17-year-old FIDE master from Lebap velayat Lala Shokhradova became the champion of Turkmenistan in chess. A 10-grader of the 31st secondary school from the Dyanev district achieved this success by winning the women's major league tournament held in Ashgabat for two weeks.
The championship title was contested by 14 chess players in a round robin system. Having not suffered a single defeat in the last 8 games, Lala Shokhradova scored 10.5 points and was half a point ahead of Meryem Agadzhanova, who became the second champion of Turkmenistan among girls under 20 years old, a student of the 10th grade of Ashgabat 55th secondary school, first-ranker Meryem Agadzhanova. Decisive in the distribution of the first place, as it turned out later, was their head-to-head match in the fourth round, which was won by Lala.
Lala Shokhradova started playing chess at the age of 5. And already at the age of 9 she became the world champion among schoolgirls of her age at the world championship in Thailand. At the age of 12, she made her debut as a member of the national team of Turkmenistan at the 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi. At the age of 14 she won the first national title among girls under 16 years old. In November last year, Lala became the champion of Turkmenistan in rapid (fast game). And now for the first time she excelled in classical chess among women. All these successes of the new champion of Turkmenistan are shared by her coach Gulkhan Kurbandurdyeva.
Silver medalist Meryem Agadzhanova is training with Serdar Annaberdiyev, and the student of the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Education and Sports, candidate for master of sports Ogulsurai Bayrambayeva, who closed the top three with 9 points, is improving her skills under the guidance of coach Serdar Bayramsahedov.
If for all the prize-winning girls their results can be considered as successful, then for last year's champion of the country, FIDE master Dzhemal Ovezdurdyeva, 4th place with 8.5 points out of 13 possible at this championship is an obvious failure. Jemal, who was in the lead for almost the entire tournament distance, having suffered a defeat in the 10th round from the FIDE master Annagozel Mekanova, unfortunately, could not recover and lost the remaining three games, including the champion Lala Shokhradova in the 11th round and Ogulsurai Bayrambayeva in the final, 13 -th round.
According to the results of the championship, the winner of the 5th place, Leyla Shokhradova, who is the younger sister of the champion Lala, also made it to the national women's team.
As the country's champion among women, Lala Shohradova received the right to play in the final part of the more prestigious open championship of Turkmenistan, which is traditionally known as the "men's" major league. The main chess tournament of the year will begin on February 27 in Ashgabat. 14 of the best chess players in the country will play in it, including several grandmasters and international masters.
Well, today the 2023 chess marathon will continue in Ashgabat with the championship of Turkmenistan among cadets (boys and girls under 8, 10 and 12 years old). The children's championship will bring together a record number of participants from all over the country. After all, for the first time in the chess history of Turkmenistan, the FIDE rating will be calculated based on its results. And keeping track and improving your official international ranking is the best motivation for any young chess player!
