The men's and women's national teams of Turkmenistan are performing successfully at the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, rising 30–40 positions higher than their initial seeding after the first six rounds.

Following the results of six rounds, the Turkmenistan men's team ranks 25th among 206 teams, while the women's team sits in 26th place among 190 teams. Both teams have 9 points out of a possible 12.

Before the start of the competition, the Turkmenistan men's team was seeded 65th, and the women's team was seeded 55th.

Men's team triumphs over Denmark

In the sixth round, held on the eve of the rest day, the Turkmenistan men's team defeated the national team of Denmark with a score of 3.5:0.5. Denmark was ranked 25th in the tournament's starting list.

While Grandmaster Saparmyrat Atayev, playing on the first board, drew his match, Meylis Annaberdiyev, Amanmuhammet Hammadov, and Wepaly Halynyazow defeated their opponents.

Wepaly Halynyazow is demonstrating exceptional performance in the tournament, having won all three matches he has participated in so far.

Earlier, the Turkmenistan men's team also secured a draw in a match against Slovakia.

Women's team draws with Spain

The Turkmenistan women's team is also performing successfully. In the previous round, Turkmen chess players defeated Argentina 2.5:1.5, and in the sixth round, they played a 2:2 draw against a strong Spanish team.

It is noted that all chess players on the Spanish team hold high international titles.

One of the revelations of the tournament is the performance of Mahri Agamyradowa, who scored 4.5 points out of a possible 5, significantly boosting her international rating.

The coach of the Turkmenistan women's team and general secretary of the Turkmenistan Chess Federation, Mergen Kakabayew, described the team's performance as worthy of high praise, noting that the players are striving not only to match the achieved results but to build upon them.

Five more rounds ahead for Turkmen chess players

Both Turkmenistan teams are competing in the tournament within the "B" rating category. One of the athletes' main goals is to repeat and improve upon the result achieved two years ago at the Olympiad in Budapest, secure high placements in their groups, and fulfill international master norms.

On September 23, following the rest day, the seventh round of the competition kicked off. The Turkmenistan men's team faces the Austrian team, which includes Grandmaster Kirill Alekseenko.

The women's team competes against the English team. England's top board features 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan, who, despite her young age, attracts the attention of the international chess community.

A total of 11 rounds will be played at the 46th World Chess Olympiad. The final results of the competition will be announced on September 27.

The matches and results of Turkmenistan's national teams can be followed on the Chess-Results platform.