Murtas Kazhgaleyev is a Kazakhstani Grandmaster in chess. He was born on December 17th, 1973, in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. Kazhgaleyev became International Master in 1997 and then Grandmaster in 1998. He has played for Kazakhstan in Chess Olympiads and other major team events, showcasing impressive performances.
On an individual basis, Kazhgaleyev has also excelled in several competitions. He was twice the Champion of Kazakhstan, in 1997 and 2006. Other significant wins include an impressive performance at the Cappelle-la-Grande Open in 2000. Subsequently, he won the Paris Championship in 2002 and 2004. Furthermore, he finished joint first with seven other players at the Aeroflot Open in 2006.
In 2002, he competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship, but he was eliminated in round three by Veselin Topalov. Kazhgaleyev took part in the Chess World Cup in 2005 and was again knocked out in the third round.