The Turkmenistan Chess federation Cup concluded in Ashgabat with a large-scale intellectual sports festival. The competition, which took place from the 23rd of October to 1st of November, brought together a record 364 chess players from all regions of the country. Over the course of ten days, athletes of all generations from very young talents to experienced masters and veterans competed for supremacy in classical chess, rapid chess, and blitz chess. The wide geography of the participants confirmed high status of the tournament as one of the main national championships of the autumn calendar.
The real triumph of the competition was Amanmuhammet Hommadov, a third-year student at the Turkmen state institute of physical culture and sports and a graduate of the Specialised chess and checkers school of Ashgabat. Under the guidance of coach Serdar Annaberdiyev, the young chess player won two top titles in Group «A». In the classical tournament, he demonstrated filigree technique and consistency, scoring 9.5 points out of a possible 11, and then consolidated his success with gold in rapid with a score of 9 points.
Other famous masters also graced the podium in the strongest categories. In the classical program of Group «A», the silver medalist was the head coach of the national women's team, Shahruh Turayev (8.5 points), and the bronze medallist was Ilhan Charyyev (8.5 points). In the RAPID-A category, the second and third places were taken, respectively, by Orazaly Shyhalyyev from the «Kusht alemi» academy (8.5 points) and the same Ilhan Charyyev (8 points).
In Group «B», an equally exciting battle unfolded, where young talents made a strong showing. In the classic (STANDARD-B) category, Tachmyrat Serdarov from Mary velayat (born in 2012) won a confident victory, scoring 10 points. Following him were Ashgabat resident Abdulla Charyyev (born 2017) with 9.5 points and Emine Tokgayeva (born 2013) with 9 points. Tachmyrat Serdarov repeated his successful result in the rapid (RAPID-B), again winning gold with 10 points, while silver and bronze went to Abdulla Charyyev and Nurmuhammet Azymov, who scored 9 points each.
The lightning-fast blitz games gave the spectators a particularly intense experience. In the BLITZ-A category, the Cup was won by the General Secretary of the Chess federation of Turkmenistan, FIDE Master Mergen Kakabayev (9.5 points). Second place was taken by Leyla Shohradova (9 points), and third place went to Ahmet Gubatayev (8.5 points), a second-year student of the Turkmen state institute of physical culture and sports, a graduate of the Specialised chess and checkers school of Ashgabat.
In the BLITZ-B tournament, Aynur Batyrova from Mary velayat had no equal (10 points). Nurmuhammet Azymov (9.5 points) climbed to the second step of the podium, and Azat Rejepov from Lebap velayat (9 points) rounded out the top three.
The performance of the women in the mixed categories was one of the main highlights of the competition. The gold of Aynur Batyrova, the silver of Leyls Shohradova, and the bronze of Emine Tokgayeva clearly underscored the high level of skill and growing role of female chess players in the sporting life of the country.
The continuity of generations gave the tournament a special warmth. For the first time in the history of the competition, the organisers introduced separate veteran categories. In the 65+ group, the victory was won by International Master and Champion of Turkmenistan Karen Grigoryan (7 points), ahead of Mammetanna Halymov and Myrat Yakubov (5 points each). In the 50+ category, Akmeret Kakalyyev won (4.5 points), while the runners-up were Gaygysyz Tagyyev (4.5 points) and Kamil Romanov (4 points).
The Chess Federation Cup, revived in 2023, is in its fourth year and has demonstrated impressive growth dynamics. If in 2024 the tournament attracted 285 participants, and in 2025 – 363, then in 2026 this figure reached a record 364 athletes. The expansion of the format and the introduction of new categories have made this championship more than just a competition, but a true symbol of the accessibility and inclusiveness of the chess movement in Turkmenistan.
