The Chess Federation of Turkmenistan organized qualifying tournaments for the second league in four regions of the country simultaneously.
The second league serves as the preliminary qualifying stage for the Turkmenistan Championship (I League). It was established in 2023 with the aim of discovering new talents and providing every chess player from the regions the opportunity to prove themselves through a transparent and fair selection process for the top tiers of the national championship.
Qualifying competitions within the second league took place in Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Lebap, and Mary velayats. A total of 382 chess players participated, including 115 women in the female category. In each region, participants in both the open category (which includes men and some women) and the women’s category competed for 10 spots in the first league of the national championship, which will be held at the end of this year.
The Ashgabat stage of the second league also included representatives from Ahal velayat and the city of Arkadag, who also qualified for the first league from their respective regions.
As a results of the Ashgabat competition, Oguljeren Saparova took the first place in the women’s category. Silver was won by Guljemile Saparova. The bronze medalist was Jasmine Rahmedova. Azatgeldi Amangeldiev was the first in the open category. Rasul Myradov was second. Myrat Merdanov took the third place.
In Dashoguz velayat, the women’s category winner was Dilber Hupbayeva. Second place went to Mekhriban Matyakubova, and third to Sahra Saparmyradova. In the open category, the best result was achieved by Muhammetnur Baygeldiev. Silver went to Ykhlas Ulugbekov, and bronze to Babur Nejmeddinov.
In Lebap velayat, first place among women was taken by Jeren Bakhtiyarova, second by Nurkhan Babanazarova, and third by Ailar Semenderova. The open category winner was Serdar Bayramov, with Yunus Joraev second, and Gurbanmyrat Rustemov third.
In Mary velayat, the top spot in the women’s category was claimed by Ejegyz Amanova. Silver was won by Gozel Ashyrmyradova, and bronze by Makhriban Gurbannazarova. In the open category, Rauf Yusupov won first place, Jennet Yalkanova was second, and Dayanch Ovezov third.
In addition to the second league, this year for the first time tournaments of the “Grand Prix” series were launched in each velayat center. These tournaments give chess players not only the chance to gain playing experience without leaving their province but also the opportunity to advance directly to the highest league of the Turkmenistan championship.
“It is very pleasing that now in the velayat there are chess enthusiasts—coaches, referees, and even fans—who assist the Federation in organizing such important tournaments in the regions,” said Vepa Myalikgulyev, Chairman of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, at the awards ceremony.
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