The island of Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina, Brazil, has been immersed in chess over the past days as it hosted the 36th World Youth Chess Championships 2024, held from October 28 to November 9 at the Canasvieiras International Hotel. This prestigious event brought together 520 players under 18 from 62 countries.

The awards ceremony on Saturday evening celebrated the new world champions in the 14, 16, and 18-year-old categories, with trophies, medals, and culturally inspired gifts, accompanied by official speeches.

Among the highlights in Girls 16, WIM Afruza Khamdamova (UZB; pictured below) secured her title with a round to spare, scoring an impressive 10.5 points out of 11, conceding only one draw to Guadalupe Montano Vicente (MEX) in the third round. In Girls 14, WFM Diana Khafizova (FID) claimed the title with 9 points despite a final-round loss.

The Girls 18 championship was decided in the last round, with WFM Olga Karmanova (FID) and WIM Amina Kairbekova (KAZ) tied at eight points. Karmanova ultimately emerged as champion due to her direct-encounter victory. In the Open 14 category three players shared first place with Patrik Ciesllak (POL) taking the title thanks to a superior Buchholz.

The Open 18 category also made waves, with four players achieving international master norms. GM Aleksey Grebnev (FIDE; pictured below), the sole grandmaster in the event, confirmed his status as the favorite by winning without a single loss.

The top delegations were also recognized at the awards ceremony, with the FIDE team taking first place, followed by Poland in second and Uzbekistan in third. Additional honors included the Fair Play Award, given to Luiza Lessing Vieira. Tournament Director Kaiser Luiz Mafra presented awards to Sarah de Oliveira Orsini and Frederico Dhom Lemos from Brazil, as well as Justiniano Flores from Bolivia.

FIDE Delegate Sergei Indeikin awarded Candela Francisco Guecamburu from Argentina, the only girl to compete in the Open 18 category, and Melania-Cristina Grigore from Romania, the youngest competitor at nine years old, who participated in Girls 16. Chief Arbiter Elena Polovina presented the Chief Arbiter Award to Tatiana dos Santos Spineva Bohonok from Brazil and Stefani Chuhukova from Bulgaria.

Rest Day and Cultural Exchange

On November 4, the rest day featured the inaugural World Youth Chess Solving Championship and the World Blitz Chess Tournament. Players and their families had the opportunity to explore iconic Santa Catarina landmarks, including the Hercílio Luz Bridge and Beto Carrero World Park.

Support and next edition

The World Youth Chess Championships were organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in collaboration with the Brazilian Chess Federation. The Chief Arbiter for the event was Elena Polovina, and Kaiser Luiz Mafra served as the Tournament Director.

Key supporters of the event included FIDE, FIDE America, the Brazilian Chess Federation, the Santa Catarina Chess Federation, WR Logistics, Fort Atacadista, Jaehrig, Chess Trips, Fesporte, and the Sports Foundation of Florianópolis.

The 37th World Youth Chess Championships will be held in Albania in 2025, continuing the mission of fostering cultural exchange and developing young chess talents.

Detailed standings for each category are available at the following links:

Open 18, Girls 18, Open 16, Girls 16, Open 14, Girls 14.

FIDE WYCC 2024 awarding list

Girls U14

1. WFM Diana Khafizova (FIDE) – 9
2. CM Victoria Smietanska (Poland) – 8.5
3. WFM Mariya Vlasova (FIDE) – 8.5

Open U14

1. FM Patrik Ciesllak (Poland)  – 8.5
2. IM Edgar Mamedov (Kazakhstan) – 8.5
3. FM Sauat Nurgaliyev (Kazakhstan) – 8.5

Girls U16

1. WIM Afruza Khamdanova (Uzbekistan) – 10.5
2. FM Yana Zhapova (FIDE) – 8
3. WFM Charis Peglau (Germany) – 8

Open U16

1. FM Havier Aguererra Habans (Spain) – 9
2. FM Krszysztof Raczek (Poland) – 8.5
3. Nikita Kalinin (FIDE) – 8.5

Girls U18

1. WFM Olga Karmanova (FIDE) – 9
2. WIM Amina Kairbekova (Kazakhstan) – 9
3. WFM Galina Mikheeva (FIDE) – 8

Open U18

1. GM Alexey Grebnev (FIDE) – 9
2. IM Aldiyar Ansat (Kazakhstan) – 8.5
3. IM Ian Klimkowski (Poland) – 8

Fair play award

Luiza Lessing Vieira (Brazil)

Tournament Director Award

Sarah De Oliveira Orsini (Brazil)
Frederico Dhom Lemos (Brazil)
Justiniano Flores (Bolivia)

FIDE Delegate Award

Candela Be Francisco Guecamburu (Argentina)
Melania-Cristina Grigore (Romania)

Chief Arbiter Award

Tatiana Dos Santos Spineva Bohonok (Brazil)
Stefani Chuhukova (Bulgaria)

Photos, content, and additional materials from the Championship can be found on the social media pages: 

Official website: worldyouth2024.com
Instagram: instagram.com/worldyouth2024

Photos: flickr.com/photos/fide/albums/72177720321585911

Written by Liziane Nathália Vicenzi 

Photos: Vivian Passig