The Turkmenistan Chess Championship continues in Ashgabat, held in a double round-robin format. The Open Category features the country’s strongest players—seven men and one woman—while the Women’s Category consists of eight top female contenders selected through national qualifying tournaments.
With the first round concluding on 7 February, clear leaders have emerged in both divisions.
Women’s Category
- Lala Shokhradova (Rating: 2109) — 6.5/7 points. As expected, Lala is living up to her status as the leader of women’s chess in the country.
- Gulmira Seyilkhanova (Rating: 1810) — 4.5/7 points. Gulmira started with great momentum, though her final two games of the first round were unsuccessful. Despite this, she maintains her hold on second place.
- Jahan Rejepova (Rating: 2051) — 4/7 points. The reigning national champion has yet to show her full strength. However, experts believe she will display her “champion’s character” in the second round to defend her position and secure a spot on the national team.
Open Category
- Amanmuhammet Hommadov (Rating: 2269) — 7/7 points. Amanmuhammet is demonstrating absolute dominance, maintaining a flawless score and a very high level of play.
- Vepaly Halynyazov (Rating: 2194) — 4.5/7 points. The defending national champion lost to the current leader, but his dramatic comeback victory last year is fresh in everyone’s mind. A fierce fight is expected from him in the final stages.
- Ahmet Gubataev (Rating: 2176) — 4/7 points. Ahmet suffered losses in rounds 5 and 6 against Hommadov and Halynyazov, but a final-round victory over his direct rival, Turaev, solidified his standing.
Looking Ahead
The Higher League games continue. The upcoming decisive matches of the second round will determine the national champions and the final composition of the Turkmenistan national teams.
Selection Criteria:
- Open Team: The top three finishers from the Higher League will join the national squad. Per the Chess Federation’s regulations, Saparmurat Atabaev (Rating: 2487) and Meilis Annaberdiev (Rating: 2424) have already been seeded into the team based on their high international ratings.
- Women’s Team: Leyla Shokhradova (Rating: 2182), the national rating leader, has been automatically included. The remaining four spots for the Olympic team will be decided by the results of this championship.
///Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, 8 February 2026