Zandanshatar Gombojav, President of the Mongolian Chess Federation, appointed prime minister

Zandanshatar Gombojav, the current President of the Mongolian Chess Federation, appointed prime minister. He won election by a vote of 108 to 9 in the 126-member parliament. The other nine members were absent. AP published an article saying, “Mongolia gets a new prime minister who pledged to address the economic demands of protesters” and notes, “His election appeared to mark the end of several weeks of political uncertainty in a still-young democracy of 3.4 million people that is sandwiched between much larger China and Russia. The new leader faces multiple challenges including high inflation, a looming government budget deficit and fears of power shortages this winter.”

Zandanshatar Gombojav previously served as the 12th chairman of the State Great Khural from 2019 to 2024, the chief cabinet secretary of Mongolia under the government Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh from 2017 to 2019, and as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade under Prime Ministers Sanjaagiin Bayar and Sükhbaataryn Batbold from 2009 to 2012.

Mongolia Chess Federation President

The Mongolian Chess Federation held its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on December 14, 2024, at the conference hall of the Mongolian State University of Education.

The meeting was attended by approximately 200 representatives from Ulaanbaatar’s nine districts and 21 aimags. The primary agenda was the election of the new President of the Federation.

G. Zandanshatar, Head of the Office of the President of Mongolia, and Kh. Batchuluun, Vice President of the Mongolian Chess Federation, was nominated for the position. However, Kh. Batchuluun withdrew his candidacy, leaving G. Zandanshatar as the sole contender.

With the majority vote from the attending representatives, G. Zandanshatar was elected President of the Mongolian Chess Federation. Notably, G. Zandanshatar previously held this position from 2011 to 2015.

Kh. Batchuluun will continue to serve as First Vice President and expressed his full support for the implementation of the new president’s action plan.

Dvorkovich congratulates Zandanshatar Gombojav

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich extended his congratulations to Mr Gombojav on his appointment.

“Your elevation to the highest executive office in Mongolia comes at a time when your vision, experience, and political wisdom are most needed,” Dvorkovich stated.

The FIDE President further highlighted that, as the head of the Mongolian Chess Federation, Gombojav has been a steadfast advocate for the growth and promotion of chess, both as a competitive sport and an educational tool.

“Under your leadership, Mongolia has made remarkable progress in developing its chess culture and nurturing young talents. FIDE deeply appreciates your efforts in integrating chess into national programs and international cooperation. We are confident that your new role will offer further opportunities to advance the values of strategic thinking, education, and international collaboration – principles that chess embodies and promotes globally”.