A representative of Turkmenistan has won a medal for the first time at the World Chess Olympiad for athletes with visual impairments. This historic event in the country's sports history took place at the 17th Olympiad for the blind and visually impaired held in the picturesque town of Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia, where Turkmen FIDE Candidate Master Aydogdy Atabayev was awarded the bronze medal.
Held every four years by the International Braille Chess Association (IBCA), the competition gathered 22 national teams from Europe, Asia, and South America.
The tournament was conducted using the Swiss system over 9 rounds according to the official FIDE Chess Olympiad rules, emphasizing its professional status. Each player was allocated 120 minutes per game, with an additional 30 seconds added per move from the start of the game.
Aydogdy Atabayev achieved his bronze success on the first board, scoring 6 points out of 7 possible, with 5 wins and 2 draws. The final standings were determined by tournament performance rating, which reflects the quality of play considering opponents' ratings. According to the official rating on Chess-Results, Atabayev’s performance rating of 2353 was surpassed only by two grandmasters—Marcin Tazbir from Poland (performance 2543) and Daniel Pulvett from Spain (performance 2467)—surpassing several titled players from Ukraine, Germany, France, Romania, and other countries.
“The 17th IBCA World Chess Olympiad once again demonstrated the incredible talent, resilience, and sporting skill of visually impaired chess players from around the world,” said IBCA President Jorgen Magnusson following the event.
The International Braille Chess Association (IBCA) unites national chess federations for the blind and visually impaired. Founded in 1958, this organization is part of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA). IBCA promotes, regulates, and organizes chess competitions and events for its members worldwide, creating an inclusive environment where visually impaired chess players can fully realize their potential and experience the profound benefits of the sport.
