DAY 5

DAY 4
THE BEST COMPETITORS IN THE 1 ST FIDE WORLD BLITZ SOLVING CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE INTERNATIONAL TEAM TOURNAMENT

This evening, trophies and medals were awarded to the best competitors in the 1st FIDE World Blitz Solving Championship, as well as in the International Team Tournament.
In the boys under 8 category, first place went to competitor Kairat Abdul-Malik from Kazakhstan, while second and third place were won by competitors from Russia, Atabekov Ibragim Saf and Shishov Mihail. In the girls under 8 group, the best was Shreyanshi Jain from India, second place was won by competitor Shatsila Miraslava from Belarus, while Zhakisheva Venera took third position.
Trophies and medals in this group were awarded by Zoran Stanimirović, President of the Chess Federation of Vojvodina.

Kaminskii Daniil from Russia won first place in the boys under 12 category, silver went to competitor Aryan Mehta from India, and bronze to Russian competitor Alekseev Konstantin. Regarding girls in this group, the winner was Russian Aymerich Sazonova Alexandra, second was Khusnitdinova Husnorakhon from Uzbekistan, and third was Sholpanbek Zhansaya from Kazakhstan.
Awards in this group were presented by Boban Nikolić, President of the Assembly of the Chess Federation of Serbia.

In the boys under 18 group, the gold medal was won by Todmunkh Turbat from Mongolia, while silver and bronze were won by competitors from Serbia, Aleksandar Kutanjac and Aleksa Avramović. The best in this girls' group was Efimova Darya from Russia, second place went to Prieto Rol Esther from Spain, and third place was taken by Venskaya Nika from Belarus.
Trophies and medals were awarded by Igor Lukić, President of the Chess Federation of Central Serbia.

After that, awards were presented to the best teams in the International Team Tournament in rapid chess, in which 58 teams participated.
The trophy and gold medal in the under 10 category were won by the team PFO from Russia, silver went to the team Intellect Academy, also from Russia, while the team from Serbia adorned themselves with bronze. Among girls, the most successful were competitors from Russia, the team Polar Bears, followed
by the team from Ukraine - Ukrainian chess queens, while Poland took third place.
Awards in this category were presented by Saša Jevtić, the tournament director.

Regarding the best in the under 14 category, the first-placed and second-placed teams are from Russia, and third-placed is Uzbekistan. The team from Belarus won first place in the girls' category, second and third place went to Russian teams Gusinaya-sila and Oranges.
Trophies and medals were awarded by Mr. Ozgur Solakoglu, the FIDE delegate at this tournament.

Finally, awards for the best in the under 18 category were presented by the President of the Chess Federation of Serbia, Andrija Jorgić.
In the open competition, the trophy went to the team Just Winners from Russia, second place to team Spain 018 from Spain, and third to the Russian team Llama-knights. Among girls, the most successful were competitors from Slovenia, in second position the team from Spain, and third-placed competitors
from the team of Serbia.

photo: Nemanja Sipka

DAY 3
KAZAKHSTAN PLAYERS MOST SUCCESSFUL IN RAPID CHESS

After three days of exciting battles and 11 played rounds, the first part of the six-day program has been completed – the rapid chess competition at the World Youth Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship. A total of 432 players from 40 national federations took part, and medals were shared by 72 participants from 11 national federations. The most successful were the Kazakhstan players with 5 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals, followed closely by representatives of Russia with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals. The competitions among juniors were interesting, but what is particularly noteworthy is the fact that the competitors with starting number 1 and the highest rating lived up to their roles as favorites – namely Aldiyar Ansat from Kazakhstan in the open category and Afruza Khamdamova from Uzbekistan in the girls' junior category.

Tomorrow, a rest day is scheduled for some competitors, while most of them will take part in team chess, for which 50 players have been registered so far.

photo: Chess Federation of Serbia/Nemanja Sipka

DAY 2

DAY 1

FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships officially opened in
Vrnjacka Banja

In Vrnjačka Banja – the capital of chess and tourism – the FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship was officially opened today. The opening ceremony was held in the packed hall of Hotel “Zepter”, beginning with the anthems of the Republic of Serbia and FIDE. Addresses were given by the President of the Chess Federation of Serbia, Andrija Jorgić, the representative of the World Chess Federation, Ozgur Solakoglu, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Ratko Nikolić, and the Mayor of Vrnjačka Banja, Boban Đurović.

In his address, the President of the Chess Federation of Serbia, Andrija Jorgić, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Sports as the most important partner on the path to an ever-better chess Serbia, as well as to the municipality of Vrnjačka Banja for their selfless help and support.
"I would also like to thank the World Chess Federation and its President, Mr. Dvorkovich, for the trust they have placed in us in organizing this championship, and I believe that we will once again justify that trust, and that our country will host many similar competitions in the future. A few months ago, in this same place, we held the World Amateur Championship, and in November of this year, we will welcome the veterans. I hope that then I will have the opportunity to welcome you to the country of an Olympic medal winner, because, as most of you know, in September we look forward to the Chess Olympiad, in which our national team will also compete. I would like to welcome everyone to Vrnjačka Banja, and to wish the participants good moves and great results," Jorgić stated.

On behalf of the World Chess Federation, FIDE delegate Ozgur Solakoglu addressed the audience. „As the FIDE Representative, it is a true pleasure to welcome you all to Vrnjačka Banja for the start of the FIDE World Cadet and Youth Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2026.This beautiful town has become a home for world chess — and today we proudly celebrate our third FIDE World Chess Event here. To all the young talents in this hall:This championship is your stage. Your energy, your creativity, and your fearless approach to the game are what make events like this so special. Rapid and Blitz are formats that reward courage, quick thinking, and a big heart — and I know you bring all of that with you.Over the next days, you will fight tough battles, make bold moves, and maybe even surprise yourselves. You
will meet new friends from around the world, learn from each other, and create memories that will stay with you long after the final round. So enjoy every moment. Play with passion, play fair, and always learn from your mistakes. Don’t forget also to enjoy the side events.To the parents, coaches, arbiters, volunteers, and organizers:Thank you for supporting these young champions and for helping us bring another world-class event to Vrnjačka Banja”, Solakoglu said.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, Ratko Nikolić, expressed special gratitude to the organizers for their efforts in making Serbia a worthy host of this championship, and emphasized that the Ministry of Sports will continue to support the development of chess, as well as all sports that encourage young people to improve, socialize, and build healthy life habits.
"Chess is not just a game. It is a school of patience, discipline, logic, and respect for the opponent. In a time of rapid change, these values are what young people need more than ever. That is why it is important that through competitions like this, not only champions are built, but also character. Dear competitors, you are the best ambassadors of your countries. Every game you play is an opportunity to
show not only your knowledge but also fair play, dignity, and mutual respect. Regardless of the result, your participation here is already a great success," Nikolić said.

The Mayor of the municipality, Boban Đurović, reminded those present that Vrnjačka Banja has had the honor of hosting numerous prestigious chess competitions in the past few years and is once again confirming the title of "Queen of Chess".
"This epithet is the result of a decade-long dedication to the development of chess and the organization of significant chess events, and each of them has further strengthened Vrnjačka Banja's position as an important center of chess activities. Today's championship continues that story. We have gathered the best young players from different parts of the world, who, with their knowledge and talent, will show that chess is a game that connects people, regardless of the language, culture, or continent they come from. That is precisely why it is a great honor to host such an event, for which I am immensely grateful to the World Chess Federation, the Ministry of Sports, and the Chess Federation of Serbia, which is successfully led by a great friend of Vrnjačka Banja, Mr. Andrija Jorgić," Đurović said.

In the end, Mr. Đurović and Mr.Jorgic symbolically made the first move, after which Chief Arbiter Nenad Dorić officially declared the competition open. The tournament features around 450 participants from 40 national federations.