Kurdish chess player San Taha Ali took first place in a chess tournament held as part of the International Youth Festival 2026 in Yekaterinburg, Russia that took place from September 11 to 17, 2026.

Ali, who was the only Kurdish participant in the tournament, competed alongside international players from several countries and finished in first place.

Following his victory, Ali received an award from Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin, who organized the tournament. Karjakin, a former world chess champion and one of Russia’s leading chess players, later played a friendly game of chess with Ali.

“It was an amazing and beautiful experience, and it will always be a special memory for me,” Ali said in a post describing his participation in the tournament.

The International Youth Festival 2026 brought together thousands of Russian and international participants for programs covering education, culture, science, technology, and international youth cooperation.

According to organizers, around 10,000 participants from 191 countries took part in the festival, including 5,000 international delegates under the age of 35.