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Ashgabat Hosts International Chess Tournament with 11 Nations Competing
17.06.2025
63
Today, the Turkmen capital witnessed the grand opening ceremony of an international chess tournament, drawing athletes from 11 countries across Europe and Asia.
In the Era of the Revival of a New Epoch of a Powerful State, Turkmenistan's dedicated strategy for developing mass physical culture, health-improving movements, and high-performance sports, initiated by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag, and successfully implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, stands as a top priority in the nation's policy.
The widespread global support for the country's sports reforms is evident in the adoption of several UN General Assembly Resolutions, championed by Turkmenistan: the declaration of June 3rd as "World Bicycle Day," the "Integration of Mass Cycling into Public Transport Systems for Sustainable Development" Resolution at the 76th UN General Assembly, and the "United Nations Friendship Games" Resolution at the 78th General Assembly. This commitment is further underscored by Ashgabat being named a "City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth" at a CIS Heads of Government meeting, and the Tennis Complex within the Olympic Village being designated an "Asian Regional Training Center" by the Asian Tennis Federation.
All these achievements contribute to strengthening neutral Turkmenistan's international sporting prestige, promoting its constructive initiatives aimed at fostering fruitful cooperation with international partners, and supporting the Olympic movement in its global humanitarian and peacemaking mission.
The construction of the Olympic Village in Ashgabat significantly elevated Turkmen sports to a new level. It was here, in 2017, that the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games took place, opening a new chapter in the history of national sports. Thanks to these Asian Games, Turkmenistan joined the ranks of countries fully equipped to host high-level competitions, showcasing the success of its sports diplomacy, implemented for the benefit of universal peace and prosperity.
Further boosting the country's sporting prestige was the hosting of the International Amul-Khazar Auto Rally and the World Weightlifting Championships, which etched new, vibrant pages into the annals of national and global sports. Among the other major competitions held in the Turkmen capital were the Central Asian Team Tennis Championship for boys and girls under 12, the 14th World Kurash Wrestling Championship, an International Ice Hockey Tournament involving teams from CIS countries and beyond, and International Competitions in national Göreş wrestling and Alysh belt wrestling, featuring athletes from 13 countries in Asia and Europe.
And now, Turkmenistan is organizing yet another prestigious event: an international chess tournament. It welcomes 129 athletes aged 8, 10, and 12 from Vietnam, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
The ceremonial opening was held at the Specialized Chess and Checkers School of the Main Department of Physical Culture and Sports of Ashgabat. The organization of the competition was preceded by comprehensive preparation by the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports and the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, which dedicates considerable effort to developing this sport.
To discover talented athletes, extensive promotional and educational work is carried out among children, who are actively introduced to regular participation in various sports disciplines from an early age. The younger generation enthusiastically embraces not only active sports but also intellectual ones, including chess, which has seen rapid development in our homeland.
For example, in the last 3.5 years alone, the number of members of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan has grown from 60 to 1,300. This surge in interest is largely due to an increase in the number of internal tournaments with FIDE rating calculations. While only 57 such tournaments were held in Turkmenistan between 2000 and 2022, 232 have taken place in the last 2.5 years. Consequently, the skill and achievements of Turkmen chess players have soared. Currently, the country boasts 10 international grandmasters (the highest sporting title in chess) – three more than three years ago. In the past 2.5 years, Turkmen chess players have secured 39 medals in international competitions. The crowning achievement was the gold medals won by the men's and women's teams in categories "B" and "C," respectively, at the 45th World Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in 2024.
A powerful impetus to chess development was also provided by the Specialized Chess and Checkers School, built in the capital in 2014 on the initiative of Hero-Arkadag. Designed for 350 students and approximately 500 playing spots, it provides all the necessary conditions for productive training and for hosting competitions of any level, with real-time online broadcasting of chess moves. Today, this school is hosting its first international chess tournament, part of the program of events dedicated to Ashgabat's status as a "City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth."
...From early morning, a festive atmosphere permeated the Specialized Chess and Checkers School. The long-awaited moment arrived. The official opening ceremony of the competitions commenced.
In a solemn setting, a welcoming address from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was read, noting that chess is mentioned in ancient epics and Turkmen folk tales, indicating its long-standing presence. It has not lost its popularity today. Chess has also gained widespread recognition as a sport included in the program of a significant sporting event, inscribed in golden letters in our history: the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. In ancient times, this game was called "Sadranç" and "Şahmat": initially conceived as entertainment, it later underwent significant improvement.
"Our ancestors, who lived on the ancient Turkmen land—at the heart of the Great Silk Road—paid immense attention to the comprehensive upbringing of the younger generation, especially through chess. Today, our chess players perform brilliantly in major international tournaments in this sport, winning prizes, of which we are very proud," emphasized the head of state in his message. He expressed confidence that the current competition, which will be a significant event in Turkmenistan's sporting history, will substantially strengthen international cooperation in sports, greatly promote ideas of peace and friendship, popularize and affirm the principles of the Olympic movement, and allow chess players to enhance their skills and abilities.
The welcoming address from the President of Turkmenistan was received with immense enthusiasm and met with thunderous applause.
The climax arrived: the international chess tournament was declared open! The National Anthem of Turkmenistan was performed.
Following this, Vepa Myalikgulyev, Chairman of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, and Alexander Shkurikhin, head of the Russian delegation, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. Expressing sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag, for their immense attention to the development of sports, particularly chess, and for the opportunity to host high-level international competitions, the heads of the sports organizations warmly congratulated the tournament participants on its commencement and wished them success.
After the official ceremony, a vibrant musical and dance performance took place. Representatives of various sports also delivered impressive demonstration numbers. Tournament participants posed for a memorable photo and then explored an exhibition of our country's sporting achievements in the school's foyer.
Over the next three days, the Ashgabat International Chess Tournament will award 12 sets of medals across three age categories for boys and girls in rapid and blitz competitions. In rapid chess, each player is allotted 15 minutes per game with a 10-second increment per move. For blitz – the lightning-fast chess game – players receive 3 minutes per game with a 2-second increment per move. The first medalists will be known on June 17th after nine rounds conclude. The final results will be tallied on June 18th after the blitz games.
The tournament organizers have also arranged a cultural program for participants, including visits to the State Circus of Turkmenistan, the "Aşgabat" Culture and Recreation Park, and the "Berkarar," "Aşgabat," and "Arkaç" shopping and entertainment centers. Excursions to the Olympic Village and other attractions of the Turkmen capital are also planned.
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