A chess tournament was held at the French institute in Turkmenistan, bringing together representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in the country, as well as their family members. The event was organised by the Chess federation of Turkmenistan and the French institute in Turkmenistan.
The competition was timed to coincide with International chess day and became further evidence of the growing interest in this intellectual sport, which promotes international cooperation, cultural exchange, and the strengthening of friendly ties between representatives of different countries.
The Chairman of the Chess federation of Turkmenistan, Vepa Malikgulyyev, and the director of the French institute in Turkmenistan, Vincent Lorenzini, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. Following the official opening ceremony, participants were briefed on the competition regulations and procedures.
The tournament was symbolically launched by Vepa Malikgulyyev, Chairman of the Chess federation of Turkmenistan; Vincent Lorenzini, director of the French institute; a representative of the insurance company «Resmi kepil», the general sponsor of the competition; and Vafo Alibek Niyatbekzoda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Tajikistan to Turkmenistan, who attended the tournament as a guest of honour.
The tournament was held according to the Swiss system in seven rounds in blitz format with a time control of 7 minutes and an increment of 3 seconds for each move made. The panel of judges was headed by FIDE arbiter Mergen Kakabayev, and the national arbiter Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva acted as assistant to the chief judge.
In all games, the participants demonstrated a high level of preparation, tactical skill, and the ability to act effectively under time constraints. The competition took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, sports ethics and goodwill.
Following the tournament, first place was taken by Rahman Saparbayev, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), who won all seven games and scored 7 points.
The silver medalist was Volker Basche, a representative of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, who scored 6 points.
Third place was taken by Michael Finn, a representative of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a score of 5 points.
Special prizes were presented during the awards ceremony. Elina Larina, representing the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, was recognised as the best female participant of the tournament. A special award was given to the youngest participant in the competition, 11-year-old Komron Niyatbekov, representing the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The organisers emphasised that such events contribute to the popularisation of chess, the development of humanitarian cooperation, and the strengthening of friendly contacts between diplomatic missions and international organisations operating in Turkmenistan.
The tournament was the final event of the season for the chess club, which operates at the French institute with the support of the Chess federation of Turkmenistan. After the summer break, the club and educational sections of the institute will resume work in the middle of September.
