The first of Turkic-Speaking Countries Chess Association Championship, held at the “Müzeyyen Erkul” Science Center in the city of Gaziantep, has brought together 16 of the region’s strongest athletes under the age of 16, representing Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
The team tournament (each team consisting of one boy and one girl), organized by the Turkish Chess Federation with the support of the Gaziantep municipality, promises to become an important event in the history of the regional chess community. It is being held in a round-robin format. As the host nation, Türkiye is represented by three teams — Türkiye 1, Türkiye 2, and Türkiye-Gaziantep.
The Turkmenistan team features this year’s national U16 champions — representatives of the Turkmenabat Chess School, Gurbanmyrat Rustemov (FIDE rating 1978) and Myahri Agamyradova (rating 1911). Both are 15 years old.
After three rounds, our team has two draws — against Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan — and one loss, to Kyrgyzstan. Special mention should be made of Gurbanmyrat’s victory in the 2nd round in an individual game against the tournament’s rating favorite, International Master Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov from Uzbekistan (2454). Overall, despite the strong lineup and rating differences, the Turkmenistan team is holding its own with 2 out of 6 possible team points. Azerbaijan leads with 5 out of 6.
It should be noted that the participating countries — including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Kazakhstan — are considered among the strongest and most rapidly developing chess nations. This is why the competition our players face against these teams is expected to play an important role in further developing their skills and strengthening their confidence.
On the final day of this historic championship, the first General Assembly of the Turkic Chess Association will also be held here. During the Assembly, the Charter of this new organization is expected to be signed, marking the official establishment of a new chess union in the Turkic-speaking world.
The decision of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to create such an organization was unanimously adopted during the FIDE General Assembly held on the sidelines of the 44th Chess Olympiad in September 2024 in Budapest (Hungary). It is planned that in 2026, at least five high-level competitive tournaments will be held in the Turkic-speaking region under the auspices of the new chess association.
