The International Chess Tournament has started in Ashgabat with the participation of athletes aged 8, 10, and 12 from 11 countries of Europe and Asia. The competition is held as part of the program of events dedicated to Ashgabat’s status as the "The City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth." Sergey Lebedev, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States, sent greetings to the participants and organizers of the competition.

The message states that chess is not only a sport but also a school of thinking, perseverance, and strategic vision. The young age of the tournament participants makes it especially significant. It is in such competitions that future champions and intellectual leaders are formed, according to the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

The CIS Secretary General particularly emphasized that in Turkmenistan, the development of sports is a priority of state policy.

"Thanks to the large-scale work of the country's leadership and personally its President, the highly respected Serdar Gurbangulyyevich Berdimuhamedov, all conditions are being created here for young people to reveal their potential both in national sports and in international intellectual disciplines such as chess. Systematic work to support physical culture and sports opens new opportunities for young talents and makes a significant contribution to strengthening international cooperation in this field," stated Sergey Lebedev.

He expressed confidence that the high-level organization of this sports tournament in Ashgabat, which was rightfully declared the City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth by the decision of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, will contribute not only to the development of chess skills but also to strengthening friendship among young athletes from CIS countries and other states.