From the 2nd to 11th of February, eight of the strongest chess players of the country will compete in a two-round robin tournament in Ashgabat for the championship title and a spot on the Turkmenistan national team. The list of contenders for the chess crown of the men was determined based on the results of the first league tournament, which took place at the specialised chess and checkers school of the capital.
54 chess players competed for five spots in the major league, playing 11-round Swiss system tournaments. The organisers ensured equal conditions for all participants, including an inclusive environment for sportsmen with visual impairments.
In the open category, which includes both men and individual women, the Lebap school of chess representatives celebrated victory by taking the top spots in the table. 16-year-old Gurbanmyrat Rustemov (FIDE rating: 2036) rose to the top step of the podium with a score of 9 points, becoming the main sensation of the tournament. Having beaten the favourites, the head coach of the Turkmenistan women's team, Shahruh Turayev, and the leader of the women's team, Lala Shohradova, he finished half a point ahead of the 18-year-old student of the Lebap chess school, Ilhan Charyyev (FIDE rating: 2086), who for the second year in a row proved his right to be in the elite division.
Shahruh Turayev (FIDE rating: 2198) rounded out the top three with 8 points. For most of the distance, the head coach of the Turkmenistan women's team was in the lead, but subsequent misfires at the finish dropped him to third place. Despite this, S. Turayev remains one of the main contenders for medals in the major league.
Also advancing to the Elite League were 72-year-old chess veteran and international master Karen Grigoryan (FIDE rating: 2225) and Leyla Shohradova (FIDE rating: 2174), who finished with 8 points from additional criteria in 4th and 5th places, respectively.
With the highest ranking among women, Leyla has already secured a place on the national team. However, in the major league she will compete in the open («men's») category, choosing the path of competing against the strongest chess players of the country to gain valuable experience.
The trend of participation of the women in the open elite division highlights the rapid growth of chess of the women in Turkmenistan. Leyla Shohradova continues the tradition established by her sister, Lala Shohradova, who reached the «men's» top league in 2023 and 2025. In this way, for the third time in the last four years, representatives of the fair sex are among the strongest chess players in the country in the overall standings.
Summing up the results of the first league championship, the Chess federation of Turkmenistan noted a significant increase in the professionalism of young people. A generational shift in Turkmen chess is becoming a fact: young players not only compete with experienced masters but also dictate their own rules of the game at the national level.
In the elite division of the men, the top five chess players from the first league will be joined by three players who secured a place in the top cohort through other qualifying competitions. This right was awarded to the current champion of the 2025 Major League Vepaly Halynyyazov (FIDE rating: 2194), the winner of the Cup of the Chess federation of Turkmenistan Ahmet Gubatayev (FIDE rating: 2176) and the winner of the Grand prix series Amanmuhammet Hommadov (FIDE rating: 2268).
Based on the results of the 2026 Turkmenistan Championship Major League, the men's team will be determined for participation in the 46th World chess Olympiad, which will be held this September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
