Afruza Hamdamova from Uzbekistan achieved the title of world champion at the Girls U16 Tournament of the World Youth Chess Championship in Brazil, earlier than expected.
She secured her win in the 10th round, playing with black pieces against Mrittika Mallick from India. In the final 11th round, she will face Zarina Nurgaliyeva from Kazakhstan.
Currently, A. Hamdamova has 9.5 points, while Charis Peglau from Germany and Zarina Nurgaliyeva, both in the top three, have 7.5 points each.
In 2023, Hamdamova claimed the U-14 World Youth Championship title in Italy, making her the first female world champion in the history of Uzbekistan’s chess.
Javokhir Tashkhodjayev, UzA