Kazakhstan Secures Fourth Place at FIDE World Women’s Team Chess Championship
The Kazakh national chess team achieved a remarkable fourth-place finish at the 2025 FIDE World Women’s Team Championship, held from November 18–23 in Linares, Spain. The strong showing reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s position among the world’s leading chess nations, while several team members earned top individual honors.
Twelve teams competed in the tournament’s 10th edition, including Kazakhstan, China, Azerbaijan, and the FIDE Team. In the championship final, the FIDE Team claimed victory over Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan faced China in the match for third place. In a closely contested encounter, China narrowly defeated Kazakhstan 5:3, placing the Kazakh team fourth overall, reported the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
The Kazakh team comprised Bibisara Assaubayeva, Meruert Kamalidenova, Liya Kurmangalieva, Xeniya Balabaeva, Zarina Nurgaliyeva, and Yelnaz Kaliakhmet, under the leadership of captain Pavel Kotsur.
Despite narrowly missing the podium, individual Kazakh players excelled. Meruert Kamalidenova and Yelnaz Kaliakhmet each secured gold medals on their respective boards, while Zarina Nurgaliyeva earned a bronze medal, underscoring the team’s competitive strength and depth of talent on the international stage.
Photo credit: kazchess.kz
