From October 3 to 16, the World Chess Championship for young players took place in Durres, Albania, with over 700 participants from 83 countries.
The Kyrgyzstan team demonstrated outstanding results, achieving the best performance in the history of the country's participation in such competitions.
Main achievements:
Ruslan Momunaliev (U-14) scored 7 points out of 11 possible, placing between 3rd and 7th, and with additional tiebreak criteria — 7th place, his rating increased by +112.4.
Erzhan Jakshylykov (U-18) also scored 7 points, finishing in 13th place, his rating increased by +29.6, allowing him to take first place in the national ranking among boys.
Nurailina Tursunalieva (G-14) achieved a score of 7 points, securing 11th place; her rating increase was +184.4 — the best result among girls in the history of Kyrgyzstan.
Zalkar Kurbanbaev (U-16) scored 6.5 points, finishing in 31st place, and his rating increased by +173.6.
Aymonchok Junusbekova (G-16) completed the competition with 5.5 points, finishing in 57th place; her rating grew by +21.6, and she received the title of "FIDE Master".
Begimai Janibekova (G-18) also scored 5.5 points, finishing in 39th place, and her rating increased by +9.2. In July 2025, she was crowned champion of Central Asia among girls under 18, which allowed her to obtain the title of Woman International Master (WIM).
Significance of this success
All six participants of the Kyrgyzstan team entered the upper half of their categories and showed significant rating growth. Momunaliev and Kurbanbaev made it to the TOP-10 of the national ranking, Jakshylykov became the leader among boys, and Tursunalieva set a new record among girls.
Representatives of the Kyrgyz Chess Federation and organizers noted that this success was made possible by the consistent work of the federation with the support of the State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports of the Kyrgyz Republic, coaches, parents, and the athletes themselves.
Conclusion
The performance of Kyrgyz chess players in Albania was an important event for the country, confirming the youth's readiness to compete on the international stage.
