IM Eldiyar Orozbaev and WFM Begimai Zairbek Kyzy are the new chess champions of Kyrgyzstan.
Organized by the Kyrgyz Chess Union in collaboration with the Directorate for Non-Olympic Sports of the Kyrgyz Republic, and supported by the general sponsor, financial company MBulak, the 2025 Kyrgyzstan Chess Championship took place from February 13 to 23 at Kyrgyz State Technical University, named after I. Razzakov.
A total of 92 players participated in the championship, including 65 men and 27 women. Both the open and women’s events were Swiss tournaments (eleven and nine rounds, respectively) with classical time control. A panel of arbiters, led by IA Aziz Umarbekov, officiated the competitions.
The open tournament was fiercely contested, culminating in a tiebreaker to determine the national champion. Remarkably, five of the top ten finishers, including the champion, are under twenty years of age. After IMs Eldiyar Orozbaev, Asylbek Abdyjapar, and Semetei Tologon Tegin tied for first place with 9/11, the top two players based on Buchholz tiebreak scores—Orozbaev and Abdyjapar—competed in a rapid tiebreak match. Top seed Orozbaev emerged victorious, winning both games to claim the title. Despite his excellent performance, Abdyjapar had to settle for second place, while Tologon secured bronze.
Final Standings – Open
In the women’s competition, which also featured a very young lineup, WFM Begimai Zairbek Kyzy (pictured below) claimed the national title with a strong score of 7.5 points out of 9.
WFM Nuray Sovetbekova finished second, just half a point behind, while WCM Aizhan Sezdbekova completed the podium with 6.5 points.
Final Standings – Women
This event showcased the high level of competition in Kyrgyzstan, with the country’s best players battling for the titles. The Kyrgyz Chess Union expresses its gratitude to all participants, sponsors, and partners for their support in advancing chess in Kyrgyzstan. Congratulations to the winners!
Photos: Kyrgyz Chess Union