The Turkmenistan chess championship in the major league has concluded its first round in Ashgabat, revealing clear frontrunners in both men's and women's categories. Amanmuhammet Hommadov tops the men's standings with a perfect score, while Lala Shohradova leads the women. The event plays a crucial role in selecting the national team for the upcoming World Chess Olympiad.
The Turkmenistan chess championship among major league participants is underway in Ashgabat, structured as a round-robin tournament in two stages featuring the country's top intellectual game masters. Following the first round, distinct leaders have emerged in the standings.
In the open men's category, Amanmuhammet Hommadov, rated at 2269, secured sole leadership with an impeccable 7 points from 7 games. Trailing him is the reigning national champion Vepaly Halynyazov (2194) on 4.5 points, with Ahmet Gubatayev (2176) in third place at 4 points.
The women's section sees Lala Shohradova (2109) in command with 6.5 points out of 7. Gulmira Seyilhanova (1810) holds second at 4.5 points, and current champion Jahan Rejepova (2051) is third with 4 points.
This championship serves as a pivotal qualifier for Turkmenistan's national teams in international competitions. For the men, the top three finishers will join grandmasters Saparmyrat Atabayev (2487) and Meylis Annaberdiyev (2424), who qualified via their international ratings per Chess Federation rules. In the women's team, Leyla Shohradova (2182), the national ranking leader, is already selected, with the remaining four spots allocated to the best performers here.
Attention now shifts to the second round, where outcomes will crown the national champions and finalize the squad for the 47th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, scheduled for September.
