Many coaches train professional athletes in chess. Among them, B.Ochirsukh, a Sports sub-master and Instructor at the “Bosoo Noyon” Chess Club, is known for his training methods that are simple yet distinctive. His students have achieved success in continental and world tournaments, showcasing to the international community how chess is developing in Mongolia.

Since 2019, Mongolian players who competed in the World Youth Chess Championship had not secured any prize-winning positions. His student I.Tselmuun continued the medal streak that had been absent for five years and brought home the eighth medal from the world championship. Last year, I.Tselmuun also won first place in the problem-solving category at the Youth “World Cup”, scoring the highest mark of 40 points.

Another student, Ts.Anand, tied with Grandmaster G.Munkhgal in the rapid category of the Mongolian National Chess Championship for Adults and defeated other competitors. As a result, he traveled to Doha, Qatar, last year to represent Mongolia at the World Championship. Members of the Bosoo Noyon Club also achieved consecutive successes in domestic competitions during 2024 and 2025. When they won the national championship as a team and became two-time champions, the dedication and training efforts of coach B.Ochirsukh played a major role. For this reason, he was named Best Coach of 2024.

 

While people were exchanging Lunar New Year greetings on the morning of Tsagaan Sar, you went abroad with your club’s players. What thoughts came to your mind when you participated in the Intellect Academy Cup Rapid 2026, International Chess Festival in Novokuznetsk, Russia?

 

I am originally from Baruun-Urt soum of Sukhbaatar Province. My parents live and work there, so I usually go there every year to celebrate the Tsagaan Sar holiday with them. This time, however, the festival held in Russia coincided with Mongolia’s Tsagaan Sar and began on the day of Bituun (Lunar New Year’s Eve). For me, celebrating the Lunar New Year abroad with my athletes for the first time was quite interesting.

We respected and honored our Mongolian traditions by setting up a ceremonial table in our room and exchanging greetings with the students. We also sent Lunar New Year wishes to our families, relatives, and friends.

At the festival, 44 teams from more than 20 countries competed. Although our team was initially ranked sixth according to ratings, we eventually placed fifth in the standard team event after the matches. Russia is among the top three countries in the world in terms of the number of grandmasters it has produced, which is why its players are always strong competitors in any tournament. Countries that host chess competitions usually accommodate athletes in high-class hotels and ensure proper meals and security.

As a coach, I stay very busy, observing how quickly my players adapt to the local environment and climate, making sure they maintain proper sleep, meals, and rest, and taking care of them almost like their parents since they are far from home for many days. During the tournament, I also pay close attention to their games, moves, and psychological condition.

 

It must have been advantageous to bring a team formed entirely from your club to the international festival. Coaches often gain extensive experience and research by repeatedly sending their players to competitions. What did you focus on most this time?

 

By taking my students to the festival, I was able to observe many things. Russia’s system for training professional chess players used to be very strong, and it still remains so. Although the Russian national team did not participate this time, the players from their chess academies performed very well.

In Mongolia, large international team competitions are not held very often. Our players made some tactical mistakes in the first one or two games, as they were not fully accustomed to the situation. However, in the later rounds they understood how to approach the games better and continued successfully.

Recently, young players from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have been dominating continental and world competitions. My students faced both teams and lost by only narrow margins. This time, the team from Uzbekistan won the tournament, while teams from Kazakhstan and Israel earned the silver and bronze medals, demonstrating their strength as formidable opponents. It was also clear from their players’ performance that the governments of these countries support chess development at the global level through strong policies.

 

The National Youth Chess Championship will begin next week. Since the top three players earn the right to compete in continental and world tournaments, the competition must be intense.

 

The National Youth Chess Championship is considered one of the major domestic tournaments. As the scheduled date approaches, we are training our club’s athletes intensively to help them perform successfully.

Since our team won the previous two championships, our goal this time is to defend our title and not lose the championship. Other clubs will certainly strive hard to lift the champion’s trophy as well, so the competition will be very close.

Nowadays, the number of people studying and enjoying chess has expanded, and domestic competition grows stronger every year. In this environment, children from rural areas have begun achieving results comparable to those of athletes from the capital city. This clearly reflects how much the sport of chess has developed in our country.

 

It is often said that to become a strong competitor, one must learn everything correctly from the very beginning. Who were the people who first taught you the art of chess and set you on the path to becoming an athlete?

 

The people who first taught me how to play chess were my grandfather and father. As a child, I learned simply by watching them play every evening. Seeing them make different moves every day and trying to defeat one another was fascinating to me at the time. Until I was 11 years old, I played according to what they had taught me and began participating in provincial and district championship tournaments.

After that, I started training at the “Oyunlag” Chess Club, founded by Coach J.Enkhbaatar in Sukhbaatar Province, and that is where my sports career truly began. He is also the father of E.Enkhnar, the leading coach of the “Bosoo Noyon” Club. I trained under his guidance until I was 18, improving my skills along the way. What I learned from him, as well as from my grandfather and father, later had a great influence on me when I became a coach and began training professional athletes.

I tend to learn almost any game quickly just by watching it. Even if I do not master it perfectly, I usually reach a level where I can compete through effort and practice. Among the many sports and games, I chose chess, and I still feel grateful for that decision today.

Coach E.Enkhnar is a few years older than I am. Although we were students of the same teacher, we did not often have the chance to train together at that time. It has now been six years since I began working as a coach at the “Bosoo Noyon” Chess Club, which he founded.

 

I remember that players of your generation made both domestic and international chess tournaments exciting and highly competitive. You must have faced many of them across the board.

 

I believe that my generation contributed to advancing the development of chess among mind sports in Mongolia for a certain period. Among those talented players who emerged strongly was International Master and National Champion U.Agibileg, who achieved notable results while representing Mongolia in international competitions. He is now very close to earning the grandmaster title. He demonstrated his high-level skill by finishing runner-up in the open category of the Asian Zone 3.3 Championship, which earned him the right to compete in the World Cup.

Among women players, Grandmaster B.Amina has become one of the top competitors today. During my time as a player, I did not participate in many international tournaments. Athletes who were not part of the national team had to cover their own expenses, so competing internationally was not easy at the time. Because of that, I mostly competed domestically.

One of my major achievements as a player was winning the bronze medal at the Asian Chess Championship held in Mongolia in 2015.

 

Coaching is not a job that everyone wants, and the world of sports often proves that. Was it difficult at first when you started working as a teacher and training professional athletes?

 

I have now been working as a chess coach for six years. In life, people inevitably cross challenges they once thought impossible. Before, I used to think I would never become a teacher. In the first few years of guiding children and conducting training sessions, it was difficult to adjust to the work.

From the day I started teaching at the “Bosoo Noyon” Club until now, I have continued to learn from my senior colleague E.Enkhnar. For our club, 2024 was a very successful and optimistic year. My students won medals in both domestic and international competitions, and I also gained more experience and confidence in my work.

That year, my student I.Tselmuun continued the medal tradition that had been absent for five years by winning a bronze medal at the World Youth Chess Championship. In addition, Ts.Anand won the Asian School Chess Championship in Thailand, and the Bosoo Noyon Club performed successfully in the National Championship, winning first place as a team. These achievements led to my being named Best Coach.

 

Besides training and skill, what other factors greatly influence an athlete’s success?

 

A coach’s leadership style, along with the support and attitude of the athlete’s family, plays a significant role. Success comes only when the coach, athlete, and family work together in close cooperation.

Both the coach and the athlete must constantly seek new knowledge so as not to fall behind in the development of chess. In today’s highly information-driven world, neither side can move forward without continuous research and study. I also still have much to learn.

Many Mongolian chess players are highly skilled, but due to financial constraints they cannot regularly participate in international competitions. Chess tournaments usually last many days; at least eight or nine. For example, the National Youth Chess Championship alone lasts about a week. The top three athletes in the national championship earn the right to compete in international, continental, and world tournaments.

As the tournament approaches, both coach and athlete work under heavy pressure. As for our club, we will likely cross the border several times this year to participate in three or four major international tournaments.

 

From the “Bosoo Noyon” club players, it seems that Ts.Anand represented Mongolia alone at the Rapid World Championship.

 

Ts.Anand is only 13 years old. The World Rapid Chess Championship for adults is a competition where the world’s top players, those who consistently achieve strong results and rank at the top of the ratings, compete against each other. For instance, Magnus Carlsen is one of the world’s leading chess players. The fact that my student competed in a tournament where such elite players participate is already a significant achievement.

To qualify for that event, he first had to win a domestic competition. Before sending our athletes to international tournaments, we conduct thorough research about the host country and adjust their training to match the local time zone. One advantage Mongolian children have is that they adapt very quickly to new environments wherever they go. They are also mentally resilient and capable of handling the pressure of competition. In this respect, they often stand out from foreign players.

Although chess players appear to compete alone at the board, their coaches are, in a sense, playing alongside them behind the scenes. That is why we study our opponents carefully—their games, moves, playing styles, techniques, strengths and weaknesses, as well as their personal characteristics—so that we can prepare our athletes to perform successfully.

 

Your students seem to treat one another with respect. A positive atmosphere must play an important role in helping athletes succeed.

 

In our club, there are three types of relationships and mutual respect. First is friendship, second is a sense of brotherhood or sibling-like bonds, and third is the teacher–student relationship. Among these, the teacher–student relationship is the most prominent.

Children naturally enjoy friendships, so we always strive to create a warm and supportive environment in our club that inspires trust and confidence. As a coach, I try to stay close to every child and work with them individually. We also communicate openly and tailor training according to each student’s personality and playing style.

 

Many athletes seem to continue the sport that their parents practiced. You also play chess just like your grandfather and father did.

 

If my grandfather and father had not taught me how to play chess, perhaps I would never have learned it. Although they were not professional players, they were the ones who first introduced me to this sport and allowed me to experience its beauty and depth.

At first, I used to lose to my grandfather, but after I turned 13 I started winning. As people often say, they were “tea-time chess players”, people who simply enjoyed playing chess and spending their time meaningfully.

This year I have one major goal. I want to send my athletes to the World Youth Chess Championship again and change the color of the bronze medal they previously won. My students’ aim is not only to become continental or world champions, but also to achieve title norms and continue improving their skills.