The final, Balkan stage of the Grand Prix chess tournament series, which has just concluded in Awaza, brought together 138 participants.
The competition was held according to the Swiss system over 9 rounds with classical time control: 90 minutes for each participant per game, with an additional 30 seconds added for every move starting from the first. The tournament was FIDE-rated.
A total of 95 participants in the open category and 43 in the women’s category competed for rating points and the right to qualify for the main tournament of the year.
In the open category, in which women are allowed to compete on equal footing with men, the winner was Mergen Kakabayev, Secretary-General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan. He scored 7.5 points out of 9, finishing half a point ahead of the players from Lebap Shageldi Gurbandyurdyev and Sanjar Gaibullaev, who took second and third places respectively.
In the women’s category, the top podium position went to Leyla Shokhradova, a student of the Language Training Faculty of the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas. Previously, she had won the Dashoguz stage of the Grand Prix with a perfect score of 9 out of 9, and the Mary stage with 8.5 points. This time, 8 points were enough for her victory.
Second place went to Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva, a 4th-year student of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, who scored 7 points. The same number of points was earned by Nurana Soyunova from the “Kusht Alemi” Academy, but additional tiebreak indicators placed her in third.
The Grand Prix series, established by the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, is being held for the first time this year. The format includes five tournaments in each velayat to determine 16 participants for the final stage, which will take place from December 13 to 21 in Ashgabat. The final standings are based on the players’ three best tournament results, which combine to form their overall Grand Prix points. Based on these totals, the finalists have been determined. Open Category Finalists:
Mergen Kakabayev – 23 points, Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, born 1997
Amanmuhammet Hommadov – 23 points, Ashgabat, born 2006
Vepaly Halynyazov – 21 points, Ashgabat, born 2005
Shakhrukh Turaev – 21 points, Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, born 1994
Serdar Bayramov – 21 points, Lebap, born 2008
Sanjar Gaibullaev – 21 points, Lebap, born 2008
Lala Shokhradova – 20.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2006
Shageldi Gurbandyurdyev – 20.5 points, Lebap, born 2008
Serdar Seyitmyradov – 20.5 points, “Kusht Alemi” Academy, born 2003
Jahan Rejepova – 19.5 points, Lebap, born 2010
Azim Saryev – 19.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2007
Azatgeldi Annageldiyev – 19.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2004
Zafar Kuryazov – 19 points, Dashoguz, born 1978
Ilkhan Charyyev – 18.5 points, Lebap, born 2008
Salykh Annageldiyev – 18.5 points, Dashoguz, born 2014
Gurbanmyrat Rustemov – 18.5 points, Lebap, born 2010
Women’s Category Finalists:
Leyla Shokhradova – 25.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2007
Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva – 21.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2003
Gulmira Seyilkhanova – 21 points, Lebap, born 2008
Enesh Arazmedova – 20.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2007
Jennet Yalkanova – 20.5 points, Mary velayat, born 2009
Ayshe Gubataeva – 19.5 points, Ashgabat, born 2003
Nurana Soyunova – 19 points, “Kusht Alemi” Academy, born 2013
Myakhrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva – 19 points, Ashgabat, born 2008
Dilber Khupbyeva – 17.5 points, Dashoguz, born 2014
Nebakhat Muradova – 17.5 points, Lebap, born 2012
Jeren Ibragimova – 17 points, Ashgabat, born 2005
Nurana Jumaniyazova – 17 points, Lebap, born 2011
Lyale Vepaeva – 16.5 points, “Kusht Alemi” Academy, born 2015
Enejan Charygeldiyeva – 16 points, Ashgabat, born 2016
Humay Huseynova – 16 points, Lebap, born 2014
Aynur Batyrova – 15.5 points, Mary velayat, born 2010
The winners of the final stage in the open and women’s categories will receive direct qualification to the 2026 Turkmenistan Higher League.
The Grand Prix series, held in Turkmenistan for the first time this year, has special significance for the development of chess: it provides players in all velayats with the opportunity to regularly gain tournament experience without the need to travel to other cities, and it creates conditions for the country’s strongest players to compete in different regions, giving local athletes a chance to play against them.
Thus, this new tournament format helps identify young talents at an early stage of their development and serves as additional motivation for experienced chess players, offering an effective pathway into the Turkmenistan Higher League.
