11-year-old chess player Zhansaya Abdumalik won the fourth gold medal at the world championship in Brazil.

There were boys and girls aged 8 to 18 from nearly 80 countries. Zhansaya played in a group of 84 girls. She has played 9 games, of which won 7 and drew 2. It was not an easy victory. A long two-day flight, change of climate, time difference affected the game of many children, even obvious leaders who were expected to compete for medals. Zhansaya arrived a week prior to the championship and had enough time to acclimate and was very concentrated.

Without exaggeration, her Brazilian triumph came natural with her. Before it Abdumalik won the U8 Girls World Championship in 2008, scored 7/11 in the World U10 (open) Championship 2009, won the World School Champions U11 (Girls) in 2010 and again in 2011 with scores of 9/9 and 8.5 respectively, and came 1st (2nd on count back) with Mongolia’s Davaademberel Nominerdene at the World U10 Girls Championship in Halkidiki in 2010, the latter earning her the WFM title. Her 5.5/12 at the IM tournament in Moscow in September 2010 included one win and two draws against FMs whose ratings were over 400 points higher than hers. In May 2011, she won an international Junior (U20) Girls tournament in Indonesia, the result earning her the WIM title, the youngest to do so at the age of 11 years and 5 months. In June 2011, she placed 1st in the 12th ASEAN+ age-group championship 2011 - Girls U20 in Tarakan in Indonesia.

Her dedication and hard work can be envied. She was first trained by her father at the age of 6. She worships Judit Polgar, one of the three famous sisters, who have achieved unprecedented heights in chess playing as little girls. In Brazil Zhansaya Abdumalik was deemed as the strongest player. By the way, in the current year her trips to international tournaments were sponsored by Mangistaumunaigaz.

For a year the talented girl has been living in Singapore where she studies at the ASEAN Chess Academy at the invitation of its president and FIDE General Secretary Ignatius Leong. At the same time Zhansaya continues to e-learn in Almaty physics-mathematical school № 126.

Zhansaya’s first professional coach was Nikolay Peregudov, who trained her from 7, but now she is living in another country and her new coach is Chinese grandmaster Zhang Zhong. He teaches her in English and listens to advice from Peregudiov.

Alma Ashirova, Zhansaya’s mother describes her typical day schedule. The girl gets up at 6 am, has breakfast and does physical exercises. Until 8am she has time for reading; at 9 she must be at the academy and study there fro three hours before and after lunch. Each evening she swims in the pool for half an hour, because physical training is very important. She has only Saturday and Sunday for doing school lessons.

- She studies easily, - says Alma. - Zhansaya likes reading, skating, meeting with people from Kazakhstan.

In the near future Zhansaya will be training for GM tournaments. She can become the youngest woman grandmaster. These are mid-term plans, in the long run she wants to be in the world chess elite. Until now no Kazakhstani women chess players have been in the top ten.

Her most cherished wish is to become a world champion among women. To do this will require winning all the qualifiers and outperform the current world champion - Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan.

They say, aim at the sun, although you may miss it, your arrow will fly higher than if you had it aimed at an object on one level with you. Posing increasingly high standards, Zhansaya is growing professionally and gaining recognition. She also defends the honor of our independent republic making her input in Kazakhstan’s international promotion.

Rysty Alibekova

Photo: the Ashirovs’ archive