The Turkmenistan Chess Championship among Higher League participants has started at the Specialized Chess and Checkers School in Ashgabat. The tournament is a decisive stage in forming the national team for participation in major international competitions.
The main objective of the current championship is to select the strongest athletes for the Olympic team of Turkmenistan. The national team will represent the country at the 47th World Chess Olympiad, which will take place in September 2026 in Samarkand (Republic of Uzbekistan).
Sixteen of the strongest chess players in the country, who passed the qualification stage, are taking part in the competition. The tournament is held in two categories: open (men’s) and women’s, with eight participants in each.
In the men’s section, the title is contested by recognized masters and winners of national championships:
Vepaly Halynyazov – winner of the Higher League 2025, rating 2194;
Amanmuhammet Hommadov – winner of the 2025 Grand Prix tournament series, rating 2269;
Akhmet Gubataev – silver medalist of the 2025 Chess Federation Cup of Turkmenistan, rating 2176;
Gurbanmyrat Rustemov – winner of the First League 2026, rating 2148;
Ilkhan Charyev – silver medalist of the First League 2026, rating 2187;
Shakhrukh Turaev – bronze medalist of the First League 2026, rating 2211;
Karen Grigoryan – International Master, who placed fourth in the First League 2026, rating 2216;
Leyla Shohradova – qualified for the Higher League, fifth place in the First League 2026, rating 2182.
The average rating of participants in the open category is 2198, and the average age is 27. The youngest participant is 16-year-old Gurbanmyrat Rustemov, while the oldest is International Master Karen Grigoryan, who at the age of 72 confirmed his high level by qualifying for the Higher League on a general competitive basis.
The women’s section features the strongest female chess players in the country:
Jahan Rejepova – champion of the Higher League 2025, rating 2051;
Lala Shohradova – highest-rated participant of the Higher League, rating 2109;
Gulmira Seyilkhanova – silver medalist of the Chess Federation Cup among girls, rating 1810;
Ogulsuray Bayrambaeva – silver medalist of the Chess Federation Grand Prix series among women, rating 1906;
Dilber Khupbyeva – winner of the First League 2026, rating 1916;
Makhri Agamyradova – silver medalist of the First League 2026, rating 1925;
Ayshe Gubataeva – bronze medalist of the First League 2026, rating 1908;
Makhrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva – fourth place in the First League 2026, rating 1939.
The average rating of participants in the women’s category is 1946, and the average age is 18. The youngest participant is 12-year-old Dilber Khupbyeva, while the oldest are 23-year-old Ogulsuray Bayrambaeva and Ayshe Gubataeva.
According to the approved selection regulations, the men’s national team already includes Saparmyrat Atabayev (rating 2487) and Meylis Annaberdiyev (rating 2424) based on their high international ratings, without participation in the current tournament. The remaining three vacant places will be distributed based on the results of the Higher League.
In the women’s national team, Leyla Shohradova (rating 2182), the leader of the national women’s rating list, has been included directly based on rating. The remaining four members of the Olympic team will be determined by the championship results.
The results of the Higher League will be announced next week, after which the final lineups of Turkmenistan’s national teams will be officially confirmed.
The first test of strength for the men’s and women’s national teams of Turkmenistan in preparation for the 47th World Chess Olympiad will be the international festival “Russian Chess Crown”, which will take place from February 17 to 28 in Moscow.
