully claiming the championship. Out of 12 matches, MGD1 won in 10, drew one and lost one, finishing with 21 matchpoints. A key factor in MGD1’s sustained success was the consistent performance of their amateur board player, Atharvaa P Tayade, who held a perfect record throughout the three-day-long tournament, only to spoil it in the last round with his only loss. In the final round, MGD1’s Pranav V defeated Ivan Šarić of Malcolm’s Mates, to secure the match – and sole first place for his team. Second place went to Hexamind Chess Team, who sprung to the top on day two and maintained their strong performance until the end, chasing MGD1 all the way through to the final round. They started the day with a draw with Freedom, but then won all three remaining matches, securing sole second place, on 20 matchpoints, just one behind MGD1. Freedom, a team featuring the former world champion Vishy Anand, had a mixed performance on the final day, with three draws. It was only thanks to their dominant 4.5:1.5 final round victory over Knight Dance that they managed to tie for third place, alongside the teams of Uzbekistan and WR Chess, all on 17 matchpoints. Rating favouries of the event, team WR Chess, had a strong performance winning in rounds nine, ten and eleven. But in the final round – in a game full of twists – Alireza Firouzja slipped against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, handing Team Uzbekistan the match and a share of third place. Get ready for the FIDE World Team Blitz Championship On Saturday, June 14, the action shift to the blitz format. With faster time controls, more rounds and a knockout stage on day two – the FIDE World Blitz Team Championship promises even more drama, both on the boards and for the spectators. Adding to the excitement, one of the world’s strongest players – two-time world champion candidate – Ian Nepomniachtchi, will be joining the lineup of WR Chess. The games start on Saturday, June 14, at 2PM. Here follows a closer look at the decisive four rounds of the FIDE World Rapid Team Chess Championship: U.S. Grandmaster Kenneth Rogoff – a renowned Harvard economist and the former Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund – made the first ceremonial first move at the start of the day. Playing on the top tables, Freedom split two points with Hexamind who had surged to the top after a great run on day two. Sam Sevian defeated Volodar Murzin with the black pieces, giving Freedom the advantage. Despite the promising start for Freedom with a win and good positions, most of the remaining games ended in draws. On the women’s board, Freedom’s Anna Muzychuk was an exchange down against Divya Deshmukh, but miraculously escaped with a draw. David Muradyan, beat Sarbartho Mani on the amateur board and helped Hexamind to save the match – 3:3. Tournament leaders MGD1 defeated KazChess 3.5:2.5 which allowed them to again take the sole lead in the tournament. Arjun Erigaisi beat Richard Rapport on the top board, but MGD1’s Pentala Harikrishna lost on the second. As on several occasions during the tournament, MGD1 were rescued by their amateur board, Atharvaa P Tayade, who maintained a perfect record since round one. Following a very long and complicated game, Vincent Keymer prevailed over Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov to secure victory for Germany and Friends 3.5:2.5. WR Chess edged past Knight Dance, led by Jorden van Foreest, keeping them close to the top. Malcolm’s Mates lost to the Ashdod Elit Chess Club 3.5:2.5, falling lower in the standings. Then came round 10 and Team MGD1 narrowly defeated Ashdod Elit Chess Club with 3.5:2.5. Ashdod’s Andrei Volokitin got into trouble early on against Pranav and ended up losing. However, on the women’s board, MGD1’s Stavroula Tsolakidou, lost (recording her third defeat in a row), leveling the score for Ashdod. With the other top boards ending in a draw, it came down to the non-professional player, Atharvaa P Tayade who – once again – saved the day for MGD1, winning the game and securing a victory for his team. While MGD1 struggled but gritted out a victory, team Hexamind cruised through round 10, clearing Germany and Friends with 4.5:1.5. Save for Keymer and Svane who drew their games, the other top player of Germany and Friends – Bluebaum, Donchenko and Wagner all lost, while the non-professional player Bohdan Lobkin drew. WR delivered a dominating performance against Tema Hungary, defeating them 5.5:0.5. On the other hand, Freedom had another draw – splitting two points with the team of Uzbekistan, with all six games ending in draws. Round eleven brought another win for Team MGD1: they played Team International Trading, defeating them with 4.5:1.5. Having faced all the best performing and top-rated teams in the tournament, MGD1 was paired against squads which were slightly lower on the scoreboard at the finish, making things somewhat easier. Atharvaa P Tayade won his ninth game in a row. Hexamind continued chasing MGD1, as they also won – defeating Barys.kz 3.5:2.5. Leinier Dominguez Perez was the only Hexamind player to stumble, losing to nearly 200 points lower-rated Denis Makhnev. WR Chess scored their third victory in the day – overpowering Germany and Friends 4:2, winning on all three top boards. Freedom, on the other hand, suffered a setback against the squad of the Ashdod Elit Chess Club. Rauf Mamedov blundered a pawn and lost to Nihal Sarin. Freedom also dropped
FIDE World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad 2025: Registration deadline extended
FIDE and the Colombian Chess Federation (FECODAZ) have announced that the registration deadline for participants in the World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad has been extended to July 1, 2025. World Youth U16 Chess Olympiad will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia, from August 16 to August 23, 2025. All FIDE member federations have the right to send one team as the invited team. Each team must consist of four players—with representation of both boys and girls—and one team captain. The tournament will be a 9-round Swiss system, but if fewer than 40 teams register, only 7 rounds will be played.Each team match will be played on four boards. Pairings, scoring, and tiebreak rules will follow the FIDE Pairing Rules for the Chess Olympiad. The time control is 45 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move, starting from move one. Official website: youtholympiad2025.fide.com E-mail: youtholympiad@fide.com Invitation letter, regulations, schedule (PDF)
Mongolian Chess Federation President appointed as nation’s Prime Minister
His Excellency Zandanshatar Gombojav, the acting President of the Mongolian Chess Federation, was approved as the Prime Minister of Mongolia by the State Great Khural (Parliament) at its plenary session on June 12. Apart from being the President of the Mongolian Chess Federation, from 2019 to 2024 Zandanshatar Gombojav served as the Chairman of the Parliament of Mongolia. He has worked in the fields of academic research, economics, and foreign affairs, as well as at the state legislative and executive levels since 1992. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich extended his congratulations to Mr Gombojav on his appointment. “Your elevation to the highest executive office in Mongolia comes at a time when your vision, experience, and political wisdom are most needed,” Dvorkovich stated. The FIDE President further highlighted that, as the head of the Mongolian Chess Federation, Gombojav has been a steadfast advocate for the growth and promotion of chess, both as a competitive sport and an educational tool. “Under your leadership, Mongolia has made remarkable progress in developing its chess culture and nurturing young talents. FIDE deeply appreciates your efforts in integrating chess into national programs and international cooperation. We are confident that your new role will offer further opportunities to advance the values of strategic thinking, education, and international collaboration – principles that chess embodies and promotes globally”.