Kazakhstan's Zhansaya Abdumalik becomes WGM at the age of 12

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Here is some exciting chess news via Chessdom. Kazakhstan's Zhansaya Abdumalik has completed her final norm for the Woman Grandmaster's title at the age of 12 years 5 months and 15 days. This makes her the second youngest WGM in history. The youngest WGM record is still in possession of the World Champion Yifan Hou, who achieved her title requirements at age 12 years and 3 months. However, the mark might not hold on for long as a few months ago Alexandra Goryachkina came close to breaking it, while now Zhansaya Abdumalik remained at just 2 months “distance”.

Zhansaya Abdumalik

Zhansaya Abdumalik was born January 2012. Her first big jump in chess came at the World Youth Chess 2008 where she convincingly won the gold medal in the U8 section 1,5 points ahead of competition. She became a titled player at the U10 World Chess Championship in Porto Carras where in the strongest ever U10 age category she shared 1st-2nd place and earned her WFM title.

Shortly after came the WIM title with a final norm at the 12th ASEAN+AGE Group Championships 2011. The same year as a WIM she conquered the World Chess Championship title U12 in Brazil.

At present day Zhansaya Abdumalik is the top women U12 in Asia, the top women U12 player in the World, and her rating as of May 2012 is 2141 ELO points.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
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Russian girl is youngest WGM at 13

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012

Hi everyone,

Aleksandra Goryachkina, born 1998, has become the youngest WGM in the world with her performance at the European Women Chess Championship, according to Chessdom. The young Russian girl finished at the amazing 40th place with 6,0/11, competing with a large number of GMs and IMs in what is considered to be the strongest EIWCC in history. 

With completing her WGM norm, Goryachkina becomes the youngest WGM in the world and gets very close to the record of youngest WGM in history World Champion Yifan Hou (12 years and 3 months).

 

Aleksandra Goryachkina

Alexandra Goryachkina is born September 28, 1998, in Russia. She first appeared as FIDE rated player in the October 2008 list with ELO of 1889, rapidly improving it to 2019 in the next rating list. Since then she stayed at relatively the same level, until she won her WFM title at the end of 2008- start of 2009 via the World Youth Chess Championships. That proved to be a game changer for her, she quickly set pace for a WIM title (approved at the 82nd FIDE Congress 15-22 October 2011, Krakow, Poland). Now only six months later Goryachkina is a proud owner of 3 WGM norms, soon to be approved as a WGM title.

The WGM title comes as no surprise, as Goryachkina has recently presented her fantastic form by winning the Lyudmila Rudenko Memorial. In her short career Goryachkina is winner of four important gold medals (U10 in World Youth Chess 2008 Vung Tau, U12 in European Youth Chess 2010 in Batumi, U14 in European Youth Chess in Albena, U14 in World Youth Chess 2011 in Caldas Novas), she has one silver (U12 European Youth Chess 2009 in Fermo), and one bronze (U12 World Youth Chess 2009 in Kemer).

Goryachkina is rated 2341 at the March 2012 FIDE rating list, a rating that is expected to rise viewing her strong recent performance.

From Alexandra Kosteniuk's

www.chessblog.com

Also see her personal blog at

www.chessqueen.com