Bibisara Assaubayeva Becomes Kazakhstan’s Second Female Grandmaster

Kazakh chess star Bibisara Assaubayeva has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the second female grandmaster in Kazakhstan’s history, Orda.kz reports.

Assaubayeva secured her final grandmaster norm and crossed the 2500 Elo rating at the Sharjah Masters 2025 International Chess Championship in the UAE — a feat considered elite even among male players. The title will be officially confirmed by FIDE at an upcoming council meeting.

The 21-year-old chess player will become the second female grandmaster in the history of Kazakhstan after Zhansaya Abdumalik. 

The Kazakhstan Chess Federation congratulated Bibisara, her coaches, and her supporters, calling her the:

Pride of the nation and an inspiration for future champions!

Born on February 26, 2004, in Taraz, Bibisara began playing chess at a young age. By 15, she had earned the grandmaster title; by 2020, she became an international master.

She became World Blitz Champion twice, in 2021 and 2022, and in the same year claimed silver at the World Rapid Championship and gold at the Asian Championship. In 2023, she was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of Kazakhstan.

Previously, a public dispute arose between Bibisara Assaubayeva and Zhansaya Abdumalik following a tournament in India.

Assaubayeva openly criticized Abdumalik’s decision to withdraw from the competition over concerns about its organization. She later apologized, attributing her comments to an emotional outburst and tensions within the team. The Kazakhstan Chess Federation described the incident as a "momentary disagreement."

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov