On the International Children’s Day, which is celebrated on 1st June, the Velvet Seasons hotel complex at the Sirius Federal Territory of Krasnodar Krai hosted the opening ceremony of the final stage of the Open All-Russian chess competition Belaya Ladya (White Rook) among teams of general education organizations, as well as the final stage of the second All-Russian Chess Field competition among teams from rural and small-town general education organizations.

Prior to the ceremony’s commencement, attendees of all ages had the opportunity to engage in photo taking with characters representing popular Arabian fairy tales. A total of 90 teams are participating in this year’s Belaya Ladya final, including 85 regions of Russia and the following countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the United Arab Emirates.

In October 2024, President of Russia Vladimir Putin met with Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President of the Asian Chess Federation (ACF), at the Russia-Sports Power Forum in Ufa. There, Putin awarded Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan the Order of Friendship. The Sheikh promised that a team from the United Arab Emirates would participate in the final stage of the Belaya Ladya.

The ceremony began with a performance of the musical piece “We Are Cossacks” by the folk song ensemble Zaryanitsa, a winner of international and all-Russian competitions. The programme host took attendance of the teams participating in both competitions, and then read a welcome letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hisham Al Taher (photo above), the Secretary General of the Asian Chess Federation, and Alexander Tkachev, the Executive Director of the Chess Federation of Russia, welcomed the participants and guests. Mr. Al Taher presented Mr. Tkachev with a special additional cup established by the Asian Chess Federation. Sergey Shinkarev, the Deputy Director General of the Velvet Seasons hotel complex, wished the young chess players a good time both on and off the chessboard.

The ceremony ended with a spectacular sand show.

Founded in 1969, Belaya Ladya is an annual all-Russian chess tournament for teams from educational institutions. The competition consists of several stages, culminating in a final stage where the strongest teams from the participating regions compete. The competition is open to teams of schoolchildren under the age of 14.

The Belaya Ladya tournament was extremely popular during the Soviet era, but it ceased to be held after the USSR collapsed. In 2004, Belaya Ladya made a comeback. Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the final stage competition in Dagomys in 2014. The final stage of Belaya Ladya has become an international event since 2015.

Teams from each region of the Russian Federation that won the regional stage, as well as winning teams from international children’s amateur competitions, are admitted to participate in the final stage competitions.

Team line-up: four players (at least one of whom is to be female) and one team coach. One of the players is the team captain.

In 2025, Belaya Ladya will be held for the 56th time.

Starting lists

The final stage of the second All-Russia Chess Field competition is underway as well, with 50 teams from rural and small-town educational institutions competing.

Starting lists

From June 2 to 10, the Velvet Seasons hotel complex will host the final stage of the all-Russian team competition “Debut” for first and second graders. In 2025, the competition will include teams representing the 26 regions that performed best in the regional qualifiers.

Starting lists

The Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, T-Bank, the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, and Chess Federation of Russia are the Belaya Ladya’s organisers.

The general partner of the CFR is PhosAgro. Aeroflot and the Sirius Federal Territory are the CFR’s partners.

The Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation and the Chess Federation of Russia are the organisers of the Chess Field competition, which is held with support from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Timchenko Foundation.

News with more photos

Chess in Schools website

Photos by Vladimir Barsky

Benoni Wabe had a perfect score of 5 points to win the IIEE Northern Mindanao Region 50th IIEE Golden Jubilee Rapid Chess invitational open tournament last May 29, 2025 at the IIEE Midyear Convention in University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

In Photo, from L-R:  Former DENR-CENRO Gingoog City Atty. Conrado Mahinay, former CDO Chapter president Leopoldo Capacia, Minergy CEO & President William Lim, FNA Lorenzo Cuizon, 9-year old chess wonder Kyros Andrei Magsalay, IIEE Golden Sports chairman Menandro Lim, former IIEE National president Allan Alvarez and IIEE Golden Sports Vice Chair Ervin Fernandez.

AFM Wabe beat top seed IIEE Mindanao team chess captain Abdul Halil Abdullah in round 3. He also beat IIEE Cezmar Ramil Bacarro and IIEE Western Visayas AFM Roel Bryan Alsagon in the last round.

It was the only defeat of AFM Alsagon who settled for the 2nd place with 4 points.  Retired judge Mario Arroyo and Former DENR-CENRO Gingoog City Atty. Conrado Mahinay also had 4 points each but settled for 3rd and 4th respectively after tie break.

Fifth placer Arjun Niel Crisologo will join Abdullah and Bacarro for IIEE CDO team to represent the IIEE Northern Mindanao region on September 13, 2025 inter-island qualifier during the IIEE Golden Anniversary.  Former Mindanao Energy System Inc. (Minergy) CEO & President William Lim ranked 9th and should represent IIEE but begged off. The youngest participant, 9 year old Kyros Andrei Magsalay had 2 points good for a tie for 15th to 20th rank with ACM Leo Wabe.
“It was such a tough competition to play with electrical engineers of IIEE from Visayas and Mindanao and also with local executive who participated in this the event.  Kudos to FIDE National Arbiter Lorenzo Quizon and the IIEE Golden Sports Chairman Menandro Lim for bringing here in CDO the tournament which attracted all ages from young guns to retirees” said Arena Candidate Master Benoni Wabe, the founding head of the Golden Chess Friends which organizes monthly chess tournaments in Northern Mindanao.

In the international Bundesliga league, the IIEE chessmaster team barged in the level 1 tournament to bolster its chance to meet its target to rank 20th or better in the World.  Jersey Marticio top for the team with 46 points last May 26 while Chester Neil Reyes top score with 53 points lasy May 30, 2025.=Marlon Bernardino-

FIDE Master (FM) Ivan Travis Cu emerged as the champion in the Open Division of the Chess Mind Grandprix May Edition Tournament last Saturday, May 31, 2025 at the Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City, Philippines.

In photo, Chessmind Academy Administrator Maria Noemi Ballecer awards the top prize to FM Ivan Travis Cu assisted by Chessmind Academy Head Coach Joseph Ballecer.

FM Cu, incoming grade 11 of Xavier School in San Juan City, pocketed the P7,000 purse and the trophy for winning  the tournament which saw over 50 players participate.
He had a near-perfect campaign after tallying 6.5 points in the seven-round Swiss system competition.
FM Cu defeated Clarence Ong, Jarhed Reignfeild Diocares and National Master (NM) Arman Subaste in the first and third rounds, respectively.
He snapped his third-match winning streak when he had a draw against International Master (IM) Hamed Nouri in the fourth round.
However, FM Cu went on to win the last three rounds against Ritchie Jocson, Sherwin Tiu and Cyrus Luis Mahawan.
The 16-year-old soft-spoken FM Cu is playing under the guidance of Xavier School Coach IA Rolly Yutuc and International Master (IM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia.
FIDE Master (FM) Alekhine Nouri defeated his father IM Hamed Nouri in the last round to finish second overall with 6.0 points for P5,000 runner-up purse.
Tiu, IM Hamed and FIDE Master (FM) Adrian Ros Pacis finished the tournament with similar 5.5 points while Mahawan, Genesis Jahk Andres, Mark Anthony Danao,  Abraham Bayron and  Caleb Jan Piamonte have identical 5.0 points.
The Chess Mind Grandprix May Edition Tournament (rapid event) was organized by FIDE Master (FM) Dino Ballecer and officiated by NA Alexander Dinoy, NA Alfredo Chay and NA Christian Javier.-Marlon Bernardino-

The 190th Internet-based FIDE Arbiters’ Seminar is going to be organized from 16/06/2025 to 20/06/2025 by the Asian Chess Federation, under the auspices of FIDE.

The Lecturer will be IA/IO Abdulrahim, Mahdi (UAE), FIDE Lecturer.

The language of the Seminar will be Arabic.

The Seminar will give norms and titles of FIDE Arbiter, according to the Regulations for the titles of Arbiters.

♟🌟 Exciting Chess Tournament in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan! 🌟♟

Dear Coaches, Parents, and Chess Enthusiasts,

We warmly invite your talented players to the International Chess Tournament for Boys and Girls (Under 8, 10, 12) from June 15-19, 2025, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. 🇹🇲✨

🏅 Tournament Highlights:

Rapid and Blitz events under official FIDE rules.

Free full-board accommodation and local transportation!

Easy, quick visa processing, entirely sponsored by organizers.

Enjoy a special cultural treat: an unforgettable Turkmen horse show at the circus! 🐴🎪

Exciting city tours included.

🌐 Open to All Countries: Special terms, i.e. free full-board accommodation, are now available for participants from any country! Spots are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Despite the short notice, we ensure a smooth and fast visa approval process for all participants and accompanying officials. 📅✅

Let your players experience an unforgettable chess event combined with Turkmen hospitality!

Contact us at: tkmchess@gmail.com or call 📞 ‪+99361292843‬
https://tkmchess.com.tm/news/60

We look forward to welcoming you to Ashgabat! 🤝♟✨

Download Regulations – ASHGABAT 2025 (ENG)

Download Registration_Form_Ashgabat_2025 (FINAL)

Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan (right) and Mongolian Chess Federation president His Excellency Gombojav Zandanshatar (left) award medals to the top three placers, champion GM Bardiya Daneshvar of Iran, runner-up GM Nihal Sarin of India and third placer Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan. The national anthem of Iran was played as its flag rose in the background.

Asian Chess Federation president Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan (right) and Mongolian Chess Federation president His Excellency Gombojav Zandanshatar (left) award medals to the top three women, champion IM Song Yuxin of China, runner-up Bat-Erdene Mungunzul of Mongolia and third placer WGM Xeniya Balabayeva of Kazakhstan. The national anthem of China was played as its flag rose in the background.

Speech of ACF President Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifah Al Nahyan:

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the closing ceremony of the Asian Individual Chess Championship for men and women, held here in Al Ain – the capital of Asian chess – from May 6 to May 15, 2025.

This edition brought together 600 players from 38 countries — a new record in both number of participants and countries represented.

We witnessed remarkable games and inspiring sportsmanship, a true reflection of the growing strength of Asian chess.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to the success of this prestigious event — organizing committees, technical teams, administrative staff, and volunteers.

Congratulations to all the winners and those who qualified for the FIDE World Cup. We wish you all the best as ambassadors of Asia on the world stage.

I am also pleased to extend special congratulations to the countries that claimed gold medals in this edition of the championship:
The Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Blitz Chess Championship,
and the Islamic Republic of Iran and the People’s Republic of China in the Classical Asian Chess Championship.
These nations showcased outstanding performance and have proudly represented the spirit of chess in Asia and beyond.

Dear friends,
In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the Asian Chess Federation has decided to award the hosting rights of the next edition of the Asian Individual Chess Championship – Masters Section to Mongolia, in recognition of its ongoing efforts in promoting chess and our full confidence in its ability to deliver an exceptional event worthy of this prestigious continental championship.

On this special day, May 15, 2025, I am also delighted to announce the signing of an agreement between the Al Ain Chess and Mind Games Club and the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to launch the FIDE Al Ain ACMG Academy.

I now ask the team to display the official logo of the Academy.

Through this global academy, we aim to elevate the game of chess worldwide, nurture talents from across all continents, and provide world-class training under the guidance of top international coaches, following best practices and global standards. Our services will be delivered in ten languages.

Thank you once again for being with us today. We look forward to seeing you again at our future events

Mongolian Chess Federation President His Excellency Gombojav Zandanshatar makes the ceremonial final round opening move assisted by Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher and Organizing Committee Executive Director IM Sami Khader.

In the last round, GM Sarin Nihal of India dealt erstwhile solo leader GM Bardiya Daneshvar of Iran his only loss in the tournament. The Indian GM smashed the Queen’s Pawn opening, Chigorin variation, of the Iranian in 34 moves.

Despite his loss, Daneshvar finished in a tie for first with GM Sarin Nihal at 7 points each after 9 rounds and prevailed in the tie-break to garner the gold medal.

Games were broadcast live on www.chess.com and https://lichess.org/ and https://live.chessbase.com/.

Visit chess-results.com for round by round results and standings and to download games.

GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov of Uzbekistan (right) drew with compatriot GM Yakubboev Nodirbek (left) to finish in a 6-way tie for third at 6.5 points each. Vokhidov had the best tie break to win the bronze medal.

GM Ivan Zemlyanskii (FID) essayed the Italian Game to draw with GM S.L. Narayanan of India in 32 moves for both to finish in a tie with 6.5 points.

Here are the top 15 placers who received cash prizes:

Daneshvar had previously qualified for the World Cup from the Zone 3.1 Zonals. Therefore, the next ten players in the Asian Individual Championship qualified into the FIDE World Cup. Here are the crucial last round matches:

Mongolian Chess Federation President His Excellency Gombojav Zandanshatar makes the ceremonial final round opening move assisted by Asian Chess Federation General Secretary Hisham Al Taher.

On top board, IM Vantika Agrawal of India (left) outplayed the Slav Defense of erstwhile solo leader Bat-Erdene Mungunzul of Mongolia (right) in 64 moves of a minor piece endgame.

IM Song Yuxin of China (left) crushed the French defense of IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirojonova of Uzbekistan (right) in 32 moves. The win allowed Song to prevail in a 4-way tie at 7 points each together with Bat-Erdene Mungunzul, WGM Xeniya Balabayeva of Kazakhstan and Vantika Agrawal.

WGM Xeniya Balabayeva of Kazakhstan (left) used the Caro Kann Defense to turn back Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia (right) in 77 moves and tie at 7 points to win the bronze medal by better tie break over Agrawal.

Song and Mungunzul qualify into the FIDE Women’s World Cup slated this July in Batumi, Georgia.

Here are the top 12 women who received cash prizes.

Here are results of the crucial last round matches in the women’s division: