Guliskhan Nakhbayeva becomes Kazakh chess champion for 5th time
International Woman Grand Master Guliskhan Nakhbayeva from Shymkent took the final's leadership after the 7th round. She scored 7.5 of 9 possible points. With the result half a point lower, Woman Grand Master Madina Davletbayeva from Taraz won the silver medal of the championship. And to the bronze medal, it was taken by Woman International Master Zhansaya Abdumalik scoring 6.5 points.
"In general, there was no certainty until the very end. 4 grand masters compete in a championship for the first time. It is one of the best Kazakhstan championships I remember. I have become the champion of Kazakhstan for the fifth time. I haven't participated for two years because I got married and gave birth to my daughter. This year I came back. In the second to the last round I tied the score with Amina Kairbekova, the youngest participant of the tournament, and this made me worry for a while. But I coped with that and managed to win. Every time it is harder and harder to win. Defensing the champion title is always harder than winning it for the first time", Nakhbayeva noted.
The end of the women's championship in Almaty coincided with the final of the Men's Championship of Kazakhstan. The final includes the best chess players of the country such as Rinat Jumabayev, Murtas Kazhgaleyev, the last-year champion of Kazakhstan Petr Kostenko, Anuar Ismagambetov, Azamat Utegaliyev, Kirill Kuderinov to name but a few. It is the first time when a woman, International Master Dinara Saduakassova, competes in a final of men's championship. The name of the country's champion among men will be known on April 21.