Kathmandu, Sept 19 –
Nepal’s young chess players have embarked on an international journey to represent the nation at the FIDE World Cadet Chess Championship 2025, which is set to take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from September 19 to 30.
The prestigious event is jointly organized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Leading the Nepali delegation is Dharam Bahadur Lama, General Secretary of the Nepal Chess Association, along with two promising players, Agrim Saiju and Hardik Pant, both competing in the Under-12 category.
More than 80 countries are participating in this year’s championship, including strong contenders from the United States, India, France, Romania, Germany, Poland, Syria, the host nation Kazakhstan, and others. A total of 176 cadet players under the age of 12 will battle it out in the tournament.
The championship will be played under the Swiss system with 11 rounds, where each player will have 90 minutes plus an additional 30 seconds per move. The average rating of the participants in this category is 1836, reflecting a highly competitive field.
Among the top-seeded players are CMA Guo Ethan (2330, USA), FM Zhu Linxi (2320, USA), Ling Chenxuan (2258, USA), FM Fundila Manen (2307, Syria), and Damodar Bulgak (2254, FIDE flag).
Nepal’s representatives will face a tough challenge: Agrim Saiju (rated 1680) is seeded at 130th position, while Hardik Pant (rated 1646) stands at 138th position. Despite being placed lower in rankings, both players are determined to showcase their skills and gain invaluable international exposure.
The Nepali team was officially bid farewell on Thursday morning at 5 AM from Tribhuvan International Airport by Balaram Pun, a member of the Chess Association Secretariat, and spokesperson Raju Tamrakar.
According to Tamrakar, the Nepal Chess Association recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kazakhstan Chess Federation to enhance cooperation for the development of young chess players in Nepal. Under this collaboration, the Freedom Asian Chess Initiative (FACI) Project has already provided specialized training in Nepal with the support of foreign coaches.
Both Agrim Saiju and Hardik Pant were among the trainees of this FACI program, and their participation in the World Cadet Championship is a direct outcome of this initiative. Tamrakar further emphasized that this opportunity will not only boost the confidence of the young players but also inspire other aspiring talents in Nepal to pursue chess at an international level.
The Nepal Chess Association has expressed hope that consistent exposure to international tournaments will pave the way for Nepal to produce stronger players in the future, ultimately raising the standard of chess in the country.
