Team spirit and
unity are the key factors behind the phenomenal success of Kazakh chess players
at the FIDE World Women’s Team Championship 2023 in Poland, where the national
team won a silver medal. This achievement is attributed to the particular attention
the state currently provides to this sport, as highlighted by the athletes
themselves. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the national
team on their triumphant performance. The main point emphasized by the Head of
State is that this achievement will give a powerful impetus to the
popularization of chess among the younger generation. It bears noting that
prior to such remarkable results at the World Women’s Team Championship, the
Kazakh team had not advanced beyond the quarter-finals at the tournament, which
has been held since 2007. A total of 12 teams competed for victory. In the
final, the Kazakh chess players lost against the national team of Georgia,
while the bronze went to the French athletes. It is worth noting that the
national team in Bydgoszcz, Poland consisted of Bibisara Assaubayeva, Xeniya
Balabayeva, Assel Serikbay, Meruert Kamalidenova, Amina Kairbekova and Alua
Nurmanova.
“In our team, we
shared warm and friendly bonds. Every day, we supported each other, went for
walks, and engaged in conversations. Bibisara, Meruert and all our teammates
played a significant role in our success. The most challenging moment was our
match against France, as we lost the first game and needed to win the second
one to play a tiebreaker. Eventually, we won over the French team with a 4-0
score in blitz,” Alua Nurmanova, member of Kazakhstan’s chess team, shared.
