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The Turkmenistan national chess team is taking part in the first Chess Olympiad among Turkic countries, which is being held in the capital of Kazakhstan from May 13 to 18. Following the first two rounds of the competition, Turkmenistan’s women’s team holds the provisional first place in the standings.

The national delegation includes 14 of the country’s leading grandmasters and chess players. Teams from six member states of the Turkic Chess Association are participating in the international tournament: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan. Since the host country entered two lineups, a total of seven teams are competing in the event.

The tournament medals are contested in three main categories: the open section, the women’s section (with four main players and one reserve player on each team), and the youth section for players under 16 years old (consisting of four participants).

The tournament is being held within the framework of the memorandum on the establishment of the Turkic Chess Association (TCA), signed in Astana in October 2025. Membership in the association provides Turkmen athletes with regular international competitive practice necessary for improving their skills and increasing their FIDE ratings.

M. Kakabayev, Executive Director of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, emphasized the rapid development of the national chess school. According to him, before 2022, fewer than 100 players in Turkmenistan had international FIDE ratings, whereas today this figure has reached around 500 players. The federation’s strategic goal is to nurture a new generation of champions and create strong domestic competition.

At the same time, Chairman of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan Vepa Myalikgulyyev is holding working meetings in Astana dedicated to the strategic planning of the Turkic Chess Association’s activities.

Information on tournament results can be found at the following links:

https://s2.chess-results.com/tnr1396849.aspx

https://s1.chess-results.com/tnr1396892.aspx?lan=1&art=0&SNode=S0

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Photo: the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan