For the first time in history, Turkmenistan’s women’s national chess team has entered the top 50 of the world rankings, securing 50th place in the July 2025 standings of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) monthly rating list. The FIDE ranking is based on the average rating of a country’s top 10 female players.
In December 2022, when the team embarked on a new phase of development under fresh leadership and coaching, their average rating was 1528, placing Turkmenistan 105th globally. This marked the team’s return to the ranking list after a long hiatus. By August 2025, the team’s top 10 players achieved an average rating of 2038, reflecting a remarkable increase of over 500 points in less than three years.
Historically, Turkmenistan’s women’s team peaked around the top 70, making their current 50th position an all-time national record. China continues to lead the women’s team rankings with an average rating of 2484, followed by India, the reigning Olympic champions, at 2412, and Ukraine at 2383.
The team’s transformation stems from a rigorous approach to coach selection, a focus on nurturing young talent, systematic training methods, strict adherence to merit-based team formation, enhanced opening preparation, and the involvement of psychologists during major international tournaments. Head coach Shakhrukh Turaev has played a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of young players, including team leaders FIDE Women’s Master Jahankhan Rejepova (15 years old, rating 2152) and Lala Shokhradova (19 years old, rating 2151), who hold the top two spots in Turkmenistan’s national women’s ranking.
A standout achievement was the team’s “small” gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September 2024, where they topped Category C and finished 32nd overall. This success was bolstered by training camps in Antalya, Türkiye, led by experienced international coaches, including Ukrainian Grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk.
The Turkmenistan Chess Federation views these milestones as a foundation for further growth. The team is now preparing for upcoming international tournaments and the 2026 Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, with the goal of breaking into the world’s top 40 teams./// Turkmenistan Chess Federation