FIDE World Junior Blitz Championship: Muradli and Balabayeva clinch titles

Mahammad Muradli  (Azerbaijan) and Xeniya Balabayeva (Kazakhstan) emerged as the winners of the FIDE World Junior Blitz Championship.

In the open section, Muradli got off to a great start, winning six straight games, grabbed the lead and never looked back. Despite losing to Arseniy Nesterov in Round 9, the Azeri GM scored an impressive 9.5/11 and finished a full point ahead of the top-seed Raunak Sadhwani (winner of the rapid section).

Arystan Isazhulov and Arseniy Nesterov tied for third place, with the former taking bronze thanks to better Buchholz.

The girls’ tournament was a closer race, with Xeniya Balabayeva and Amina Kaiberkova both scoring 8.5/11 and tying for the first place. Xeniya had a slightly better Buchholz, which made all the difference as she claimed gold while Amina had to settle for silver.

The winner of the rapid championship, Govhar Beydullayeva, netted 7.5/11 and added bronze to her collection of trophies.

Final standings open

Final standings girls

During the closing ceremony, FIDE and the Organizing Committee, led by GM Mogranzini, extend their gratitude to the Sardinia Region and the Pula municipality for their invaluable support in making this championship a resounding success.

The farewell to this unforgettable championship was celebrated in Pula’s main square in the presence of local authorities, the president of the Italian Chess Federation Luigi Maggi and the president of the regional chess federation, Danilo Mallo. All attending the closing ceremony enjoyed a live performance by an internationally renowned tenor, Alessandro Goldoni.

Photos: NIKIEL.PHOTO

Official website: juniorrapidandblitz2023.com/