Line-up of the Men’s Premier League of the 2026 Turkmenistan Chess Championship Announced

From February 2 to 11, eight of the strongest chess players in Turkmenistan will compete in Ashgabat in a double round-robin tournament for the national championship title and a place on the national team. The list of contenders was determined following the First League competition held at the Specialized Chess and Checkers School in Ashgabat.

A total of 54 players competed for five Premier League spots over 11 rounds using the Swiss system. Equal and accessible conditions were provided for all participants, including players with visual impairments.

In the open section, which included both men and women, representatives of the Lebap Chess School achieved notable success. The standout performer was 16-year-old Gurbanmyrat Rustemov (FIDE rating 2036), who scored 9 points to claim first place. He defeated experienced players such as women’s national team head coach Shakhrukh Turaev and team leader Lala Shohradova. Rustemov finished half a point ahead of 18-year-old Ilhan Charyyev (FIDE 2086).

Third place went to Shakhrukh Turaev (FIDE 2198). International Master Karen Grigoryan (FIDE 2225) and Leyla Shohradova (FIDE 2174) also qualified for the Premier League, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The championship results will determine the composition of Turkmenistan’s men’s national team for the 46th World Chess Olympiad, to be held in September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.