The eight-year-old Kazakh chess prodigy strives for international success

Iman Nabiev, an eight-year-old chess prodigy from Kostanay, winner of numerous regional and international championships, is gaining recognition on the world stage. In a recent interview with the Kazinform information agency, Nabiev's mother Esmira Samedova talked about his experience and ambitious plans for the future.

Nabiev, a member of Kazakhstan's youth chess team, started playing chess at the age of five. Despite his young age, he has already won the Asian Blitz Championship in Sri Lanka in 2022, the World School Classic Chess Championship in Peru from April 30 to May 10, and became the vice-champion of the Cadet and Youth Blitz and Rapid World Championships. Championship in Georgia from June 5 to 23, 2023.

According to his parents, it was Iman who asked to enroll him in chess. After trying group classes and finding the schedule inconvenient, they hired a personal chess coach and began attending the Chess Academy in Kostanay.

"Iman is currently studying online with the Russian Grandmaster Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Dobrov and the Belarusian Grandmaster Serhiy Mykolayovych Azarov. He works with the latter in the program of young talents of the Chess Federation of Kazakhstan, as Iman is a member of the children's and youth national team," said Samedova.

Nabiev's success story began with his first city tournament, where he first appeared in the 4th division. Soon he began to win first places at regional and state tournaments. At the Kostanay Oblast Men's Championship, he became the first child to enter the top three.

"He had his first international competition in Panama, where 37 countries participated. Iman entered the top four. Then at the Asian Schoolboy Championship in Sri Lanka in 2022, Iman became the Asian Blitz Champion. He became a bronze medalist in classical chess," Samedova said.

The next important tournament for young Nabiev was the World Championship among cadets in Georgia in 2023, where he won the vice-championship in blitz chess. Nabiev's recent achievements include bronze in classical chess and silver in blitz at the World School Championships in Peru.

“Iman plays every tournament to win, but the experience of losing is important. We always try to accept any result with gratitude," Samedova said.

Nabiev's motivation lies in victories and strong support from his parents. They put a lot of effort and money into his chess career, which the young prodigy appreciates and tries to respect with all his might. His parents support him in any situation, explaining the importance of the game experience, whether he wins or loses.

“There are big plans for the future, as Iman wants to play chess professionally, and for that we need funding and sponsorship. Chess is an expensive sport. Trips and tournaments cost us a lot of money," Samedova shared.

Nabiev's mentor Daulet Zhakanov noted that such a talent is unprecedented in the history of Kostanai, praising the perseverance of the young player.

"He has incredible productivity and discipline. This is a great merit of the parents. It is very important that they invest in him both morally and financially," Zhakanov said.

Nabiyev's upcoming tournaments are scheduled in Astana and Almaty, including the Asian Chess Championship from June 9 to 21. The open tournament will be held in Baku from June 29 to July 7. He also plans to participate in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Tashkent from August 1 to 8 and the Cadet World Championships in Italy from November 14 to 27.