Kadyr Jumayev, a student of the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management from Turkmenabat, emerged as the winner of the recently concluded Ashgabat qualifying stage for participation in the first league of the 2025 Turkmenistan Chess Championship. He achieved this success by leading in the open category, which allows both men and womento particupate. Over nine rounds, K. Jumayev scored 7.5 points.
Four players were half a point behind the winner, but based on additional criteria, second place went to Ibrayim Serdarov, a student from the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports. Fifteen-year-old schoolgirl Jennet Yalkanova from Mary velayat completed the top three.
Notably, besides Jennet, two other participants, Ashgabat schoolgirls Mahrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva and Zalina Iminova, made it to the top ten players in Ashgabat and earned the right to participate in the open category of the 2025 championship's first league. According to Mergen Kakabayev, FIDE Master and Secretary General of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, this is a significant achievement and indicates the growth of women's chess in the country.
Sisters Lale and Byagul Vepaeva took an early lead in the women's category. Nine-year-old Lale, who became the Western Asia champion in the U10 group in Kyrgyzstan this August, won the tournament with 7.5 points. Her sister Byagul finished fourth with 6 points after losing her last two games. Dilber Khupbiyeva from Dashoguz velayat and nine-year-old Jumasoltan Muhammetberdiyeva from Mary velayat finished second and third with 6.5 points each.
Many more experienced chess players had already secured their places in the first league and did not participate in this tournament. However, the triumph of young girls in adult competitions is a clear indicator of the development of children's chess in the country.
A total of 99 chess players participated in the Ashgabat qualifying stage: 79 in the open category and 20 in the women's category.
Regional qualifiers for the national chess championship, called "II League," are being held for the second year. The top ten chess players from each region will qualify for participation in the first league scheduled for early next year.
The series of qualifying stages began in Dashoguz velayat, where ten-year-old Omarbek Ismailov and eleven-year-old Sakhra Saparmyradova won in the open and women's categories respectively.
Winners of the next qualifying stage in Lebap velayat will be announced on November 8. The final qualifying stage in Mary velayat will be held from November 11 to 15.
