Turkmen chess players won four individual medals at international tournaments held in Astana at the Kazakh National University of Sports. The capital of Kazakhstan hosted two major sporting events: the inaugural Turkic Teams Chess Championships 2026 for men and women, and the Turkic Youth U16 Chess Olympiad 2026.
The large-scale intellectual competition, with a total prize fund of 27 million tenge (approximately $54,000), brought together some of the region’s strongest grandmasters and masters. The tournaments were organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in cooperation with Kazakhstan’s relevant sports authorities.
Seven national teams competed in a round-robin format: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan (which fielded two teams in each tournament as the host nation), Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan.
Each team consisted of four main players, one reserve player, and a captain. The time control used was the “new classical” format of 45+30 (45 minutes per player with a 30-second increment per move).
In the men’s tournament, which featured 13 grandmasters and 18 international masters, Turkmenistan’s top player, Saparmyrat Atabayev, demonstrated a high level of play on Board 1 and earned a bronze medal. Facing fierce competition from the strong chess schools of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Kyrgyzstan, the Turkmen team ultimately finished in seventh place. The two Kazakh teams claimed first and second places with 9 and 8 points respectively, while Azerbaijan finished third with 7 points.
Turkmenistan’s women also achieved notable success. In the women’s tournament, Jahan Rejepova won a silver medal on Board 3, while Lala Shokhradova earned a bronze medal on Board 1. Another bronze medal was added to Turkmenistan’s tally by young player Dilber Hupbyeva, who performed successfully on Board 4 in the Turkic Youth U16 Chess Olympiad.
In the women’s team standings, Turkmenistan finished among the top five with 6 points, placing ahead of Kyrgyzstan (2 points) and Türkiye (1 point). Azerbaijan won the tournament with 10 points, Kazakhstan-1 finished second with 9 points, and Uzbekistan placed third.
In the U16 competition, the top three teams were Azerbaijan with 10 points and the two Kazakh teams with 9 and 7 points respectively.
The individual medals won by Turkmen chess players at the Turkic Teams Chess Championships and Turkic Youth U16 Chess Olympiad once again confirmed the strong potential and continuity of the country’s chess traditions, which continue to develop within the framework of state support for youth sports.
