Raja Gauhar Iqbal serves as Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) and the Chess Association of Punjab (CAP). He contributes to the implementation of chess-in-education initiatives at both national and provincial levels.

Working with the leadership of both federations, he translates policy into practical action through government engagement, programme implementation and grassroots mobilisation.
At the federal level, he has helped advance the Chess in Schools initiative in collaboration with the Federal Education Department, supporting the development of chess rooms in more than 400 public schools.

In Punjab, he contributes to advocacy and implementation efforts to incorporate chess as a twice-weekly sports activity in public schools. The initiative is supported by a network of district chess associations that identifies and trains teachers with chess-teaching skills.

He has also played a key role in securing chess’s inclusion in the Punjab Youth Games for the first time, attracting approximately 8,000 participants from schools, colleges and universities.
With previous experience at Plan International Pakistan in child-centred development, advocacy, communications and capacity building, Raja Gauhar Iqbal brings together expertise in public policy, international coordination and programme development.

His vision is to make chess an accessible, inclusive and sustainable part of school education, nurturing critical thinking, creativity and lifelong learning.

Ramon Chalmeta Uras is President of the Catalan Chess Federation and has spent more than a decade developing and promoting chess across Catalonia.

Through “Escacs a l’Escola” (“Chess in Schools”), a programme established by the Federation in 2012, chess has been introduced to hundreds of schools, and thousands of educators have been trained to use chess as an educational tool.

During his presidency, Catalonia hosted an International Chess in Education Congress marking the programme’s tenth anniversary.

Ramon Chalmeta Uras remains committed to advancing chess education and also directly trains school chess coaches in his hometown of Sant Boi de Llobregat.

Ramon Chalmeta Uras is President of the Catalan Chess Federation and has spent more than a decade developing and promoting chess across Catalonia.

Through “Escacs a l’Escola” (“Chess in Schools”), a programme established by the Federation in 2012, chess has been introduced to hundreds of schools, and thousands of educators have been trained to use chess as an educational tool.

During his presidency, Catalonia hosted an International Chess in Education Congress marking the programme’s tenth anniversary.

Ramon Chalmeta Uras remains committed to advancing chess education and also directly trains school chess coaches in his hometown of Sant Boi de Llobregat.

Jonathon Quest holds a Doctor of Education in Transformative Learning and teaches doctoral research methodologies.

Dr. Quest has over 15 years of experience helping develop global chess programs, which have generated over $1 million in total funding and in-kind services, serving more than 10,000 students worldwide.

At Webster University, he spearheaded the landmark Chess in Education Minor—the first undergraduate chess degree in the United States, training more than 2,000 future educators across five years. Though the program has since closed, its success set a benchmark for academic chess pedagogy.

Currently, Dr. Quest is developing a new initiative focused on the future of chess in higher education, finishing his upcoming research-based book, Once Upawn a Knight: A Call to Adventure Through the Chess Child's Mind, and continuing his own journey as a lifelong student of the game.

International Grandmaster since 1999, Darmen Sadvakassov is one of Kazakhstan’s most accomplished chess players.

He is the World Junior Chess Champion (U20, 1998) and Asian Junior Chess Champion (U20, 1995), as well as a five-time Kazakhstan National Chess Champion (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007). He represented Kazakhstan at four World Chess Olympiads (1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004). In 2025, he won a silver medal at the World Team Blitz Chess Championship as a member of Team KazChess. He is also a winner and medalist of numerous international chess tournaments.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements in chess, he received the Daryn State Youth Award (1999) and was awarded the Order of Kurmet (1998) and the Order of Parasat (2012).

Darmen Sadvakassov is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Chess Legends, an educational initiative dedicated to promoting chess, providing chess education, and developing chess skills.

A Woman Grandmaster since 2020, Gulmira Dauletova is one of Kazakhstan’s leading female chess players, with extensive experience competing on the international stage.

She is a bronze medalist at the World Chess Olympiad (2014). As a member of the Kazakhstan national team, she won bronze medals at the Asian Team Chess Championship (2016) and the Asian Nations Cup (2018). She represented Kazakhstan at seven World Chess Olympiads (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018) and three World Team Chess Championships (2013, 2015, and 2019).

She is a three-time Kazakhstan National Chess Champion (2007, 2008, and 2010) and the Asian Girls' U18 Chess Champion (2006). She has also won numerous titles and prizes at international chess tournaments.

Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation, contributing to the implementation of strategic initiatives, the development of chess education, and the promotion of chess throughout Kazakhstan.

An experienced educator and academic leader with over 30 years of experience in secondary and higher education.

She graduated with honors from Pavlodar Pedagogical Institute in 1995, specializing in Primary Education Pedagogy and Methodology. In 2016, she earned a master's degree from Omsk State Pedagogical University.

Aliya Zhakiyenova began her professional career as a schoolteacher in 1995. She later taught pedagogy at the university level and held various leadership positions in higher education. She also worked at the Pavlodar Regional Department of Education and served as Head of the Innovation Center for Educational Development.

From December 2021 to October 2025, she served as Director of the Academic Affairs Department at Margulan University. Since October 2025, she has been leading the university's Academic Office.
Her professional expertise focuses on academic management, curriculum development, and methodological support for teacher education, contributing to the preparation of future educators and the advancement of pedagogical education in Kazakhstan.