Few feminine gamers in chess historical past had been capable of win a round-robin classical occasion forward of male grandmasters. WGM Meruert Kamalidenova has now joined that elite group.
The 19-year-old scored a surprising victory in a closed 10-player GM event in her native nation, Kazakhstan, this month. Regardless of being the lowest-ranked participant within the area, Kamalidenova received the occasion outright with 5.5 factors, half some extent forward of GMs Denis Makhnev and Alisher Suleymenov.
Kamalidenova’s triumph was much more exceptional contemplating her gradual begin, dropping within the first spherical. She bounced again to win three video games in opposition to grandmasters, together with top-seed GM Samvel Ter-Sahakayan, to complete on a 2614 efficiency score and safe her first grandmaster norm.
| Rk. | Identify | Rtg | FED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts. | TB1 |
| 1 | WGM Meruert Kamalidenova | 2352 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5,5 | 24,25 | ||
| 2 | GM Denis Makhnev | 2551 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5 | 22,25 | ||
| 3 | GM Alisher Suleymenov | 2461 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5 | 22 | ||
| 4 | GM Vitaly Sivuk | 2572 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4,5 | 19,75 | ||
| 5 | GM Aleksandr Rakhmanov | 2596 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4,5 | 19,5 | ||
| GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan | 2618 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4,5 | 19,5 | |||
| 7 | GM Aditya Mittal | 2591 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 4 | 18,5 | ||
| 8 | IM Arystanbek Urazayev | 2466 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 4 | 18,5 | ||
| 9 | IM Aldiyar Ansat | 2457 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4 | 18,25 | ||
| 10 | GM Ramazan Zhalmakhanov | 2497 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 4 | 17,5 | ||
Full outcomes accessible on Chess-Outcomes.com.
Kamalidenova’s success continues to raise her rising status. In 2019, she turned the World Youth U14 Chess Champion and in addition claimed titles within the Asian Youth Chess Championships. Her peak score is 2427, which she reached in April 2022, however her score has since dropped earlier than stabilizing within the excessive 2300s. She is at the moment ranked ninth on this planet among the many highest-rated feminine juniors (U20).
“This was surprising,” her coach GM Alexander Moiseenko informed Chess.com. The Ukrainian grandmaster assisted Kamalidenova throughout the occasion. “However she was in superb type earlier than the event,” he famous.
“I used to be impressed along with her defensive expertise and her play in opposition to the Elo favorites. She beat Ter-Saakian when the concept was to make a draw with White. When she bought an opportunity to win, she used it very nicely.”
Moiseenko says he thinks Kamalidenova’s precise degree is significantly greater than her score. Requested about her potential, he says: “Very excessive. I do not see any limits.”
Certainly one of Kamalidenova’s most interesting wins got here in spherical 4 in opposition to her compatriot GM Ramazan Zhalmakhanov.
Ladies have been the minority of all chess gamers all through chess historical past, and it has been even unusual to see a girl win a serious event forward of male gamers, each on the grownup and youth ranges. One issue is that most of the high gamers are likely to play in women-only occasions as a substitute of occasions open to each genders.
This Wikipedia web page lists a complete of 83 event successes by feminine gamers. Most of them are in opposition to significantly weaker opposition, and a few are speedy or on-line occasions, in comparison with the 2521 common confronted by Kamalidenova.
Among the many most standout performances within the listing, are:
- GM Judit Polgar, well known as the best feminine participant in chess historical past, has a lot of victories all through her profession, similar to shared first on the 2011 European Particular person Championship and successful the 2006 Essent event.
- Judit’s sister IM Sofia Polgar received the 1989 Rome Open with 8.5/9, scoring a efficiency score of 2879.
- GM Hou Yifan scored what is probably going one of the best efficiency by a girl within the final decade when she received the robust 2018 Biel Chess Pageant, attaining a efficiency score of 2810.
- In 2016, GM Valentina Gunina received the London Tremendous Rapidplay with 9/10 and a 2831 efficiency forward of 42 grandmasters in a area of greater than 400 gamers.
- Extra just lately, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu received the 10-player 2022 Heraklion Fischer Memorial, forward of 9 male gamers, additionally securing her second GM norm.
Polgar herself determined early that she would solely compete in open occasions, amongst males, as a substitute of sticking to ladies’s tournaments. Whereas noting that she just isn’t in opposition to ladies’s tournaments, she stated in a latest New In Chess podcast that many ladies could also be setting the bar a bit too low.
“I’ve by no means spoken with a woman from the highest who stated: ‘Sure, I imagine that girls can grow to be simply pretty much as good as guys as a result of there is no such thing as a distinction.’ There’s a distinction however it’s not the distinction ladies and men have that it might cease you from changing into a top-10 participant, as an example.”
The Hungarian legend additionally steered to abolish ladies’s titles, because it may gain advantage how ladies and ladies method chess and the extent they’ll attain.
In the meantime, Kamalidenova stated in an interview with Astana Occasions final 12 months that she spends from three to as much as six hours a day on chess. She stated pleasure is a key issue for achievement.
“You need to get pleasure from chess whereas enjoying, and solely then will there be a consequence. That’s to say, it’s worthwhile to benefit from the sport, even in the event you lose.”
You need to get pleasure from chess whereas enjoying, and solely then will there be a consequence. That’s to say, it’s worthwhile to benefit from the sport, even in the event you lose.
—Meruert Kamalidenova
Kamalidenova’s resilience and willingness to be taught from losses have formed her journey in chess. “Once I was a baby, I used to cry after a loss, however that behavior handed with time. Now, once I lose, I do know I can win the subsequent time as a result of it’s only a sport,” she added.
The 19-year-old is at the moment enjoying on board two for the Kazakhstan’s Ladies’s crew within the Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
