SAMARKAND, 16 September 2026. The first round of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad—the world’s premier team chess competition—was played at the Silk Road Samarkand International Expo Center. Both Turkmenistan’s men’s and women’s national teams launched their campaigns with maximum 4-0 sweeps.
Men’s Team: 4-0 vs. Timor-Leste
In the opening round, Turkmenistan (ranked 65th, average rating 2383) faced Timor-Leste (ranked 168th) and won on all four boards:
- Board 1: Grandmaster Saparmurat Atabayev (rating 2503) – Helder de Araujo (1905) – 1-0
- Board 2: FIDE Master Amanmuhammet Hommadov (2389) – Andrade Pinto (1820) – 1-0
- Board 3: Shahrukh Turayev (2222) – Paulo Fernandes de Carvalho (1810) – 1-0
- Board 4: Vepaly Halynyazov (2257) – Mario Melo Nascimento (1788) – 1-0
Grandmaster Meylis Annaberdiyev (2384) rested in the first round and remains in reserve. The men’s team is captained by Honored Trainer of Turkmenistan Serdar Annaberdiyev.
Women’s Team: 4-0 vs. Liechtenstein
Turkmenistan’s women’s team (ranked 55th, average rating 2057) secured a matching 4-0 victory over Liechtenstein (ranked 151st):
- Board 1: Woman Candidate Master Leyla Shohradova (2101) – Timea Zele (1790) – 1-0
- Board 2: Woman FIDE Master Jahan Rejepova (2027) – Sofie Mannhart (1533) – 1-0
- Board 3: Myahri Agamuradova (1939) – Thelma Martinez Hengevoss (1499) – 1-0
- Board 4: Ogulsuray Bayrambayeva (1952) – Doris Heron (unrated) – 1-0
Team leader Woman FIDE Master Lala Shohradova (2147) rested for the opening round. The women’s team is captained by Mergen Kakabayev.
Aiming to Repeat Budapest Success
Two years ago, at the 45th Olympiad in Budapest, Turkmenistan achieved its best-ever performance: the men’s team claimed first place in rating Category B, while the women’s team secured top honors in Category C (special FIDE rating group awards).
The goal for both squads in Samarkand is to replicate that success by winning their respective rating groups, securing international master norms, and boosting individual ratings.
Preparation Supported by Kazakhstan Chess Federation
The final training phase—a two-week intensive camp held right before the Olympiad—was conducted under International Grandmaster Aleksandr Rakhmanov. The camp was organized jointly with the Kazakhstan Chess Federation under its Freedom Asian Chess Initiatives (FACI) program, which Turkmenistan joined in 2026. Earlier as part of this partnership, the team held a training camp in Kokshetau (18 May – 2 June) and a series of online sessions during the summer.
What’s Next
In Round 2 on 17 September (starting at 15:00 Samarkand time), the men’s team will clash with Serbia (ranked 15th, average rating 2616), while the women’s team will face Poland (ranked 9th). With ten rounds remaining, Turkmenistan has started the tournament with confidence and resolve.
Reference Information: 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad
Dates & Venue: Takes place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 15 to 27 September 2026. The opening ceremony took place on 15 September; competition rounds run from 16 to 27 September, with a rest day on 22 September. The 11th and final round alongside the closing ceremony will take place on 27 September.
Historic Scale: This marks the first time a Chess Olympiad is hosted in Central Asia. It has set a record for participation: according to chess-results.com, 206 teams entered the Open section and 190 in the Women’s section (surpassing the previous record of 380 total teams at Budapest 2024), bringing together nearly 2,000 chess players.
Format: 11-round Swiss system on four boards. Time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes to the end of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one. Chief Arbiter: Ivan Syrovy (Slovakia).
Top Seeds: In the Open section: USA, India (defending champion in both sections), Uzbekistan (2022 Olympiad winner), and China. In the Women’s section: India, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and China.
Parallel Events: Samarkand is simultaneously hosting the 3rd FIDE Olympiad for People with Disabilities and the FIDE Congress.
Results and games of Turkmenistan teams can be tracked via chess-results.com (Open section: https://chess-results.com/tnr1469895.aspx?lan=11, Women’s section: https://chess-results.com/tnr1469896.aspx?lan=11). /// Turkmenistan Chess Federation