Meylis Annaberdiyev secured a convincing victory at the prestigious international chess tournament, the 5th Rigó János Memorial GM-B, which took place from 20 to 26 June 2026 in Balatonlelle, Hungary.
The competition was held as a round-robin tournament with a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move, starting from move one.
The tournament was part of the official FIDE international calendar and was valid for international rating calculations. It featured ten titled chess players from various countries around the world.
Following nine rounds of play, Meylis Annaberdiyev (FIDE rating 2415) scored 6 out of 9 possible points, confidently claiming first place in the final standings. This victory was achieved against a strong field of participants, including International Masters and Grandmasters from Hungary, Belarus, Greece, India, and Poland.
As a result of his performance, the Turkmen grandmaster increased his FIDE international rating by 12.1 points, achieving the highest rating gain among the tournament leaders.
The final top standings were as follows:
- 1st place: GM Meylis Annaberdiyev (Turkmenistan) — 6 points
- 2nd place: IM Ágoston Juhász (Hungary) — 5.5 points
- 3rd place: IM Bendegúz Bodrogi (Hungary) — 5.5 points (finished third due to tie-break criteria)
The tournament was established in 2022 in memory of János Rigó (1948–2020), a well-known Hungarian chess organizer, International Master, and arbiter. The event typically features International Grandmasters, International Masters, and strong young chess players aiming for their title norms. The average rating of the GM groups usually ranges between 2400 and 2450.
Meylis Annaberdiyev is one of the strongest chess players in the history of independent Turkmenistan. He earned the title of International Grandmaster (GM) in 2022, holding the highest rating in the country at the time he received the title. In November 2021, he reached his peak FIDE rating of 2537. Raised in a prominent chess family, his first and only coach was his older brother, Serdar Annaberdiyev, an Honored Coach of Turkmenistan.
His landmark career achievements include:
- Bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in the team rapid event.
- Team Gold medal in Category “B” representing Turkmenistan at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
- Top finishes in major international open tournaments in Turkey, including a victory at the Mersin International Open 2025, silver at the Cappadocia Open 2025, and silver at the Başkent University Open 2022.
Meylis Annaberdiyev’s victory at this international tournament in Hungary serves as another testament to the high standards of the Turkmen chess school and the ongoing success of Turkmenistan’s athletes on the global stage. ///Chess Federation of Turkmenistan