U.Khurelsukh, the President of Mongolia, will participate in the high-level meeting of world leaders on climate change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on 7-8 November.

During the conference, the President of Mongolia will present the policies and activities implemented by Mongolia on combating climate change, desertification, and reducing global warming.

Furthermore, U.Khurelsukh will hold meetings with heads of state of some countries and leaders of international organizations. The 27th UN Climate Change Conference will be attended by Heads of state and government of 110 countries.

Mongolian mas wrestlers participated in the continental mas-wrestling championship for the first time and returned home with a total of 13 medals. The Asian Mass-Wrestling Championship was held on November 1-7, 2022 in Almalyk, Uzbekistan. 18 athletes from Mongolia, led by the president of the Mongolian Mass-Wrestling Association, E. Munkhsuren, participated in the tournament.

Mongolian wrestlers won 1 silver and 7 bronze medals in the adult category. Munkhtuya Khukhuu, who won a bronze medal in women's 65 kg, doubled her medal in absolute weight.

In the unofficial team event, the third team cup was taken by the Mongolian team. In particular, Mongolian youth athletes won 1 gold and 3 bronze medals at the Asian Mas-Wrestling Championship among boys and girls aged 15-16. By winning a gold medal in the 50 kg weight for youth category, Dulguuntuya Tuvshinbayar opened a new chapter in the history of Mongolian mas wrestling.

Mongolian women boxers claimed 3 cups and 3 golden medals at the Cologne Boxing World Cup 2022, the German Boxing Federation`s leading international event, held on November 1-6.

Specifically, E. Michidmaa in women's 54 kg weight, M. Enkhjargal in 57 kg weight, and G. Badmaarag in 60 kg weight won gold medals. The Mongolia national team athlete E. Michidmaa was recognized as the athlete with the best technique in the tournament, while the young athlete, N. Oyun-Erdene, won the bronze medal.

Among the male athletes, Kh. Enkh-Amar in 56 kg, and L. Davaadorj in 52 kg weight, won silver medals at the Cologne Boxing World Cup 2022. Also, O. Tulga and T. Enkhtor won bronze medals at the tournament.

Twitter has confirmed plans to allow users to buy blue-tick verified status.

In an update for Apple devices, the company said the feature would be open to users in certain countries who sign up to its Twitter Blue service for $7.99 (£7) per month.

The policy change is controversial, amid concerns that the platform could be swamped with fake accounts.

It follows Twitter's takeover by Elon Musk, who on Friday laid off around half of the company's workforce.

The sought-after blue tick was previously only available to high-profile or influential individuals and organisations - who were asked to prove their identity.

It has been used as a sign that a profile is authentic, and is a key tool to help users identify reliable information on the platform.

The policy change may fuel worries that government figures, celebrities, journalists and brands could be impersonated by any user willing to pay a monthly fee.

Mr Musk, the world's richest person, appears to be looking to diversify Twitter's income, following his acquisition of the firm late last month in a $44bn (£39bn) deal.

On Friday, the billionaire said Twitter was losing more than $4m (£3.5m) per day, insisting that this gave him "no choice" over culling around half the company's 7,500-strong workforce.

The cuts - as well as Mr Musk's fierce advocacy of free speech - have caused speculation that Twitter could water down its efforts on content moderation.

However, Mr Musk has insisted that the firm's stance towards harmful material remains "absolutely unchanged".

On Saturday a top United Nations official, Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk, urged Mr Musk to "ensure that human rights are central to the management of Twitter".

The unusual UN intervention pointed to the sacking of Twitter's whole human rights team, saying this was "not an encouraging start" under Mr Musk's ownership.

There was no immediate response from Twitter.

Few details were publicised relating to the change in verification policy, and a Twitter Blue subscription reportedly remained at its old price of £4.99 in the UK following Saturday's announcement.

Twitter's update said the changes would apply only in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand at first.

A flurry of tweets from Mr Musk himself suggested the changes would be rolled out worldwide after they were observed in the initial handful of countries.

It was not clear what would happen to those profiles which already had a blue tick - or if Twitter still planned to "verify" a user other than by charging them a subscription.

Responding to one user who asked what would happen to existing verified profiles, Mr Musk said the timeline for changes to be implemented was a "couple [of] months".

Answering another question about the risk of users pretending to be notable figures, he said Twitter would "suspend the account attempting impersonation and keep the money".

Previewing other upcoming changes, Mr Musk said Twitter would soon allow users to attach long-form text to tweets, "ending [the] absurdity of notepad screenshots".

Earlier on Saturday, Twitter co-founder and ex-CEO Jack Dorsey addressed the mass sackings, saying sorry to employees for what had unfolded at his former firm.

Mr Dorsey - who quit as CEO in November and left the board of directors in May - said he was aware Twitter staff were "angry with me".

His statement continued: "I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly. I apologise for that."

Mr Dorsey appeared to endorse the need for dismissals. Earlier this year, he expressed support for Mr Musk's takeover.

A host of major brands have halted advertising spending with Twitter in recent days amid the company's upheaval.

Mr Musk has been looking to decrease the platform's reliance on adverts - and Saturday's update also promised "half the ads".

Minister of Foreign Affairs B. Battsetseg today received Chief Executive Officer of Oyu Tolgoi LLC Ms. Deirdré Lingenfelder.

The Minister emphasized that the successful implementation of the Oyu Tolgoi project not only increases the country’s budget revenues and the income of national suppliers but also makes invaluable investments in young Mongolians by teaching them advanced mining technologies and Western business methods. Foreign Minister Battsetseg confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia would provide all necessary support to the Oyu Tolgoi project.

Ms. Deirdre Lingenfelder briefed the Minister on current developments in the Oyu Tolgoi project, stressing that the project’s mining and financing activities are proceeding according to plan with a focus on achieving sustainable production of quality copper concentrate. Mrs. Deidre Lingenfelder also invited Foreign Minister B. Battsetseg to visit the Oyu Tolgoi mine site.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Newly appointed US Ambassador Richard Buangan is taking Mongolian language classes. “Started my Mongolian language lessons this week, starting with all the letters of the alphabet,” the Ambassador wrote in Twitter.

Based on his State Department profile, Buangan joined the US Department of State in 1999 and was assigned to Israel, China, France and the Ivory Coast. He also served as an executive assistant to then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and more recently as the acting assistant secretary to the Bureau of Global Public Affairs from April 4 to June 30.

Born to a Filipino family in San Diego, California, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and speaks four languages fluently.

Representatives of the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry of Mongolia, and the members of the School of Mechanical Engineering of Mongolian University of Science and Technology, and Japanese scholar and businessman Dr. Masao Tokita visited Steppe Metal Powder LLC and exchanged ideas with the plant staff.

During the visit to the plant, Dr. Masao Tokita, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NJS Co.,LTD, mentioned that he was pleased that copper and copper alloy powder production commenced in Mongolia, and advised on the many possibilities and technological solutions of using metal powders to produce parts needed for the production of automobiles, aerospace, and industrial equipment. Dr. Masao Tokita specifically mentioned that even though Mongolia is decades behind in industrialization compared to developed Western countries, it could compete on an equal footing with industrialized countries in the world market by using modern 3D printers, “spark plasma sintering” and “metal-injection molding” technologies. The guests noted that the partnership between business, government and academic institutions is very important, and the parties need to work out a plan.

NJS Co.,LTD installed spark plasma sintering equipment at the School of Mechanical Engineering of Mongolian University of Science and Technology as part of the Japan-Mongolia MJEED

At this year's 44th World Chess Olympiad, Mongolia shook up the world when the Mongolian women’s team defeated the seventh-ranked Americans. Overall, the Mongolian men’s team placed 35th out of 188 countries, while the women placed 15th out of 162.

When one thinks of Mongolia, one very probably thinks of horses and wrestling, but certainly not chess. But chess has a long history in the country. Mongolians’ ancestors played ankle bones and chess during the 13th century, and possibly before, while Mongolian traditional chess, shatar, dates back to the Great Mongol Empire.

The Mongolian word for international chess is in fact shatar. A medieval variation of the game is called Hiashatar, which means “Bodyguard Chess” (Shatranj). The pieces are the same as in traditional chess except that there is an additional piece called a Bodyguard (also called 'Senior Adviser' or 'Warrior'), which can slide one or two steps in any direction. However, a Bodyguard cannot checkmate the enemy king. 'Hiashatar' is believed to be about 500 years old.

A Mongolian chess, or shatar, set (Credit: Immanuel Giel, cc-by-sa 3.0).

An ancient legend about the origin of Mongolian chess tells of a khan, or king, who lived “long, long ago”. After fighting in many wars, he decided that training alone was not enough for victory. So, he established the position of bodyguard in his entourage, and the position was then added to the game of chess.

The Mongol names for the pieces are:

King - noyon (prince, duke)

Queen - bers (fantastic animal resembling a big dog)

Knight - mori (horse)

Rook - tereg (chariot, vehicle)

Bishop - teme (camel)

Pawn - fu (child, young)

Bodyguard - hia (senior adviser, warrior, bodyguard)

The first Mongolian national chess championship was held in 1948, and the country’s first women’s chess championship was held in 1954. The Mongolian Chess Championship is currently organised by the Mongolian Chess Federation (Mongolian: Монголын Шатрын Холбоо). Bazar Khatanbaatar holds the record for most national championships won, with eight victories; Tsagaan Battsetseg holds the women's record, with seven.

Chess is hugely popular in Mongolia, it's not unusual to see a game taking place on a bench (Photo courtesy of Antonio Graceffo).

One of the proudest achievements for Mongolians in international chess came in 1967 at the Sousse Interzonal when American Bobby Fischer played against Mongolian champion Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren. Myagmarsuren won the Mongolian national title four times in 1965, 1980, 1981 and 1982, and was awarded the title of international master in 1967. His nickname in the Internet Chess Club is "Shatar” (the Mongolian word for chess).

Although Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren lost to Fischer, the match resulted in a new technique called The Mongolian tactic. According to the tale, Fischer had asked Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren his name several times, but could neither spell nor pronounce it. So, he just wrote “Mongolian” on the paper. Since then, Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren’s special technique has been known as the Mongolian tactic.

In 2020, the International Chess Federation awarded stipends to a number of retired players including Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren. His match with Fischer has inspired Mongolian chess players down the decades. There is even a photo of Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren hanging in Zuunii Shatar chess club near the centre of Ulaanbaatar.

In recent years, Mongolia has repeatedly distinguished itself in international chess. Khulan Enksaikhan (25) led her team to gold at the 2020 Asian University Chess Championship (AUC). In 2021, 12-year-old N. Sodbileg won a silver medal at the under-17 World Amateur Chess Championship held in Rhodes, Greece.

In 2021, a most unique chess honour was won by Mongolia, when Mongolian inmates won the first ever Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. In October this year, the Mongolian women’s chess team won the 2nd Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners. The event, organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (Chicago, US) was the largest chess event ever organised among correctional facilities.

International master and world grand master Batchimeg Tuvshintugs, who works at the Court Decision Making Agency of Mongolia, teaches chess in prisons and organiss tournaments. She explained that Mongolia has been organising chess events in its prisons since 1956, and it has now become a tradition.

FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich attended the online closing ceremony where he congratulated the winning teams and extended a special message of encouragement "We all hope that at some moment of your life, you will be free to make your own choices, and chess will help you to make those choices rationally."

Tuvshintugs told Chess News that it was no wonder that the prisoners could play chess so well because the Mongolian amateur chess level was quite high, a sentiment supported by 76-year-old international chess master Jigjidsuren, coach of the Zuunii Shatar chess club, who believes that Mongolian children are exceptionally intelligent and particularly good at chess.

Jigjidsuren began playing chess in 1960 at the age of 11. He originally learned by watching his parents play in the countryside. Later, he studied under both Mongolian and Russian masters, eventually being admitted to the Russian chess university in 1971. He graduated in 1975. After a lengthy career as a world-class chess player, Jigjidsuren was asked to coach the national team, a job he did until he turned 70. Since his retirement, he has been coaching at Zuunii Shatar chess club.

Jigjidsuren explained “Mongolian children are very good at chess actually. The reason why is that Mongolians are much more intellectual and have a high brain capacity. And I came to this conclusion by observing many, many kids along the way of coaching and teaching lessons to the children.”

He estimated that 30 to 40% of the Mongolian population knows how to play chess. “We don’t have an exact number on this, but by observation, I have seen an instance where the whole town can play chess in the countryside. It is actually a rare occasion to find families without a chess board.”

When asked if Mongolians played chess in their gers (yurts) to kill time during the long winters, Jigjidsuren objected that while some may only be killing time, for most, “there is always a purpose when they are playing chess. The parents want their children to have a strong mind, a respectful manner and high potential, and they believe that chess helps in all those aspects.” He even drew a connection between herding and chess. “There used to be a lot of ways to educate kids back in the days of nomadic tradition.”

Chess is not only played in gers and chess clubs in Mongolia, it’s also played on the street.

Fifty-seven-year-old Naymtsogt is one of several chess experts who play outdoors, for money, on the benches in front of the central sports centre in Ulaanbaatar. He has been playing chess since he was seven. He first learned it from his parents, but later studied under Russian and Mongolian masters and grandmasters. While he can also play Mongolian chess, he focuses on international chess. Since 2008, he has been playing on the street, averaging five to six opponents per day.

Naymtsogt said that he particularly likes chess because, “There is nothing to cheat on in chess. It’s just simply a mind game. There is a lesson on how to start and how to proceed and how to end your moves and in chess you will be able to master it.”

After he defeated me in a relatively long game (pictured above), he said “You’re a very aggressive player. The game itself should be played like this.” Knowing I was a wrestler, he said wrestling was the same as chess. In Europe and America, catch wrestling is often referred to as physical chess. So, it was interesting to hear a chess master make the same comparison.

Jigjidsuren went on to draw more parallels between wrestling and chess. “Wrestling is a tradition which covers a minimum number of people that have a well built or developed body. For chess, it does not require anything physical or does not depend on gender. Secondly, chess is not a seasonal sport. You can play it anywhere you want, anytime.”

And the Mongolians do play chess anywhere, anytime. In the gers, in the streets, in the chess clubs and academies, in Russia, and at the world level.

Antonio Graceffo, PhD, China-MBA, is an economist and China analyst who has spent over 20 years in Asia, including seven in China, two and a half in Taiwan, and three in Mongolia. He conducted post-doctoral studies in international trade, at School of Economics Shanghai University, holds a PhD. from Shanghai University of Sport, and a China-MBA from Shanghai Jiaotong University. Antonio is the author of seven books about Asia, three of which are about the Chinese economy. For the past 10 years, he has been reporting on the Chinese economy, the US-China trade war, investment, geopolitics and defence. Since 2019, Antonio has been based out of Ulaanbaatar, where he continues his China economic research, while also reporting on the Mongolian economy. In addition to publishing reports and articles on a regular basis, he makes frequent appearances as a China economic expert on NTD TV, Bloomberg Mongolia TV and VTV.