Turkmenistan and Russia Expand Cooperation in Chess

Last week, Wepa Malikgulyyew, Chairman of the Chess Federation of Turkmenistan, held working meetings with Sergey Karjakin, President of the Chess Federation of the Moscow Region and Senator of the Russian Federation, and Albert Minnullin, Executive Director of the same federation.

The parties discussed opportunities for expanding bilateral cooperation for the development of chess and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at strengthening partnership relations, organizing joint competitions and training camps, as well as exchanging experience between coaches and athletes.

Particular attention was paid to the opening of the Sergey Karjakin Chess Club in Turkmenistan. An agreement was reached to work out the organizational issues for launching this club, which will serve as a platform for training young talents, conducting master classes, and international competitions.

Other areas of interaction were also discussed, including the development of programs for children and youth, online education, and the participation of Turkmen chess players in the "Asian Chess League" series and other competitions held in the Russian Federation.

During the visit, the parties attended the award ceremony for the winners of the "Chess Crown of Russia" international festival, organized by the Chess Federation of the Moscow Region. Twenty foreign delegations, including chess players from Turkmenistan, participated in this competition.

Sergey Karjakin and Albert Minnullin noted that Turkmenistan was the most represented country among the foreign participants of the festival. They expressed special gratitude to the country's leadership for the great support and active participation in this inaugural tournament.

Currently, Sergey Karjakin's chess clubs operate successfully in Astana, Bishkek, and Dushanbe, as well as in dozens of countries worldwide, such as Hungary, India, Thailand, and Chile. Plans are underway to further expand the international network of clubs in the near future, including opening a branch in Ashgabat.

Sergey Karjakin is an international grandmaster, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, World Cup winner, World Rapid and Blitz Champion, and a challenger for the World Chess Crown. In addition to his sports career, he is active in public and state affairs as a Senator of the Russian Federation and President of the Chess Federation of the Moscow Region, regularly implementing initiatives to popularize chess and support young athletes.