Eight-Year-Old Tajik Boy Wins Silver at World School Chess Championship

A ceremony has been held at the Chess Center of Tajikistan’s Chess Federation to honor 8-year-old Murodali Saifiev for his outstanding performance at the World Schools Team Chess Championship in Alexandria, Virginia, US.

The young chess player, who won a silver medal, received a monetary award of 7,500 somoni ($791.31), The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

The tournament, held from August 3 to 6, featured 286 players from 48 countries. Competing on the fourth board, Murodali scored 6 out of 7 points, demonstrating exceptional strategic thinking and preparation. His performance was among the top results of the competition.

Representatives of the Chess Federation emphasized that supporting young athletes like Murodali helps develop chess in Tajikistan and inspires other young players to achieve new heights.

"We are confident that Murodali will continue delighting us with his victories and serve as a worthy role model for his peers," the Federation stated.

This is not Murodali’s first major achievement: in July, he won a bronze medal at the Central Asian Championship in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan which brought together over 500 participants from five countries in the region.