12yo Kazakh chess player earns FIDE Master title

ASTANA. KAZINFORM 12-year-old Kazakh chess player Sauat Nurgaliyev earned his FIDE Master title, having added 140 spots in the ranking, Kazinform reports.

«Following the Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival held in Spain, Sauat Nurgaliyev won the FIDE Master’s title and achieved the norm of the International Master,» Kazakhstan’s chief chess coach Dastan Kapayev informed via Facebook.

«In the open tournament of group «A», which gathered 326 players from 53 countries of the world, Sauat won in his subcategory. He became 2nd in Blitz in U16 category, having lost to world champion in Blitz and Rapid Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus from Türkiye.

Sauat will join the FIDE World Championship in Blitz and Rapid in Almaty slated for December 25-30,» the publication reads.

Sauat is a member of Kazakhstan’s youth chess team. Recently, he won a gold medal at the U16 World Chess Olympiad.

Photo: www.facebook.com/dastan.kapaev