The Turkmenistan Chess Championship for Higher League participants has begun at the Specialized Chess and Checkers School in Ashgabat, serving as a key selection event for the national team ahead of the 47th World Chess Olympiad. Sixteen top players, split evenly between open and women's categories, are competing to secure spots on the Olympic squad for the September 2026 event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
This championship marks a crucial phase in assembling Turkmenistan's representatives for international chess competitions. The tournament aims to identify the strongest players for the Olympic team, with the national squad set to compete in the 47th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand from September 2026.
In the open category, eight male players are vying for the title, including Vepaly Halynyazov, the 2025 Higher League winner with a rating of 2194, and Amanmuhammet Hommadov, the 2025 Grand Prix series victor rated at 2269. Other contenders include Akhmet Gubataev (2176), Gurbanmyrat Rustemov (2148, aged 16), Ilkhan Charyev (2187), Shakhrukh Turaev (2211), Karen Grigoryan (2216, an International Master aged 72), and Leyla Shohradova (2182). The group has an average rating of 2198 and an average age of 27.
The women's section features eight participants, led by Jahan Rejepova (2051, 2025 Higher League champion) and Lala Shohradova (2109, the highest-rated entrant). Additional players are Gulmira Seyilkhanova (1810), Ogulsuray Bayrambaeva (1906), Dilber Khupbyeva (1916, aged 12), Makhri Agamyradova (1925), Ayshe Gubataeva (1908), and Makhrijemal Gurbangeldiyeva (1939). Their average rating stands at 1946, with an average age of 18.
Already confirmed for the men's team are Saparmyrat Atabayev (2487) and Meylis Annaberdiyev (2424) based on international ratings. Leyla Shohradova (2182) secures a direct spot on the women's team. The remaining positions—three for men and four for women—will be filled according to tournament outcomes, with results expected next week.
Following this event, the national teams will prepare at the 'Russian Chess Crown' festival in Moscow from February 17 to 28.