A landmark sporting event—the first-ever national team chess championship—has concluded in Ashgabat. The tournament, organized by the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, was held at the capital’s specialized chess and checkers school.

The competition, conducted in a round-robin format, opened a new chapter in the history of national sport. A total of 12 teams took part in the championship, bringing together around 100 chess players.

Participants included representatives of sports organizations, educational institutions, and public associations. Three teams represented the specialized chess and checkers school of Ashgabat, two teams came from the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of the Lebap velayat, and one team each represented the sports clubs for people with disabilities of Ashgabat and the Ahal velayat, the National Sports Games Center of Turkmenistan, the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of the Ahal velayat, the “Galkan” sports club of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, the State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports of Turkmenistan, the “Kusht Alemi” Chess Academy, and the public organization “Halk Hazyna.”

The tournament consisted of 11 rounds, with matches in each round played on six boards. Particular attention was drawn to the performance of the youth team “NESIL,” composed of players aged 12–14. The young chess players demonstrated a high level of preparation and strong determination in their matches against experienced opponents.

One of the most intense encounters was the game on the first board between brothers Maksat and Saparmyrat Atabayev (teams “AŞGABAT” and “GALKAN”). After a five-hour intellectual battle, the game ended in a draw, which helped the “AŞGABAT” club strengthen its lead in the overall standings.

According to the final team results, the prizes were distributed as follows: first place was taken by the “AŞGABAT” team of the specialized chess and checkers school, second place went to “GALKAN” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs sports club, and third place was claimed by “TALYP SPORT” of the State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports of Turkmenistan.

At the award ceremony, the winners were presented with challenge cups, honorary certificates, and medals. In addition, special prizes were awarded to the best individual players on each board.

The recent Turkmenistan Team Championship confirmed the growing interest in chess in the country and became an important step in promoting intellectual sports among the population.