15.10.2018

Triumph of Uzbekistan chess players

The World Chess Olympiad ended in Batumi, Georgia. This is a prestigious team competition, which takes place every two years.

The Uzbekistan men's national team, having scored six victories in 11 rounds, suffered two defeats and finished three games in a draw eventually taking the 16th place. The result is not bad at all, although, according to Uzbek chess players, there were periods when the national team performed better, winning top prizes.

The members of the Uzbekistan national team along with ex-world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov, young chess players Nodirbek Yakubboev and Nodirbek Abdusattorov showed themselves very well. Yakubboev, for example, not only finished second but also became an international grandmaster.

The Uzbekistan national team has excellent prospects. It will definitely prove itself at the next Olympiads.
The women's team showed great character in Batumi. Having won six victories and scored 15 points, the team took the 17th place after playing against leading chess players. All the girls performed perfectly, especially the leader of the team, Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova, who was confronted by the best chess players of the world.
Chinese sportsmen became the Olympic champions among both men’s and women’s teams ahead of Americans, Russians and all the rest. And this is a natural success, because the Celestial Empire pays great attention to the development of chess by including it in the school curriculum.
The election of the new president of the International Chess Federation, FIDE, which the representative of Russia, former Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich won, was of great interest. The 6th FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who headed FIDE for 23 years, did not take part in this election.
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has done a lot for the development of chess all over the world. He, in particular, fought to the last to ensure that chess was included in the Olympic Games programme. He invested his own funds for many international tournaments. They will remember him with gratitude in Uzbekistan. For example, it is only thanks to him that Uzbekistan leading chess players got the opportunity to play in Chess Grand Prix tournaments, which were held in Tashkent as well.