Murtas Kazhgaleyev and Zhansaya Abdumalik won the 2020 Kazakhstan Championship in the open and women sections. Both championships were round robins that brought together the best Kazakhstani players.

Murtas turned in a very solid performance in the open competition scoring 7½ out of 11 points. The champion lost just one game but compensated for it with five victories and finished a half-point ahead of Aslan Aitbayev. It is the third national title in Kazhgaleyev’s career. Aitbayev had a very good tournament as well – after reeling off three straight victories at the finish he took silver. The highest-rated participant of the event Rinat Jumabayev ended up in the third position.

Photo: David Llada

Final standings open:

1. GM Murtas Kazhgaleyev (2569) – 7½
2. IM Aslan Aitbayev (2457) – 7
3. GM Rinat Jumabayev (2654) – 6½
4. GM Petr Kostenko (2429) – 5½
5. FM Ramazan Zhalmakhanov (2393) – 5½
6. GM Anuar Ismagambetov (2528) – 5½
7. IM   Agmanov Zhandos (2407) – 5
8. Azamat Utegaliyev (2496) – 5
9. GM  Rustam Khusnutdinov  (2491) – 5
10.  IM Ayan Akhmetov (2438) – 5
11. IM  Denis Makhnev (2486) – 5
12. GM Nurlan Ibrayev (2395) – 3½

In the women's tournament, the excitement was there until the final moves. In the penultimate round, IM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva defeated Abdumalik and gained a half-point lead going into the last round. However, on the final day, the leader lost to WFM Amina Kairbekova, while Abdumalik showed her mettle (it is not for nothing that boxing is her hobby!), won over Laura Abdildayeva, and leapfrogged Nakhbayeva to claim the title. Nakhbayeva finished second, Kairbekova took bronze.

Final standings women:

1. IM Zhansaya Abdumalik (2478) – 7
2. IM Guliskhan Nakhbayeva (2328) – 6½
3. WFM Amina Kairbekova (2065) – 5
4. Liya Kurmangaliyeva (1974) – 5
5. WIM Assel Serikbay (2247) – 4½
6. WGM Gulmira Dauletova (2319) – 4½
7. WFM Xeniya Balabayeva (2146) – 4½
8. WFM Meruert Kamalidenova (2231) – 3½
9. WFM Alua Nurmanova (2026) – 2½
10. Laura Abdildayeva (1845) – 2