Twelve participants will compete in the Higher League for the title of Women's Chess Champion of Turkmenistan. The tournament will take place in Ashgabat from February 9 to 20 in a single round-robin format. The lineup of contenders for the women's chess crown was finalized based on the results of the First League tournament, which was held at the Ashgabat Specialized Chess and Checkers School.
Forty-eight chess players from all regions of the country competed for six spots in the Higher League. The tournament was played using the Swiss system over 11 rounds.
The winner of the tournament was Gulmira Seyilhanova, an 11th-grade student from Secondary School No. 41 in Turkmenabat, who justified her top seeding (FIDE rating – 1921). Under the guidance of experienced coach Guljahan Ovlyakuliyeva, the reigning national champion in the under-17 category scored 8 out of 11 points, achieving the highest milestone in her sports career at the adult level so far.
Second place went to Byagul Ezizova (FIDE rating – 1807, seeded 8th), last year’s winner of the Women’s First League. Ezizova, a student of Serdar Annaberdiyev, also scored 8 points but lost to Seyilhanova on tiebreaks.
The bronze medal was claimed by Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva (FIDE rating – 1879, seeded 2nd), a third-year student at the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports. An experienced player trained by Serdarguly Bayramsakhedov, she finished with 7.5 out of 11 points, demonstrating her class during critical moments of the tournament.
Based on the results of the First League, six top chess players qualified for the Women's Higher League Championship of Turkmenistan-2025. These include the top three medalists — Gulmira Seyilhanova, Byagul Ezizova and Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva — as well as Aysha Gubatayeva (4th place), Jennet Durdyyeva (5th place) and Aya Bayramova (6th place). Aya Bayramova, who won a bronze medal at last year's World Blitz Championship for girls under 10, achieved a unique milestone by becoming the youngest participant in the history of Turkmen women’s Higher League chess.
The remaining six spots in the Women's Higher League have been allocated as follows: Five places were secured by last year’s top four performers in the Higher League — Meryem Agajanova, sisters Lala and Leyla Shohradova, Jahan Rejepova — as well as Myahri Agamamedova, who achieved the best result among women at the Chess Federation Cup of Turkmenistan-2024. The final spot will be awarded via a wild card to a deserving chess player deemed worthy to compete among Turkmenistan's strongest players.