How a 21‑year‑old Woman International Master is turning the tournament of giants into her personal fairy tale at Oskemen Open 2025 in Kazakhstan.
A 2 067‑rated underdog now playing like a 2 700‑monster
When the Masters section of the $100,000 Oskemen Open 2025 began, WIM Zeinep Sultanbek (21) was seeded 67th out of 79 players. Six rounds later she sits alone in clear second place on 4½/6 with a 2 692 performance rating, a jaw‑dropping +625 Elo jump on paper and a provisional +62 Elo in the live list.
| Standing after round 6 | Pts | Perf. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GM Richard Rapport | 5 | 2673 |
| 2 WIM Zeinep Sultanbek | 4½ | 2692 |
| 3 GM Aleksey Grebnev | 4½ | 2686 |
Sultanbek’s victims already include GM Aleksey Goganov, plus two solid international masters. The only player to slow her down so far is top seed Rapport, and even he needed precision to convert. Her next hurdle: GM Aleksey Grebnev in round 7. Her lastest win was a beauty too, against GM Goganov.
Puzzle alert: Black to move, and mate in 3
It’s a classic puzzle, right? 23… Qf2 and Black will mate in a couple of moves.
24. Rxf2 (24. Rdd1 Qxg2#) (24. Rg1 Re1 25. Rd1 (25. Rxe1 Qxe1#) 25… Qxg1#) 24… Re1+ 25. Rf1 Rxf1#
Here’s her full game:
Move‑by‑move through the magic
| Rd | Result | Opponent (title / Elo) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 (bye) | — |
| 2 | 1‑0 | IM Artiom Stribuk 2468 |
| 3 | ½‑½ | IM Ilamparthi A.R. 2500 |
| 4 | 1‑0 | IM Rohith Krishna S. 2516 |
| 5 | 0‑1 | GM Richard Rapport 2715 |
| 6 | 1‑0 | GM Aleksey Goganov 2516 |
Her round‑6 masterpiece ended with a “Black to move, mate in three” final position that had spectators double‑checking the board. If she keeps scoring at +2 or better, Sultanbek will be on course for her first GM norm—the first step toward becoming Kazakhstan’s second female grandmaster after Zhansaya Abdumalik.
The battlefield around her
Oskemen’s second edition boasts 21 GMs, 35 IMs and representatives from 20 countries. The prize fund alone—$18 000 to the winner, raises the stakes.
Upsets have been the norm, not the exception:
- 10‑year‑old FM Roman Shogdzhiev stunned GM Levan Pantsulaia in round 1, threatening to become the youngest GM‑norm scorer ever.
- Indian teenager Mayank Chakraborty toppled second seed Arkadij Naiditsch, while IM Ayush Sharma ambushed GM Anton Demchenko on table 2.
With giants bleeding rating points, every round feels like roulette.
Kazakhstan’s Other Miracle: Xeniya Balabayeva Bursts into the Top 10
While all eyes are on Zeinep Sultanbek’s giant-slaying run, another young Kazakh woman is quietly authoring a breakout story of her own at Oskemen Open 2025.
WGM Xeniya Balabayeva, just 19 years old and ranked 57th at the start of the Oskemen Open 2025, has surged into 9th place with 4/6 points and a remarkable performance rating of 2608, a full 276 Elo above her official FIDE rating of 2332.
Balabayeva isn’t just surviving in this brutal Masters field. She’s thriving against seasoned grandmasters and international masters alike.
Game by Game: Resilience and Precision
| Rd | Opponent (title / Elo) | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IM Lev Zverev (2480) | ½ |
| 2 | IM Artem Pingin (2468) | 1 |
| 3 | GM Alisher Suleymenov (2497) | ½ |
| 4 | IM Aldiyar Ansat (2489) | ½ |
| 5 | GM Lalit Babu M R (2512) | ½ |
| 6 | IM Gan-Erdene Sugar (2454) | 1 |
She’s gone six rounds unbeaten, scoring points against three Kazakh national team members and outplaying higher-rated opponents with consistent positional play and excellent endgame technique. Her latest win, a smooth grind against Mongolia’s Gan-Erdene Sugar, highlighted just how comfortable she is at this level.
Oskemen, the new capital of 64 squares
The tournament is the second stage of the Kazakhstan Chess Cup, held in the lecture halls of East Kazakhstan Technical University from 21 – 29 July. Three rating groups (Masters, Challengers, Open) pull in almost 270 players and turn the normally‑quiet industrial hub of Ust‑Kamenogorsk into a global chess carnival.
KazChess president Timur Turlov summed it up in his opening speech:
“Let the upcoming games become a real chess festival for all participants and fans.”
What must happen next
- For Sultanbek: Two wins from the final three rounds would write history. Even 1½ could still bring the norm with favourable pairings.
- For Rapport and the chasing pack: One slip could open the door for a Cinderella champion and a seismic shake‑up of the prize distribution.
- For fans: Keep an eye on the broadcast boards at 15:00 local time (GMT+5). If you see Sultanbek’s name pop up on table 1, clear your schedule.
I’m Xuan Binh, the founder of Attacking Chess, and the Deputy Head of Communications at the Vietnam Chess Federation (VCF). My chess.com and lichess rating is above 2300, in both blitz and bullet. Follow me on Twitter (X).
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