19-year-old Azat Nurmammedov, having shown a 100% result at the open championship of Turkmenistan among chess players (under 20) in the classical format of the game, which ended in Ashgabat, won the right to be called the strongest junior in the country.

Member of the national team with the title of FIDE master Azat Nurmammedov (published FIDE rating as of January 1, 2023: 2399) also received the right to represent Turkmenistan at the world and continental championships in this age category this year.

It should be noted that due to the result, Azat's “live” rating exceeded 2400 points, which is one of the requirements for obtaining the title of international master. Having already two standards of the international master behind him, now he only needs to get one more norm to achieve the title. Recall that A. Nurmammedov completed the second norm at the last Asian Championship, held in October-November 2022 in India.

The second and third places in the junior championship were taken by the representative of Ashgabat Amanmuhammet Hommadov (born in 2006, rating: 1840) and the chess player from Lebap velayat Vepaly Halyniyazov (born in 2005; 1911), gaining 7.5 and 7 points out of 9, respectively possible. The high 4^th place from Ashgabat Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva (born in 2003; 1865) is also noteworthy.

A whole group of participants performed slightly less successfully, scoring 6.5 points each and sharing 5-10 places, including the already well-known Turkmen chess player Allayar Shirliyev (born in 2003; rating: 2152), seeded at the tournament under the second number, and promising more young chess players such as Rahym Hydyrov (born in 2005, rating: 1745), Maksat Myradov (born in 2007, rating: 1952), Ahmet Gubataev (born in 2006, 1869), Meryem Agajanova (2006 .b., 1783) and Ali Ahmedov (b. 2012, 1739). There was also the opportunity to play in the highest league of the open (men's) championship of Turkmenistan. Since Nurmammedov and Hommadov had already qualified through other qualifying tournaments, Vepaly Halyniyazov won the right.

The men's major league is scheduled for the end of February 2023, but the women's major league starts on Monday, January 30^th. 14 athletes will play in it. Judging by the results of recent tournaments, apart from the current champion Jemal Ovezdurdiyeva (born in 1998, rating: 2127), Lala Shokhradova (born in 2006, 1947), Ogulsurai Bayrambayeva and Meryem Agadzhanova claim the highest places.